Blog

Looking Up

• January 2009
• Hi Steph Climb

Hello Steph~
I’m rather new to climbing and I’ve been kind of desperate to find some female climber role models. I was definitely excited to come across your blog this morning. I’m also excited because of the vegan recipes you’ve posted!
Peace,
Rebecca Schneider

Dear Rebecca,
I hope you will like all those recipes! And very glad to have you visit 🙂 Role models are something I’ve been thinking about a lot recently as well, partly because of a great story my friend Alison Osius wrote, about Lee Sheftel, who has always been an inspiration to me.

It’s true that when living a nontraditional life, it can be hard to find direction. For my early years as an itinerant climber (and law school dropout!), I found my path pretty scary and significantly lacking in cairns. I took my inspiration from the friends I met and climbed with, and tried to not worry.

As the years have passed, a few special people have really stood out in my life by helping me become a better person, and leading by example. Fletcher, my dog, has always seemed to figure out the real life lessons faster than me, sometimes by a decade, in fact. I pretty much emulate her in most ways, but most of all because she is a truly natural creature. Her good qualities are far too numerous to list here, but Fletch has always taught me that above all, I must be myself. She has been my greatest role model for fourteen years.

I have been blessed in all my friends, but most of all Jimmy Chin, whom I met years and years ago in Yosemite in Camp 4, and then again at Indian Creek–then next thing I knew, I was on an expedition with him to Pakistan. Jimmy is perhaps my greatest role model in life, not because of his considerable abilities as a climber, skier, alpinist and photographer, but because he has always been the kindest and wisest person I have known. Good friends give you friendship, laughter, and support. But role models also give you advice and wisdom. Jimmy has always given me compassionate and unerring guidance. I think the single most valuable bit of advice anyone has ever given me came from Jimmy. He told me, “it doesn’t matter what happens. It only matters how you deal with it.” I’ve never forgotten his words, and whenever I find myself in a difficult situation, I follow them.

I also look up to my older brother Virgil. He is an ER doctor, and a dedicated adventurer. For years he lived in Missouri, and doggedly put up first ascents on sharp, loose rock in sweaty, humid conditions. After that, he moved to Arizona, and doggedly put up first ascents on sharp, loose rock in hot, dry conditions. Shoulder injuries turned him into a surfer, so he moved to Arcata, California where he surfed in scary, cold water in lonely, gnarly conditions. When he started skydiving and BASE jumping and moved to Salt Lake, we started to have even more adventures together again.

I think my favorite thing about my brother is that he is not only super-smart and super-bad (not to mention that he saves people’s lives for a living) but he has always been truly humble, sweet and kind to others. Virgil is not unduly impressed with himself, although I am! For all those reasons, he always makes a big impression on people. For the last ten years, I have been meeting climbers, and now jumpers, who say, “Hey! Your brother’s name is Virgil? I know your brother! I met him and climbed/jumped with him!” and they can tell me the exact place and experience they shared with him. Those stories often end with Virgil giving some trip-saving medical help to his new friends 🙂

So to Fletchmama, Jimmy, and Virgil: thanks for being my role models and some of the most amazing people in the world! I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have made it this far without all of you.
xxx Steph