Funding the Adventurous Life
I must admit: I’m more than a little obsessed with keeping a schedule. When I started this website, my plan was to post semi-regularly, but with no specific frequency in mind. It took no less than two weeks for me to fall right into my old ways, landing a militaristic regimen of a Monday 7:00am MST posting schedule. So, is that a bad thing?
Continue reading “On Being a Slave to the Schedule”
For those of you new to this site, The Interview Series is a way to highlight those in the world of climbing who view life through a different lens. These folks have found a way to balance life’s passions amidst a whirlwind schedule of family and work obligations, not stopping to consider the easy way out. Rob Pizem does it. And then he does more.
Continue reading “Rob Pizem: Fighting the Good Fight”
Ok folks, we’re back with Part 2 of the interview with Dave MacLeod. If you haven’t already checked out Part 1, please do so here.
Continue reading “Dave MacLeod: Life Outside the Box, Part 2”
Today I’m thrilled to bring you the first in a two-part series from the climbing and training legend, Dave MacLeod. Dave has an impressive and varied climbing resume, including countless top-tier first ascents, F9a sport routes (5.14d), V15 boulders, Scottish XII mixed routes, and E11 trad. Dave is nails strong — mentally and physically — and that’s no accident of good fortune. In this interview, Dave offers a glimpse into what makes him tick, and why it’s essential to live life outside the box if we desire exceptional results.
Continue reading “Dave MacLeod: Life Outside the Box, Part 1”
From the way we dress, the content we put on social media, to even the routes we climb, our ego often runs the show. To pursue mastery of any sort, a high level of discomfort is required, usually in spite of the ego’s desire for pedestal-worthy achievement. I’ve had a slow and steady awakening over the past few years, allowing me to begin to see just how much my ego is in control. (Cliff Notes: a lot).
Let’s start with a climbing example, but hang in there non-climbers (PUN)!
Continue reading “Ego and Mastery: Looking Good vs Being Good”
It’s no secret by now that I’m a full-on obsessed rock climber. Long ago the ship sailed on climbing only for “fun,” and my time devoted to this sport has been replaced with performance ambitions. I’ve spent most of the last decade planning, goal-setting, training, and chipping away at pre-defined objectives. But in climbing and in life, you can only go full throttle for so long. Of everything we do to be a better climber — or even a better human — sometimes it’s what we don’t do that really matters. Rest might be the most important element.
Continue reading “Rest: We Need It and We Don’t Get Enough”
Now more than ever the parking lots at popular climbing areas across the country are being crowded by big boxy Sprinters and a variety of less-sexy creeper vans. As I’ve touched on before, the allure of climbing and other lifestyle sports is incredibly strong. The power to hit the road is so strong that climbers are increasingly dropping the creature comforts of modern building dwelling to pursue the mobile dream in the back of a van, a pull trailer, or sometimes even a Honda Civic. This, my friends, is Van Life.
At face value, assuming you think you can handle the obvious discomforts of a claustrophobic space in the dead of winter on a snowy day, the economic decision seems like an obvious win. Right?
Continue reading “Van Life: The Economics and Trade-0ffs”
Full disclosure, I’m posting this week’s case study as an interview, but no one is being interviewed here. This post is the amalgamation of several email discussions I’ve had with readers in the last two to three months. The premise is this: folks out there know some form of career is necessary, but they’re overwhelmed by the idea of 40+ years of something that isn’t the dream job. Oh yeah, and they’re obsessed with rock climbing.
I’m going to outline below the basic way we’ve structured our lives to be career-focused for only a small portion of our adult lives. From there, we’re free to pursue whatever it is that gets us giddy (which can still be a career).
Continue reading “Reader Case Study: Maximize Adventure or Career?”
Howdy folks, we’re back on the interview wagon again after a couple of weeks of “you’re spending too much” rants. I feel better, thanks for asking. This week we are once again going to focus on the lifestyle of folks in the climbing industry, and the financial implications for building a sustainable life in a world where money most certainly does not grow on trees. As usual, I reached out to someone whose work I respect, the very talented photographer, filmmaker, and climber Tara Kerzhner. Not only does she do exceptional work behind the lens, she has a unique character that makes her stand out — particularly a running theme of cats, which permeates her online persona.
Continue reading “Tara Kerzhner: Lights, Cameras…Kittens?”
If you’ve been in this climbing world for more than a few days, you know that my guest interview today, Jonathan Siegrist, needs no introduction. He’s simply one of the world’s top climbers, and he’s crushed it in all major facets of this game we play — sport, bouldering, and trad.
We’re going to mix things up this week and feature Jonathan not because he’s pursuing a life of financial independence or running a business, but because he works damn hard and is a man with a plan. He is laser focused on his goals, but he knows there will be more to life than professional climbing. There’s not much luck in this story.
Continue reading “Jonathan Siegrist: Life After Professional Climbing”