“I was hooked from the get-go”
Climber, Lowe Alpine figurehead and all-round inspirational fellow JEFF LOWE reveals how his family experiences have sustained him through triumph, turmoil and everything in between…
How did your family experiences shape your love of the outdoors?
We went camping from my earliest memories. We rode horses on our ranch, we had campfires and cooked outdoors. We went canoeing and hunting. I loved it all. I did give up hunting when I was 20. I didn’t like killing off those beautiful animals, though we did use every bit of meat and the skins too. My dad was a very responsible and ethical hunter. He modelled great respect and curiosity for all of the creatures, and for the complex wonders of the earth and heavens.
What do you remember about those early trips into the hills with your family?
I was fascinated by the way the landscape changed as we hiked up through thinning pines into the alpine zone of moraine and snow; furry marmots and the sounds of gurgling runoff water and sharp pika squeaks. Craggy peaks, alpenglow [evening light on mountain summits] and a can of beans at high camp, the Milky Way and a billion points of light in the frosty night. A pull of water from the canteen and a banana on cold pre-dawn starts. It was all an adventure and I was hooked from the get-go. You climbed a near-sheer 13,000ft peak at the age of seven. Did any of it scare you? I really enjoyed it, even the scary step across a big void from the Broadway ledge to get onto the ridge. On the summit I remember thinking I could see the the curvature of the earth on the horizon. On the trail on the way down, I fell and hit my head. It bled a lot and it scared me. For a while I found other sports to replace climbing, but eventually, by the time I was 12, my desire to climb overcame everything.
What were your early aspirations for Lowe Alpine as a company?
To create the most functional, highest quality gear systems for the climbs of our dreams.
You say your climbing route on the Eiger – Metanoia – changed your life. How so?
Metanoia means a change in one’s life through a spiritual conversion. For thousands of years, shamans and spiritual seekers have starved themselves, endured long days of toil, and meditated for weeks in hopes of receiving some sort of vision or nirvana. After days of small rations on the Eiger, the space between my belly and my backbone contained nothing of substance to prop me up. Shivering in waves, I stared at a picture of my two-
“Spend as much time outside with your kids from the time you bring them home as babies.” JE F F LOWE
year-old daughter, Sonja. I felt remorse for the mess I’d made of my marriage and the sense of abandonment that she would face. My awareness detached itself from my body. I could focus on any place or time and instantly be there. My soul took me to the farthest reaches of the universe and back. The clarity of sight, hearing and consciousness was like nothing I’d ever known—beyond words. I experienced a fundamental change of thinking and an opening of my heart. I’d had my own metanoia in that little hermit cave on the wall of the Eiger.
What advice would you have for a parent who wants to nurture a love of the outdoors in their children?
Spend as much time outside with your kids from the time you bring them home as babies. Let them crawl around, taste a little dirt, explore widely, play with plants, insects and animals but teach them which ones are dangerous and how to avoid them or act around them. Take them camping, let them bring friends and show them why we need to have minimum impact on the natural balance that makes the planet so beautiful and special. Don’t hover or be over-protective as they climb trees and scramble over the rocks. Do explain the hazards, but don’t overreact to every bump, bruise and scrape. Above all, let them have FUN!
You’ve suffered from serious illness in recent years. Has your love for the outdoors sustained you, even when you haven’t been able to access it?
Yes, absolutely. Sitting on our deck in the sunshine, watching the clouds move across the sky and among the Rocky Mountains is one of my greatest pleasures. I also enjoy spending time outside with my granddaughter. Her enthusiasm and curiosity about rocks, bugs, the weather – all of it – is fun and deeply satisfying. I am grateful I get to share the outdoors with her, merely by going on a neighbourhood roll in my wheelchair, as she runs ahead of me and then circles back to share her latest discovery with me.
Many of our readers say walking has helped them deal with things like illness, bereavement and loneliness. What encouragement would you give people contending with those challenges?
Do the best you can, with what you've got, from where you are right now. It really is all that anyone can do. And it is enough. It will bring you into the present moment, where anything is possible. Your mind is open, creative, alert. Wishing things were different than they are puts you in resistance. You cannot be creative, or solve things very well from that place. Being in the present moment makes you able to make better decisions for moving ahead. Find what you love, and focus on what you can do, not on the things you can’t.
Finally… what does adventure mean to you?
Not knowing the outcome and requiring the best of me to engage with the experience. Even today, I see every day as an adventure.