The Mountaineers
Each week we bring you a personal story from one of our members. For our member profile this week we talked to...
Name: Sara Ludeman
Hometown: Portland
Member Since: October 2017
Occupation: Glassblower
Favorite Activities: Mountaineering, climbing, hiking, backpacking, and canyoneering!
10 Essentials: Questions
How did you get involved with The Mountaineers?
I was looking for a way to take my skills to the next level and begin leading more of my own routes. I had taken an Alpine Ice course with the American Alpine Institute that was a great primer on technical ice, and I wanted to learn more and continue to challenge myself. I realized in researching courses that I would not be able to sustain paying for guided trips or courses through guide organizations. I stumbled upon The Mountaineers in my google searches, saw how much opportunity they offered via courses and climbs and knew that this was where I wanted to be. One of my first outings was on the Baker Seracs with Anita Wilkins and I was incredibly inspired.
What motivates you to get outside with us?
The community of climbers, reliability of a standardized set of skills, and all of ranges The Mountaineers climb in!
What's your favorite Mountaineers memory?
My first intermediate field trip. I saw that the Everett branch was offering a winter mixed climbing module and managed to talk my way onto the roster. Climbing on wet, mossy slabs with ice tools was rather scary, but getting to do a stein pull for my first time and set a piton was awesome! The winter overnight portion was great too. We had to build a shelter and were encouraged to try and survive the night with only what we would carry in our pack on a winter day climb. I spent most of the night alternating between hugging my water bottle full of boiling water and doing jumping jacks. I learned a lot of valuable skills that weekend, I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in winter mountaineering.
Who/What inspires you?
Strong female climbers like Dawn Glanc, Sarah Hueniken, and Kitty Calhoun. Chicks with picks is a pretty rad all-female guiding company that I have had the pleasure of climbing with in Colorado. When it comes to routes- challenge/solid/beauty. One range I am really excited to explore is the Pickets. I have heard such awful bushwhacking stories! Can’t wait!
What does adventure mean to you?
I think adventure for me is that moment when the trail ends and you have to pick your own path. Standing at the base of a route you've never climbed and having to figure out the moves, getting benighted because you bought the thrifty vintage guide book, making friends with slide alder... All those instances where the path is not straightforward, or things don't go exactly as planned and you have to figure out how to navigate through them.
Lightning Round
What's your 11th Essential? Exped UL Winter DownMat. Hands down, I take it on almost every climb.
What's your happy place? Exploring a new range with The Mountaineers!
If you could be a rockstar at any outdoor activity overnight, what would it be? Mixed climbing.
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You rock Sara! Thanks for being an amazing leader!
Sara is a great leader in the making. I had the opportunity to climb Sloan peak with her. One interesting fact about Sara is she has never climbed Baker via CD or Easton but only the North ridge :)
