Tag: Climbing

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Meet the Mazamas

Joshua moved to the Pacific Northwest about 10 years ago, and in the past few years he’s done a lot of climbing with the Mazamas through our Basic Climbing Education Program (BCEP) and Intermediate Climbing School (ICS) programs. When not out in the wild, he works to create more equitable, prosperous and resilient communities. 

Joshua also has been instrumental in creating the Queerzamas, an affinity group within the Mazamas for queer and/or trans folks and was part of our first-ever queer BCEP team.

Name:  Joshua Baker

Pronouns:  he, him, his

Year Joined Mazamas: 2022 

 Present-day outdoor activities: Mountaineering, rock climbing, hiking, backpacking  

What’s your earliest outdoor memory? Growing up on a dairy farm in northern New York – cows out to pasture are an early outdoor memory. In terms of outdoor recreation, ice skating on a frozen pond at my grandparents farm with my sisters and cousins is an early memory I have.

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? I first learned about the Mazamas about a decade ago when I worked for the nonprofit, Focus the Nation. Each summer we held an annual climate focus retreat at the Lodge and went on Mazama-led hikes up to Elliot Glacier area. It wasn’t until I had a couple friends who did BCEP in 2019 that I decided I wanted to get involved in the Mazamas though. 

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? Find what brings your joy in the outdoor community. 

What activities/situations/people most inspire you? Historically I’ve been a solitary creature – particularly when it comes to outdoor activities. More and more I have found inspiration, comfort, and enjoyment in the community building aspects of my outdoor pursuits. That’s why I’m particularly excited to be part of the new Queerzamas affinity space.  Queerzamas will also be marching in the Pride Parade on July 16 – hope to see you there!

What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? For folx who’ve spent a good amount of time around me the past few years, they  know I’m a bit obsessed with beavers and their importance to ecosystems in the West (and that they are adorable). A lot of my passion stems from reading Ben Goldfarb’s  “Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter.”

What’s on your adventure bucket list? In addition to the mountains, I love the Oregon High Desert. I’m slowly chipping away at visiting, hiking, and volunteering on environmental stewardship trips to sites along the Oregon Desert Trail and across High Desert. I’m hoping to get out to the Owyhee Canyonlands for an adventure soon!

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Meet the Mazamas

Meet the Schwabs: They’re a blended family— each with varying degrees of “from-here.” While Meg moved to Oregon from the Midwest as an adult, Michael’s family basically got here with the Pioneers. Tegan and Isaac actually have the deepest roots to the Pacific Northwest though, because they’re members of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde through their mom’s side of the family.

Thankfully, they all love being outside equally, and enjoy spending lots of family time exploring the outdoors. They were grateful to discover the Mazamas during COVID, and decided to take the Families Mountaineering 101 class together last year. 

Name:  Michael (dad), Meg (stepmom), Tegan, 12, and Isaac, 9

Pronouns: He, she, she, he

Year Joined Mazamas: 2022

Present-day outdoor activities: Hiking, camping, backpacking, climbing, and snowshoeing 

What’s your earliest outdoor memory? As a fam: the kids have been camping since they were babies, and we’ve been taking them on hikes since before they even liked it. 

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? Since COVID, we were always on the lookout for activities to do outside, because it really seemed to help the kids get through being stuck with online learning and not being able to see their friends as often. We found Family 101 in 2021 (through a google search, I think?), but the planned dates that season didn’t fit with the 50/50 parenting-time schedule we have. For 2022, the calendar was almost exactly [magically] aligned, so we applied!

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? For families specifically: get started as early as you can! Even when you think it’ll be hard at first (FYI: you are correct), you’ll all get the hang of it eventually. Nothing has brought our family unit closer than the times we’ve been hanging out together outside. Also, if you have the opportunity to go with other families with kids (ex. FM101!): jump on it. 

What activities/situations/people most inspire you? Every time we’ve been at the summit of a crazy-difficult hike and seen a parent walk by with their baby in one of those backpack-carrier things. So metal. 

What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? Primitive Technology by John Plant. 

What’s on your adventure bucket list?  Re-doing our favorite trips we did when the kids were too little to take them with us. Banff National Park, Zion, and the Inca Trail stick out as the main ones.

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Meet the Mazamas

Born and raised in Baltimore, Md., Koko moved to Portland in 2013. She loves to hike and climb and considers the outdoors a meaningful, meditative space. To her, mountaineering is less about climbing the next big thing and more about showing up to be in supportive community, with curiosity, to have fun, be safe, and find joy in every tiny victory within. She is very passionate about and committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in the outdoors. Inspired by her time in nature, Koko also is an artist who creates many mountain-themed pieces.

Name:  Koko Olszewski

Pronouns:  she/her

Year Joined Mazamas: 2017

 Present-day outdoor activities:  Mountaineer, Hiking, Kayaking, Crabbing

 What’s your earliest outdoor memory? Biking along the NCR trail from Maryland to the PA border with my uncle during the summer

 How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? My bestie and I got early season permits to the Enchantments in 2016 and didn’t feel equipped to climb Assgard Pass in the snow but seeing everyone attempt it made me want to learn skills to go higher and see more! I found mountaineering during a really hard transitional time in my life and it really helped remind me of my own strength again and find some great community. 

 As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? You belong here just as you are. The outdoors are such a healing space and I want everyone who wants to be a part of that to feel like they belong, because you do. Period.

What activities/situations/people most inspire you?  My friends inspire me a lot and many are doing super badass things in the community. Random acts of kindness and wildflower hikes fill up my serotonin stores. 

 What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why?  Ted Lasso- my dad is a soccer coach and it is both hilarious and wholesome and the character development makes my heart swell. Team Roy+Jamie besties forever. 

 What’s on your adventure bucket list? Trekking in Peru, Tatras in Poland, Mount Athabasca and pretty much anything in Canada, climbing in the Tetons, Patagonia

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Meet the Mazamas

Hailing from the high scablands of eastern Washington Joe has bounced around the Pacific Northwest his entire life. As a creative director/designer Joe creates websites, motion graphics, brand identities and advertising for clients big and small. These days, his work primarily helps Native American tribes and their various entities. When not pushing pixels, Joe is an accomplished musician. He spent most of his life playing drums in all kinds of bands, touring the country until chronic illness put an end to that. 

Joe’s foray into the outdoors and mountaineering began as a way for him to deal with a chronic condition called Fibromyalgia. He’s an open-book about his experiences with the medical system, trauma and dealing with “invisible” conditions that affect him daily. He took BCEP in 2019 (Levis/Bodien Mountain Bluebirds!), ICS in 2021 (Dwelle) and is currently a provisional climb leader. He’s a dog lover with an affinity for Brachycephalic breeds.

Name:  Joe Preston

Pronouns:  He/Him

Year Joined Mazamas: 2019

Present-day outdoor activities: Climbing, hiking, camping, etc. 

What’s your earliest outdoor memory? I was an “indoor” kid—playing video games/Legos, etc. So the earliest memory I’ve got in the outdoors must have been when I was in first or second grade. I was dragged to the soggy Washington coast to “hunt” geoducks. Of course this meant I had to bring my brand spankin’ new Batman slip-ons—the left one was promptly stuck in the mud. My mom made me leave it and carried me away crying.

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? From my mid-20s to my mid-30s I was on a medical rollercoaster of misdiagnosis regarding some chronic conditions I deal with—May is national Fibromyalgia awareness month. My wife wrote a moving piece about that period. During which I stumbled onto some mountaineering books and documentaries and felt a calling. Later a coworker mentioned that their partner was taking this class called BCEP. 

I took BCEP in 2019 (Levis/Bodien) and the experience was so transformative for me physically, mentally and emotionally that I’ve been volunteering, climbing and taking classes with the organization every year since—this year being my first as the BCEP Committee Chair and co-leading a BCEP team. I love this organization, the people involved and the mission.

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? Take BCEP and join the Mazamas!

I’m a firm believer that the mountains and wilderness are spiritual and healing places, not sports arenas. Don’t be so eager to check the boxes on your list or reach the summit that you miss the experiences.

I also believe that the mountains are for everyone, so be supportive and encouraging to everyone you pass on the trail. You’d be amazed how much impact a little positivity can have on someone.

What activities/situations/people most inspire you?  I’m inspired by artists, musicians, people who overcome adversity, people who are kind and the crazy notion that we are flying through space on a beautifully amazing and mysterious rock. Stay gold!

I’m constantly inspired by our Mazama climb leaders and other volunteers who give their time to help others.

What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? Books: Man without a country-Vonnegut, Savage Arena-Tasker, Art of Freedom-McDonald, When the Moon Turns to Blood-Sottile

Movies: The Last Starfighter, Life Aquatic, Metanoia, way too many to list ha.

TV Shows: Twin Peaks, The Office, Trailer Park Boys, The Woodwright’s Shop

Social media: Dogs!

What’s on your adventure bucket list? I was recently promoted to a provisional climb leader. I’m working my way through our leadership development program with the aim of helping other folks get into the outdoors that suffer from chronic illness, trauma, etc. Beyond that just having adventures with my friends, my partner and my dogs. Spending as many days as possible in the mountains.

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Meet the Mazamas

Petra was raised in the Middle East and Washington, D.C. and has lived in nearly every region of the U.S. She took our Basic Climbing Education Program (BCEP) in 2009, which launched a career in the outdoors. She’s a former NOLS instructor, a current instructor of wilderness leadership and experiential education, an on-again/off-again wilderness therapy guide, a paddler, a dedicated long-distance walker, a hiker, and an aspiring mountain biker. She has been in the Mazama Leadership Development Program since May 2019 and a Portland Mountain Rescue member since August 2021.

Name:  Petra LeBaron-Botts

Pronouns:  she/her/hers

Year Joined Mazamas: 2009

 Present-day outdoor activities:  Mountaineering, rock climbing, backpacking, thru-hiking, skiing, mountain biking, paddling my canoe.

What’s your earliest outdoor memory? I spent my formative years in the Middle East and remember a lot of exploring the vast Arabian Desert. A different kind of wilderness, but still wild and awe-inspiring. I also remember trips to the U.S. to visit my extended family and falling in love with the high desert ecosystem of eastern and southern Oregon.

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? When I moved to Oregon after finishing college in Indiana in 2008, I felt that I had some sort of responsibility to learn how to ski. I enrolled in the Mazama Nordic Ski class. It was in that class that I met now-president Greg Scott! He told me about this thing called BCEP. I almost didn’t register, thinking I had no interest in climbing mountains. How wrong I was! Taking BCEP in 2009 changed the trajectory of my entire life, kicking off my move to an outdoor education career.

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? Take the leap! There are so many reasons we give ourselves for why we can’t. We don’t have the time, don’t have the money, are too out of shape, are too scared. All the best things in the world lie beyond those reasons. There are so many people who want to help you discover the outdoors and so many resources available to help you do it! Just say yes!

What activities/situations/people most inspire you? I became a part of Portland Mountain Rescue in 2021 and have felt continually inspired by the men and women in the unit. They are compassionate, brave, humble, and dedicated, and I hope to be more like them when I grow up. I am also continually inspired by my nearly-77 year old mother who hikes thousands of miles around the world every year. At the age of 75 she did a 26-mile day with me! 

What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? My absolute favorite corner of the internet is @dusttodigital on Instagram. They post video clips of live “music,” in all iterations, from every corner of the globe. I don’t even want to say anything more – just go watch.

What’s on your adventure bucket list? The Arizona Trail, the Oregon Desert Trail, Te Araroa, Patagonia, Antarctica, backpacking the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, seeing a manta ray while diving, diving the Galapagos, bike-touring in eastern Europe, and much more.

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Meet the Mazamas

Forest grew up in Seattle, lived in Bellingham, on Orcas Island, and in Australia. He moved to Portland in 2010, where he teaches high school current events and civics/government for Portland Public Schools. Forest is a registered member by blood of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, he is part Chickasaw and also white. He is working his way through the Mazamas Leadership Development program to become a climb leader and has set a goal of leading all 16 of the NW Peaks.

Name:  Forest Brook Menke-Thielman

Pronouns:  He/Him

Year Joined Mazamas: 2019

Present-day outdoor activities:  Climbing, Hiking, Skiing, Running (road/trail), Cycle Touring (though not in awhile), General Alpinism, New to Ice Climbing, occasional kayak/canoe excursion. 

What’s your earliest outdoor memory? Probably complaining to my parents that I hate the beach… I’ve changed. 

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? I looked up how to climb Hood online and somehow came to the Advanced Snow and Ice class.  That was what I wanted to take originally, but I realized I had to start at the basics, so I enrolled in BCEP. 

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? Do your research. It’s free to talk to people that have experience with weather conditions and gear, like Rangers, folks at the Mountain Shop, other Mazamas, etc. While remote outdoor activities can be inherently dangerous, many people that get significantly hurt or die just weren’t prepared for the weather, or to get lost, or didn’t know how to use the gear they had or didn’t have.  

What activities/situations/people most inspire you? Pick one. Currently ice climbing.  I didn’t have a chance to get down to Ouray or Hyalite this year like I had originally planned, and I have been supremely jealous of everyone’s photos who did. 

What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? The_Govy500 on Instagram; good reason to take 35 back through Hood River. 

What’s on your adventure bucket list? Mount Kenya (the true summit) for sure.  It just looks so awesome, so remote, and so challenging. It’s like 22 pitches of alpine trad. Better start training!

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Meet the Mazamas

This Mazama, like so many other members, spends as much time as possible in the outdoors. He divides his time recreating and volunteering with the Mazamas, and running his own adventures through his company, Loco Por La Ventura.

He has been instrumental in launching and continuing the Mazamas first all-Latino Basic Climbing Education Program team and a Latino Affinity Group. He aims to introduce as many Latinos as possible to the natural splendors of the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

Name:   Anibal Rocheta

Pronouns:  He/ Him/His

Year Joined Mazamas: 2015

Present-day outdoor activities:  Mountaineering, rock climbing, bouldering, canyoneering, spelunking, hiking, backpacking, outdoor education.

What’s your earliest outdoor memory? I lived the first two years of my childhood around the mountains with my grandma, which was my first and memorable connection with nature and the outdoor environment.

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? I’ve been teaching and being outdoors in my lovely country Venezuela for the last 15 years and then moved to the USA in 2015.

I heard about the Mazamas through google when I came to Portland. At that time, I had no idea how to continue my mountaineering/climbing development. Then I just showed up at the Mazamas’ front desk, and a kind person (btw I don’t remember her name) oriented me on how to move on with my adventurous spirit.

Now I’m part of the process of climbing, volunteering, and teaching the Latino community how to introduce outdoor activities into their lives and learn at the same time with the Mazamas.

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? Please check referral pages, read a book, and look for people with interests in common. If you are in PDX, please visit the Mazamas and they will help out. Also, if you want to practice Spanish and know about adventure, I have a dedicated website for outdoors (just check out www.locoporlaaventura.com)

What activities/situations/people most inspire you? Pick one: I am very inspired by passionate and driven people who help other people to move forward. I admire those who show the safe and enjoyable mountaineering world, especially Ueli Steck. He was a Swiss mountaineer who pushed human limits in many ways. He was a great inspiration to me.

What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? IG @colinobrady is an account of a local climber who crosses Antarctica solo and also he is a motivational speaker with an awesome emotional history. He is an incredible human being.

What’s on your adventure bucket list? I climbed Mt.Urus Este (Peru) in 2013, and I hope to climb Denali, Aconcagua, and a few wild peaks of the Alaska Range mountains. I also would love to hike the Pacific Crest Trail at some point.

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Meet the Mazamas

Roberta Zouain on the summit of Mt. Rainier/June 2021

Born in Brazil, Roberta Zouain has called Oregon home since 2015. Ever the outdoors person, she grew up camping, swimming in rivers, snorkeling/sailing in the ocean. After moving to the Pacific Northwest, she fell in love with the mountains and snow.

Name: Roberta Zouain 

Pronouns: she/her

Year Joined Mazamas: 2018

Present-day outdoor activities: Hiking, climbing, all sorts of skiing, and occasionally running and biking

What’s your earliest outdoor memory? Camping with my brother and cousins and swimming in the river

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage
with the organization? I first heard about the Mazamas from a co-worker, but at the time I never thought I would ever get into mountaineering. Years later, after having climbed Mount St Helens, I was planning on climbing Mount Adams and remembered Mazamas members got rescue insurance, so I signed up before my climb. A few months after that, in 2019, I decided to take BCEP, and since then I’ve been involved taking and instructing different classes.

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? Just get out there, don’t worry too much about whether you have the right gear or if you are not necessarily racking up miles or vertical feet. And finding a community you can connect to can really help, too. The Mazamas offers several programs such as hikes and rambles, as well as affinity groups that can provide a safe space to communities who have historically been excluded from outdoor recreation.

What activities/situations/people most inspire you? Pick one: I really admire people working to make the outdoors more accessible for everyone. Organizing these groups is such a tough job, and I’m incredibly thankful for those dedicated to breaking down the barriers to the sports we love. There are so many organizations in our community and within the Mazamas itself, naming just one would be impossible 🙂

What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow
and why? I love following @pattiegonia on Instagram! The work she does around promoting inclusiveness in the outdoors and environmental activism is incredible. And the memes are always on point.

What’s on your adventure bucket list? I’d love to hike and climb the Dolomites in Italy.

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Mazama Climber Task Force Comes to Aid of Local Zoo

By Katie Mills

Way back in September, the Mazamas received a call from the Oregon Zoo with an absurdly awesome request: they wanted the walls of their new chimpanzee habitat tested for climbability!

“It’s one of our traditions before opening a new habitat,” said Tanya Paul, who oversees the zoo’s primate area. “It’s just for fun and not a real ‘safety test’ — the habitat is designed with the knowledge that chimps have incredible upper-body strength and are much better climbers than humans. Still, it’s good to know whether our new habitat passes muster with some of the area’s most expert rock climbers.”

Lynny Brown, the Advanced Rock Committee Volunteer Coordinator, quickly assembled a task force of elite Mazama climbers to bravely tackle this challenge.

On a beautiful, sunny Tuesday afternoon, Lynny, April Henderson, and I met up at the zoo with two bouldering pads, a rope, and all our climbing gear. We were given orange safety vests. A curious elephant wandered up as if to say hi when we passed his habitat, walking through behind-the-scenes areas of the zoo that none of us had seen before.

A safety supervisor introduced herself but did not say anything as we bouldered up the ramparts to install a top rope off of a seemingly hefty eye hook that I did not know the true purpose of.

The elite climber task force fruitlessly attacking the walls of the chimp habitat.
Photo: Zoo Team

I was chomping at the bit to unleash my might on this enclosure and geared up first, gleefully throwing myself at the unsuspecting walls…and…did not even get off the ground. After a few minutes of grunting and flailing I gave up. April, with her longer wingspan, fared better and managed to get a couple feet off of the ground, but still nowhere near the top. We screamed happy cries of encouragement before gravity sternly returned her to earth.

A small crowd of onlookers had gathered to supervise our attempts, among them the zoo’s construction manager. He was stern and serious at first, but his face softened into smiles, laughter, and even a bit of heckling as our attempts to scale the walls proved futile and fruitless.

Lynny attacked a wall that had a shallow dihedral reminiscent of Pure Palm (5.11a Lower Gorge, Smith Rock) to no avail, and even tried some dynamic movement to parkour up the corner above the fenced-in exit door.

April attempts a “pure palm” type climb while Lynny spots her. Photo: Kate Giraud

Exhausted, we reluctantly declared the enclosure “UNCLIMBABLE” and walked out with our tails between our legs. But, what was a stunning defeat for us was an incredible victory for the zoo, and I look forward to seeing all of the chimps living safely and harmoniously in their habitat in the near future!! We were promised a backstage tour of the new Primate Forest habitat in the near future for our efforts and happily went home, knowing the chimps will be well taken care of.

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A Joint Statement on Climbing Route Names

August 27, 2020

Photos courtesy of the Mountain Educator Alliance (MEA).

The American Alpine Club, Appalachian Mountain Club, Colorado Mountain Club, Mazamas, and The Mountaineers join with those speaking out and taking action against racist, sexist, and otherwise derogatory route names, and we welcome the conversation about how best to move forward as a community. 

Historically in the U.S. climbing community, the opportunity and privilege of naming a route has been given to the first ascensionist. Naming a route is an earned honor, responsibility, and form of artistic expression. When done well, a route’s name tells a story. It often cleverly captures the experience of establishing or climbing the route or a unique characteristic of the formation. At worst, a route name inscribes onto the rock an individual’s prejudice, insecurity, and violence. These names deface the special places where we climb. Names like “N*****s Wall,” “Case of the F*gs,” and “Slant Eyes” signal that not all people are welcome, creating a hostile environment that we should not accept.

Recent movements across our nation, including Black Lives Matter, SafeOutside, and Me Too, have been a catalyst for many individuals and organizations to recognize the institutionalized and systemic oppression built into the foundation of our society.  

Though not a new problem, we are grateful to Erynne Gilpin, Ashleigh Thompson, and Melissa Utomo, along with Brown Girls Climb, Melanin Base Camp, and Natives Outdoors, for bringing focus back to this problematic practice. As individuals and as a community, we must recognize that words matter. The climbing community as a whole is accountable for the language we use to identify and describe the places where we climb. We must own the toxicity in the practice of naming routes. It’s time for change. 

As signers, our 5 organizations represent 150,000 members nationwide. We commit ourselves to building a more respectful community. That includes working collaboratively with climbers across the country to change names of existing routes, providing anti-racism and anti-harassment training for our members and volunteer leaders, and auditing our own publications and websites to determine a process for expunging offensive route names. These changes represent only a starting point. They are a necessary first step toward making the climbing community more inclusive and our crags and mountains welcoming to all.

In unity,

American Alpine Club

Appalachian Mountain Club

Colorado Mountain Club

Mazamas

The Mountaineers