Tiffany, a nurse practitioner, is board-certified in psychiatry and a solo practitioner. She is a therapist with the American Alpine Association’s Climbing Grief Fund and the American Avalanche Association Resilience Project.
She divides her time between Virginia, where she helps manage care for her mother who has Alzheimer’s and Oregon, where she climbs with the Mazamas and assists with the Basic Climbing Education Program (BCEP).
Name: Tiffany McLean
Pronouns: She/Her
Year Joined Mazamas: 2018
Present-day outdoor activities: Rock and alpine climbing, backpacking, downhill skiing, scuba diving and horseback riding.
What’s your earliest outdoor memory? Being on my dad’s sailboat in the Chesapeake Bay, which is akin to camping. It wasn’t a big boat, but it was big enough that we could sleep on it. I used to sleep in the cockpit as a little girl and just look up at the stars.
How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? To be honest, it was a rough introduction, although that can’t be blamed on the Mazamas. I first heard about the organization when I was dating someone who thought they were skilled enough to bypass BCEP and go straight into Intermediate Climbing School (ICS), but the Mazamas disagreed. Then, one of my close friends and colleagues was dating someone who died on Mt. Hood. I had climbed Mt. Adams, South Sister and other peaks, and I really, really wanted to climb Mt. Hood, but after that, I was so afraid. I knew I needed training that would allow me to take care of myself at a minimum, so I signed up for BCEP, and I got in!
As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? I think first and foremost, nature and the outdoors are for everyone. And I mean everyone, regardless of age, sex, disability, race, etc. In the Climbing Grief Fund, we celebrate turning around, and I firmly believe mountaineering is more than just summiting. People need to know their limits, must work to fill in their knowledge gaps through organizations like the Mazamas and be OK with being vulnerable. Vulnerability in the outdoors is absolutely acceptable and should be encouraged..
What activities/situations/people most inspire you? I guess I’d have to say that people who are willing to speak about their own fears and share mental health issues in the mountains. People can push the envelope of fear in climbing and yet still be willing to say, “Today is not my day,” or “I know my limits. South Sister is my Mt. Hood, and I am fine with that..” Mazama Climb Leaders Tim Scott and Pushkar Dixit embody these values and definitely inspire me.
What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? Pick one. I have listened to almost every single episode of Hidden Brain. It’s a great podcast.
What’s on your adventure bucket list? I’ve had to cancel a few Glacier Peak climbs to be with family, so that looms large on my list. I’d really like to trek to Annapurna base camp. I’d also like to dive into a great white shark cage. I feel like that can be done ethically.