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Music, the Air Force and Climbing

• December 2011
• Hi Steph Climb Travel

Dear Steph,
First off, I would like to thank you for your awesome site. It’s so great that people can connect with you, get advice, and learn.

I recently joined the Air Force and I play in one of the regional bands. It has been my dream job for quite a while, I mean, my main duty is to play my instrument! But I am currently stationed in South Central Texas and I’m missing the mountains a lot.

I have spent a bit of time in Rocky Mountain National Park and have fallen in love with the mountains – especially Longs Peak which I’ve done 3 times – twice by keyhole and once on the North Face. I really want to climb the Diamond someday. Your solo is really inspiring, although I’m positive I’m not ready for that! I think about music and the mountains a lot – and people often ask me which I like more. I think I saw somewhere that you play piano, is that right? I play the bassoon, and fingers are pretty crucial to playing it, and people often wonder why I take the risk to climb when I could chance hurting my fingers.

I think music and mountains/climbing each fulfill some need in me – but different needs. Right now I’m only getting the music side, and while I can’t quite put it into words, I bet you understand. I’m not sure I can be truly happy without either, and while I’ve found a small group of climbing friends at a small gym, it’s not quite the same as being in the alpine where I can feel so vulnerable to nature but so secure with the people around me. It’s like the reverse of the city, where when it rains you can go indoors but it’s the people and traffic that can be dangerous.

If I make the Air Force a career I could retire at 42 and I think I might want to see if I can work for the park service after. I have a great friend and mentor who worked as a climbing ranger and with search and rescue. I think it could be a great way to serve others doing what I love – kind of like the other side to what I am doing right now. The thing is, I only get 15 days of the year to really go and travel (my other 15 are during the holidays so I’d go home). In 15 days I can do a lot, and I know I wont stay in TX forever, but I also feel like I’m not feeding all my “needs” so to speak. I have this empty spot where the mountains and beauty should be. I think a career and retiring is my best choice for security, but I would also like a little reassurance that I’ll still be able to go out and have epic adventures later too. I know 42 isn’t that old and that lots of people older than that are still climbing, but when do people usually peak? Do you think waiting would make me miss out on too much? I feel like I’m in my prime and 20 years is a long time from now.

Anyway, I hope you and your experience can help me in this debate. I miss the mountains and the feel of rock so much. I enjoy that physical and mental push to the summit, and in a way, I miss that point in time where the decision is made between going on and going back – knowing that the mountain will still be there, long after you are. Strangely, I like to think that there is some sort of success in turning back – after all, if you make it back safely you can always return again. Maybe it’s my way of not doubting and regretting my decisions if I get back and the weather turns out to be fine. 🙂 And maybe, more than anything, I miss being with people that love the mountains just as much as me and understand the feelings that I’m talking about. Well, I’d better let you go, I’m sure there’s plenty of climbing to do! Thanks so much for your time and I hope you are doing well.

All the best,
Emily

P.S. Is there perhaps any way I can get a signed poster from you? That would be great for my empty walls. 🙂

Hi Emily,
Of course I can send you a poster: just write me again and give me your address 🙂
I think your current career sounds great! And I understand the dilemma of do it now or do it later, in a way. I think there are advantages to both choices in life. Doing it now has the advantage, of well, doing it now 🙂 And every time you set off down a road, it leads you to other places. On the other hand, if you enjoy what you are doing at the moment, and you think it would give you the security to pursue other things later, there is a lot to be said for that. 42 may seem like a very distant age when you are 22, but it turns out that it happens much sooner than you would think. I’m 39 right now, and I feel better athletically than ever before. I think if you have a lifelong passion for fitness and adventure, the averages of physical decline and ageing are not really the same as for the majority of people. This is what I’ve experienced, and what I see in all my friends. So the do it later option is pretty reasonable, in this case. I guess what I’m saying is that either way you go looks positive to me: I know that doesn’t help much 🙂 But maybe some food for thought at least.
Steph