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: Nate Derrick
Hometown: I grew up in Holland, MI. Not a place where
climbing is a household subject of conversation. I didn’t
even know about the ice climbing opportunities along Lake
Superior until well after I had settled in WA
Member Since: February 2016
Occupation: Military officer
Favorite Activities: Alpine climbing is far and away my
favorite outdoor activity. I grew up car camping and was
eventually exposed to backcountry canoe tripping. I still
do family-friendly backpacking and car camping trips each
year, but am hoping that my two sons will graduate to alpine
climbing as soon as possible.
10 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH THE MOUNTAINEERS?
I started out with a Basic Alpine Climbing equivalency in 2016. I had a good deal of formal training and experience teaching climbing and mountaineering skills from work and was looking for opportunities to continue doing that on my own.
WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO GET OUTSIDE WITH US?
I like introducing people to climbing. I think it’s one of the most rewarding and meaningful activities a person could choose to do - but the financial, physical, and psychological barriers to entry are quite high. There are positive aspects to the physical and psychological barriers, though. If it wasn’t difficult to meet the physical demands of climbing or it didn’t require some level of commitment to risk when overcoming the psychological barriers, then the meaningfulness of climbing wouldn’t be there. I also like the volunteer instructor/climb leader aspect of The Mountaineers mission, because I like having a vehicle to teach and lead climbing that eases the financial barrier a little bit. I’m currently working on building my experience and pre-requisites for progression through the AMGA Alpine Guide certification pathway and hope to bring some of that experience back as a volunteer.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE MOUNTAINEERS MEMORY?
My favorite “memory” isn’t so much a specific activity, but the part of every activity where I’ve had the chance to hear about how or why other people started getting involved in climbing. Since climbing was something I didn’t have on my radar until I was well into adulthood, and something I only got exposed to through work, I find it interesting how many different paths people take to end up there. While the proliferation of climbing gyms and increased exposure in mainstream media are increasing awareness, I still think that it takes a specific person or moment that is unique to an individual to push them across the line from being aware of climbing to being a climber.
WHO/WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
I’m inspired by the boldness and curiosity of first ascensionists, especially first ascensionists from the period after the nationalism-driven era of mountaineering up until the proliferation of highly-portable satellite communication and GPS tech. Major expedition climbs during the early nationalism-era of mountaineering and some of the cutting-edge modern firsts (like the Dawn Wall going free) are certainly inspiring, but what makes that period of 1970s-1980s alpinism so moving to me is how audacious those climbers needed to be to go out into the unknown unsupported, highly self-reliant, and driven by internal motivation alone.
AS A DONOR AND VOLUNTEER-SUPPORTED ORGANIZATION, THE MOUNTAINEERS IS BASED ON COMMUNITY SUPPORT. HOW HAVE YOU PAID IT FORWARD, OR HOW HAVE YOU BENEFITED FROM SOMEONE ELSE PAYING IT FORWARD? (THIS COULD INCLUDE RECEIVING A SCHOLARSHIP, DONATING, BEING A LEADER, ETC.)
The amount of work that goes into developing and running a climbing program is significant, and I find it really motivating to see other Mountaineers volunteers out there putting in the work to do exactly that. I’ve gotten involved teaching a few times but work and life schedules have made it tough to do as much as I would like. Thankfully I’m only about five years from retirement, so I am looking forward to having a lot more time to invest in supporting The Mountaineers climbing programs in the future.
WHAT DOES ADVENTURE MEAN TO YOU?
There is a quote in the movie Free Solo from Reinhold Messner. I forget the exact words, but in essence it goes: “If death was not a possibility it would not be an adventure. It would be kindergarten, but not an adventure, not an art.” His use of the word “death” as the anchoring word for the quote makes it dramatic, but the core concept is very much how I see adventure. It is about having the will to pursue a goal that is masked behind the unknown, where failure is a real possibility. It requires you to manage real and immediate risks from start to finish. A good adventure should feel like you are a scientist testing a hypothesis about your own capability and self-reliance, and it should provide results that drive growth and learning.
LIGHTNING ROUND!
Sunrise or sunset? Sunset
Smile or game face? Game face
What's your 11th Essential? Camera kit
What’s your happy place? Above the tree line, at the moment the sun crests or sets on the horizon
Post-adventure meal of choice? Ideally pizza or BBQ, but in reality I end up at the first available 24/7 fast food drive through that I cross paths with because I tend to finish my outings really late
If you could be a rockstar at any outdoor activity overnight, what would it be? Hard mixed climbing!
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