Some know him as a world renowned rock climber, others as an environmentalist. Those who have read either of his either books will tell you he is also a writer, a surfer, a thrill seeker. Millions know him as the founder of the outdoor clothing and gear company, Patagonia—a company dedicated to protecting the environment. I know him as one of my idols!
Yvon Chouinard began climbing at 14, and quickly fell in love with the sport. Soon after, he and his friends spent time climbing every weekend. In 1957, after only 4 years of climbing, he bought a coal fired forge, an anvil, tongs, and hammers, and taught himself how to blacksmith and make his own reusable climbing hardware (I don’t know about you, but I think that’s pretty cool!). This reusable climbing hardware he was making did not create so much wear and tear on the rock, thus sustaining the area for future climbers. In these young years, he would spend many summers in Wyoming, Canada, or the Alps and would climb at Yosemite in the fall. During a time called the “Golden Age of Yosemite Climbing,” Chouinard was considered a leader. He sustained himself by selling his climbing equipment from the back of his car, eating canned food, and hunting ground squirrels with his friends.
By 1968, Chouinard had many noteworthy ascents. A few included climbs at the Canadian Rockies, Teton Range, and Yosemite Valley. Perhaps his most famous ascent was in South America at Mt. Fitzroy, Patagonia in 1968. Some of you may have heard of the epic 6 month journey that Chouinard and his friend Doug Tompkins (Tompkins later became the founder of The North Face) embarked on in 1968. With only a few days to prepare, they loaded a van full of climbing and surfing gear and left Ventura, California, headed south down the Pan American Highway to Patagonia. Now that’s what I call an adventure! You can see the journey for yourself here: http://www.180south.com/journey.html
For those of you who haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend watching the documentary 180 Degrees South which tells the story about the epic Patagonia journey. It also documents the story of a man named Jeff Johnson who, inspired by Chouinard and Tompkins, set out on his own adventure to Patagonia via sail boat. Spoiler alert, this trailer contains awesome shots of climbing, surfing, and inspirational quotes by Yvon Chouinard: http://www.180south.com/trailer.html
There are many reasons why Yvon Chouinard is one of my heroes. First of all, he’s a world renowned climber. I hope to someday repeat some of the ascents that he did for myself! Also, he managed to create an international business selling outdoor clothing and gear that started with him teaching himself how to blacksmith after a few years of climbing. However, one of the most important reasons I look up to Chouinard is because of the stand he takes to protect the environment. Chouinard once wrote in an essay:
“No longer can we assume the Earth’s resources are limitless;
that there are ranges of unclimbed peaks extending endlessly beyond the horizon.
Mountains are finite, and despite their massive appearance, they are fragile.”
His belief in sustainability and the preservation of precious wildlife areas, applies to all aspects of his life, and it is because of awesome people like Chouinard that popular climbing spots such as Yosemite are still in fair climbing condition today! And that is why Yvon Chouinard is one of my heroes.
Follow this link to see an interview with Yvon Chouinard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3TwULu-Wjw
