I’ve been climbing since about 1980. I started out hiking and backpacking which lead to lots of off-trail travel and scrambling. Of course I then took a fancy to the pictures of high rocky/snowy peaks I saw in the books and magazines so I started working on my alpine climbing skills; winter travel, crag rock and ice climbing. Then I finally got started alpine climbing by visiting and then moving to the great northwest.
Mountaineers Leader since 2006
Climbing Philosophy: I endeavor to be a strong all around alpinist. I give equal time to rock, snow, and ice, and love them all. Although I aspire to great fitness and climbing ability I believe the most important element of a great climber is the ability to exercise good judgment. I have a strong interest in highly technical alpine routes but also just love being high on the glaciers and snow. When leading club experience climbs I try to plan a relaxed pace that allows enough time for everyone to learn, enjoy, and succeed. On my personal climbs (and permission-required club climbs) I choose relatively ambitious/aggressive objectives, which require strong fitness and climbing skills. My preferred leadership style is consensus building which I strive for but don’t always attain. On personal climbs where all members are generally peers, consensus building is natural and easy. When leading club experience climbs, where most members don’t know each other and are students, education and safety are the highest priority and consensus building is lower priority and more difficult yet still possible and preferred.
Other Activities: Crag rock climbing in the summer, water ice climbing and backcountry skiing (tele) in the winter.
Email Address: jeffstrt [at] verizon.net