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Climbing and Traveling On Your Own

• May 2009
• Uncategorized

Hi Steph!

My name is Lauren Barnard! I’ve been climbing for a little over a year, but the past few months I’ve started climbing much harder! I just finished reading High Infatuation, and over the course of reading it (I drew it out as long as I could to savor it–I took it everywhere from my dorm bedroom in San Jose, to on a boulder in the sun in Bishop) it’s helped inspire me to listen to my heart a little more, and well, do what inspires me: climbing and writing! I recently applied for an internship at Climbing magazine and so far they appear pretty interested in hiring me, but I won’t get the final word until later this week.

I look up to you and how you follow your dreams, regardless of where in the world they might require you to go to achieve them. I live in the SF Bay Area in CA, and Climbing is based in Boulder, CO. I think that it would be an amazing experience to head out on my own to a new state for the summer, but part of me is still hesitant about the idea. What is your best advice for a college aged climber girl who wants to set out on her own to climb? Were you entirely on your own when you left the east coast for Colorado?

Again, thank you so much for inspiring so many climbers–especially young women like myself!

Best wishes and happy climbing,
Lauren

Dear Lauren,
Thanks a lot for such a nice letter, and I really hope you got the internship. That’s a nice group of people, and obviously Boulder would be a fantastic place to spend the summer!
I was on my own when I was traveling from east to west, until I got Fletch.
Honestly, I find it a lot easier in many ways to travel on my own, especially when I know I’m going somewhere that I can meet up with friends or other people. It can be nice to have company, but it’s kind of easy and luxurious to make all your own decisions and plans.
That is a real feeling of freedom and simplicity.
My advice to you is to find a place where you can get free or used books. And make sure to keep a small library in the car–otherwise you will find yourself somewhere bored at some point, and be forced to read something you can’t believe you’re even reading, out of pure desperation.
Remember to enjoy the moment, but even more importantly, that moments are only moments. There are always times on a trip, whether alone or with someone else,
when things feel less fun. Maybe it’s raining for four days, or you caught a cold,
or you don’t like the place you ended up, or it’s one of those times where you can’t get any quarters for the laundry and you spilled the detergent all over the back of your car, or whatever. And you feel like maybe having adventures isn’t as fun as you expected 😉 This is just one more way where climbing is kind of like life, in a very miniature fashion. It’s okay.
Remember where you are and what you’re doing, in the big picture, and realize how blessed you are. It’s an amazing life!
You can keep the simplicity of these times for all your life.
And make sure to bring a real pillow, and not just one of those mini camping ones 🙂
Have a great time!
🙂 Steph