Never Stop Climbing

Most know Washington state attorney Sara Lingafelter as “TheClimberGirl” or “Rock Climber Girl” – a prolific climbing blogger and key member of the Twitter climbing community. Her launch of the Twitter Climbers Wiki introduced dozens of Twitter climbers to each other and inspired at least one developer to start work on a very sophisticated Twitter climbing community site. Thankfully, she had enough time in her busy schedule to answer a few questions about climbing, technology, and her professional life. – John

Give us a brief overview of your climbing history. How long have you been at it?

I’m celebrating my fourth anniversary as a climber. I first set foot in the gym just after Christmas, 2004. Before that, I was a non-athlete. I sucked at competitive sports in high school, but always liked dancing, so resumed ballet classes when I was in college. Between college and climbing I had a brief stint as a distance road cyclist, but otherwise was relatively sedentary.

Do you remember what first sparked your interest in climbing?

The true credit goes to my bad-ass girlfriend Amy Moorhead. She took up climbing about a year and a half before I did. I’d never seen her so passionate and enthusiastic about anything, in the many years I’d known her. She is, truly, bad ass. I was terrified of heights, and swore I’d never set foot in that gym, despite her fun stories. That resolve held until my then-husband took up indoor climbing to rehabilitate a knee injury — he kept coming back from climbing so happy, enthusiastic, and energized. He got me a gift certificate for an introductory class for Christmas that year, and I was pissed! My response was “I’ll show you — I’m going to take the class, and I’ll HATE it the whole time!”

Famous last words. I was hooked from the moment I touched that first hold, despite my sometimes paralyzing fear of heights.

Once you decided to climb how did you turn it into reality? Did you take formal classes, sign up at gym, or have climbing friends who gave you the initial lessons?

I started out by taking the intro class at my local climbing gym. I fell instantly in love with the movement involved with working my way up the wall — it was like dancing, but better. I milked my two-week post-class membership, took my belay test, and then started climbing regularly.

I have done some training since — a lead climbing class at my gym; a two-day traditional gear and crack climbing clinic by the gym’s outdoor program; and we used to have an awesome women’s’ program at our gym — and I read a lot about climbing. But aside from those basics, the vast majority of my learning has come from the people I’m blessed to spend my climbing time with. I have a great core group of climbing partners who I’ve been privileged to travel the Western United States with over the last four years, climbing with, and learning from.

You’ve written that at times you “envy people for whom climbing can be an occasional activity… folks who can harness up a few times a year, and have fun climbing, without having climbing take over the rest of their lives… without making career and other sacrifices in order to indulge the climbing life.” Is this still true or have you embraced the fact that climbing is such a large part of your life?

It’s true, and not true. It’s hard to really describe. Either climbing has changed me, at a cellular level – or, climbing has brought me out in a way that I didn’t see coming – I don’t know which. Friends who haven’t seen me for a few years are a bit baffled by “the new Sara,” but most people who spend any time with me are enthusiastic about and supportive of this evolution. The part I envy is the relative ease of conventional living… existence is relatively calm and straightforward when you live in a house, work a regular day job, and spend your free time watching movies. There’s nothing easy or conventional about how I live now, but for me, my life now is much more full and happy than it has been in the past.

Steph Davis talks about making “fundamental life decisions impetuously, based on what feels right inside, and … never look[ing] back.” Before climbing, I was on the moving sidewalk. My life and decisions looked very “normal.” I spent all of my time and energy in a socially-acceptable caretaker mode, very much tuned to the needs and happiness of the people around me, with very little attention paid to myself. Since becoming a climber, I’ve become acutely tuned to myself – and although that’s made life much more complicated than it used to be, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I feel now like I make decisions at a cellular level – I don’t second guess myself, because I now have an unflappable trust of my own instincts. I definitely credit the strength, toughness, and experience I’ve gained from climbing with those changes.

So, yes – I’ve embraced the fact that climbing is a huge part of my life, and it’s one of the currents that moves me along. But, life would be a lot simpler, with a lot fewer difficult decisions, if I could crawl back into the “old Sara” sometimes!

How do you define climbing success?

I am firmly in the camp that the best climber is the one having the most fun. My first few years of climbing had some high points, but they weren’t my happiest years. I got frustrated and scared (terrified, really – sometimes to the point of hyperventilating on route) easily, I was still figuring out what it meant to be a climbing partner, and not all of my companions were happy, positive, encouraging partners.

The last year has definitely been the highlight so far… I’ve really come into my own as a climber, and have refined what to look for in climbing partners. I have had some tough and/or frustrating days in the last year, but I bounce back quickly (after ten minutes of deep breathing or a snack, instead of after days or weeks like it used to be). When I think about the 2008 climbing season, all I think of are funny stories, successes, laughter, beautiful places and routes, and fun. That’s unlike years past, where I remember a lot of scary and/or unhappy times.

Do you have any major climbing goals for 2009 or beyond?

My major climbing goals for 2009 are to do my best to remain uninjured, to surround myself with positive, fun climbing partners, and to climb every chance I get. Specific goals are to spend more time in Squamish, BC and really get my gear mojo on – I’ve done a bit of gear climbing elsewhere, but Squamish is the place I’ve had the most fun gear climbing. I’d like 2009 to be the year of getting competent at gear leading since my last two seasons of gear leading have definitely left something to be desired. I’d also like to get more solid leading sport 5.10s – 10s should be no problem for me given my fitness, strength and skill at this point, but mentally I still have work to do. It would be a real accomplishment for me if I got to a point of feeling confident and having fun leading 5.10 sport routes this year.

Do you have any interest in branching out into other climbing styles?

Yes. I still have yet to develop the power and strength to get off the ground bouldering, although I’m anticipating really hitting the boulders in 2009 after this winter’s training. I also got a baby taste of the alpine existence doing Eichorns Pinnacle in Tuolumne this summer – my overall fitness is finally where it needs to be for me to do the longer approaches necessary for some of the real classic technical routes. Finally – I still haven’t tried ice climbing. Despite much encouragement and many invitations, I’m not going to make it to Ourey this year – perhaps that’s a possibility for 2010.

Let’s move on to technology. I know that we share a common interest in building the online climbing community. You’ve been very active on Twitter and created the Twitter Climbers Wiki. How has this impacted your connection to the climbing community?

To set the stage for my answer… earlier this year, I found myself leaving work on a Friday with everything I needed for a weekend of climbing and camping in my car, and one by one my planned partners became unavailable. I changed plans, picked a new destination where I knew I’d be able to “happen upon” other climbers, and set out by myself. It was a real turning point for me. Until then, I’d always had trusted, known, more experienced climbing partners to guide me. It didn’t dawn on me that it may not always be like that. My desire to climb outweighed my shyness, and I very quickly got used to the idea of making new climbing friends everywhere I go.

My climbing partners all tease me about the fact that I introduce myself to every climber I meet…But, talking to other climbers, hearing their stories, sharing what I’ve learned and learning from others, has been a blessing. I love the idea that now I have friends, or friends of friends, in just about any climbing area in the U.S. (and some, abroad).

Where do you see the technology and related community heading in the next year or two?

That’s a tough one. I think we’re a small enough demographic as techie climbers, that I don’t see any huge commercial investment in climbing community technology. I think that we’ll see an evolution of the ideas we’re all talking about now — Tom’s (Tom Markiewicz) on the right track with his ThinkClimbing project.

I’d have to give some thought to why I lean toward and see more potential in the Twitter climbing community over other sites (like rockclimbing.com) — I don’t have an instant answer for that. I do occasionally read and participate in the rockclimbing.com forums, summitpost.org forums, and more regularly participate at cascadeclimbers.com — but I’ve met more folks who have turned into real life friends through Twitter, so far.

Have you considered using some of these tools to document your climbs in real-time or would you find it all too obtrusive and complicated? Will we see you tweeting from a wall or summit one of these days?

I work a part time job, I own a small business, I operate a number of side projects that are technology-dependent, and I also have a bunch of volunteer projects that involve technology. My Blackberry generally gets turned off when I arrive at a climbing destination, then turned back on when I get about half-way home. Climbing trips are the one time I really try to get away from work, and part of that, is having the Blackberry off. I really love writing reflective trip reports after the fact. A phone/camera company sent me a wireless device to participate in a couple-month “document your adventures” program and the thing never left the top of my pack. Real-time tool use isn’t complicated, but it’s a distraction I rarely engage in.

That’s not to say it never happens… you’ll see an occasional tweet or cell phone pic from me on some climbing days!

You’ve done some pro bono work as a lawyer for the climbing community. Do you see your career further merging with your interest in climbing at some point?

Part of my chatting up climbers is talking to them about what they do for a living, since I’m still working on building a career that allows me to live the life I want to live. I took a step in that direction in 2008 by going to work for the Puget Sound Partnership – even though I’m doing work related to Puget Sound, I’ve learned a ton about issues that are also related to climbing (public lands, parks issues, etc.).

I’m actively working on transitioning to a work life more connected with the outdoor industry and/or climbing policy. I don’t have the patience anymore to do work that I don’t love, so 2009 is shaping up to be the year where I build a career based on work I love, and that means the environment and the outdoors.