With the 2017 Arc’teryx Climbing Academy kicking off things today, we thought it would be a great idea to check in with one of our favourite Arc’teryx athletes, Jonathan Siegrist.
Over the past year, Jonathan has been making headlines with a few big sends and notably his accomplishment of Pachamama (5.15a). A regular at the festival as well as the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival, Jonathan is the quintessential professional athlete and always inspiring. Jonathan will be taking part in Squamish Exposed as well as teaching an advanced sport climbing clinic this weekend. The following interview is a follow up to our interview with Jonathan in February of this year.
Jonathan Siegrist in Squamish. Photo courtesy of Tom Wright ©
Thanks again for chatting with us! The last time we checked in, you were on your way back to Oliana for some unfinished business. What happened!?
Things went so well for me in Catalunya. I had the best climbing month of my life. I failed for weeks on ‘Pachamama’ during the winter, but this time around something really clicked. I did the route in a few days after arriving and then also climbed ‘Jo Mama’ and ‘Chaxi’ (both 15a) shortly after. It was surprising and awesome.
It is always so inspiring when anyone goes back and finishes a goal. Reflecting back on the experience, what did you come away with at the end of it all?
Mainly that I needed to find some balance in my climbing between training and spending time out on the rock. I had kind of lost the plot in 2016 – over training, training too often, and loosing sight of why I train in the first place. I burned out pretty hard and my climbing really suffered. So far in 2017 I have barely hit the gym, hang board, etc. and it has been unquestionably the best climbing year of my life already.
What is your philosophy when approaching a goal and after how do you reflect on the meaningfulness or meaninglessness of any goal?
I try to maintain two visions while I project. One is the all encompassing stoke and obsession with the climb I am after. It consumes me and drives me to do what it takes to send, but it can also make it really difficult to see the bigger picture – it is just one goal after all – in a lifetime of goals both successful and otherwise. The other vision is the broad one. Climbing gives me purpose and it drives me to be a better person, to travel and to see the world, to challenge myself. It’s good to back up and remember that in a lifetime of climbing the real goal is not so much a single route but health and happiness.
You spent some time floating around Spain before leaving. How was that different than the first part of the trip?
Hugely different! I wanted to see some new crags and enjoy some traveling with friends. I know that for me, I can not perform my very best for too long, so it’s important to engineer some ‘down time’ (taking the level down a little) every once and a while. I also went to Portugal with my family which was rad.. and hot.
Okay, enough with the heavy hitters! This is festival time for you, just coming off the festival in Lander. What do you love about this time of year and what is it like to participate in all these festivals?
Well it’s like a social overdose, which I kind of love. Thankfully, I will skip Outdoor Retailer this year! Otherwise, I would be doing three weeks of events in a row! It’s always an awesome time to take the pulse of the community at large and I think it’s really so grounding to teach clinics and share some stoke with relatively new climbers.
In our opinion, you are one of the top sport climbers in North America! Do you feel that when you are on the road and how do you deal with people knowing you and getting attention at the crag?
Firstly, thanks man! It’s funny you say that because I was just climbing with my friends Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell at Wild Iris, along with a ton of passionate climbers at every level. Those guys are on a difference level of celebrity, it’s pretty wild to see. I think it’s so cool that we all just go to the same church, if you know what I mean. I really don’t get recognized often honestly, and when it does happen everyone is always energetic and super cool so it’s motivating to share the stoke.
Coming back to Squamish, are you mostly just psyched to be a part of the festival or are you wanting to check out a few climbs that might inspire you on a separate trip?
I think I am pretty locked into Festival stuff as I just picked up Vikki Weldon’s spot on the Squamish Exposed event. This does mean I get two long days of climbing and photos though and if temps are right I would love to try hard!
Before Lander, you were in Rifle with a pretty motivated crew. What was going on there and how was it being back after so many years?
It was really good to be back after six years! There were so many new 5.14s in the canyon I was kinda shocked. Rifle is a good vibe through and through. I have maybe tried to deny its standing as one of the best crags in the country in years past, but now I really see the light. It’s pretty damn sweet.
After the festival, where are you headed and what is on the horizon?
I am heading to the Colorado Alpine to escape this horrendous heat and train my fingers up for a big goal of mine this September. I’m really excited about it, and I will be working on a video project with my good friend Tara Kerzhner on it. I think I’ll keep the details a secret for now, but this is without question one of the most ambitious goals of my climbing career thus far!
Finally, you have always been a great ambassador to the sport and present yourself in such a professional way. What is your advice to those out there just starting in terms of representing yourself and representing climbing in the best way possible?
Very much appreciate the kind words man, thank you. I think two things have really guided my career and I try to remember them always; the respect of my peers is paramount – I look to my mentors and the core community for affirmation before anyone else. Secondly, I would way rather be remembered as a cool person than a strong climber.
Thanks again Jonathan and have a great time at the festival. Looking forward to your next project and thanks again for your insights! For those coming to the academyy, You can catch Jonathan in and around the Climbing Academy this weekend!
