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Adventure's Out There!

One of the Grand Valley's Own Extraordinary Citizens

Vince Anderson is a world-class climber residing in Grand Junction, but I wouldn’t have known that if I hadn’t done research prior to our interview. The man I met was unassuming and humble.

I was expecting to be regaled with stories of harrowing alpine climbs that happened in numerous exotic locations. Vince described his past escapades by saying, “I was way into climbing and even pursued it semi-professionally. I had some opportunities to climb outside of the United States, particularly mountaineering.” He never mentioned winning the Piolet d’Or (Golden Ice Axe) the highest honor a mountain climber can win. He and Steve House, his friend and business partner, won the award for climbing a new, direct ascent of the Central Pillar of the Rupal Face on Nanga Parbat in Pakistan.

He explained differing styles, or philosophies, of climbing. Expedition climbing is most identifiable with climbing Mount Everest as depicted in documentaries. Ropes, bolts, and anchors are left in place; a base camp is set up with supplies and food where climbers stay before and after summiting the mountain. Whereas Alpine climbers carry everything with them for the entire climb. Each climber chooses their own line to climb, often a route no one else has taken before.

Curious, I asked about the spiritual impact, if any, his experiences had on him. “As a young man I probably was not aware of it, but it connected with me. I’m not a religious man, but with outside experiences, up high on a mountain, a few times early on, it really remarked on me as something special, beyond which was hard to describe with just words or to show someone a picture.” His worldview was formed by his experiences and encounters with different cultures. It’s why he wants to share and train others in climbing so that they, too, can feel that spiritual connection.

Vince stopped climbing as a personal pursuit in 2009. Many reasons led to this change, not least of which was being a father to three boys. As his expertise in climbing grew, danger grew, and the number of memorial services he attended for fellow climbers who died pursuing their passion grew. He realized he had achieved everything he desired in the sport. Today he chooses adventures that involve manageable risks and less time away.

Soon Vince found single-speed, mountain bike racing. He excelled at the sport, winning many tough races.

In 1996 he and Steve House started Skyward Mountaineering, a company that guides clients on adventures such as ice, alpine, and rock climbing, as well as backcountry skiing. Usually, their clients are business executives who haven’t met each other until the day the adventure begins.

They also teach classes for these sports, even offering family-friendly rock-climbing adventures. Vince said he derives a great deal of satisfaction guiding others to reach their personal goals, saying the look of pure euphoria on the client’s face means more to him than his own personal accomplishments.

The company has also been contracted to train Navy Seals on mountain mobility, teaching them how to maneuver on a mountain, in a winter climate. The combat environments faced today by the U.S. military are in mountainous regions. They teach the Seals to use specialized equipment and skills for conditions they may have never experienced before. They have taken Seals into difficult terrain in the Alps, on Mt. Kilimanjaro, as well as on Mt. McKinley in Alaska.

When I asked Vince “What has been your greatest challenge?” I expected to hear about the climb that won the Piolet d’Or or the crash in the 5th stage of the Breck Epic Stage Race on his single-speed mountain bike, so his answer intrigued me. His greatest challenges have come from interpersonal relationships. He told me I’d be surprised at the number of small to large arguments that can break out between people who had never met before, sharing a tent on an extended climbing adventure. Negotiating those arguments can be much harder than negotiating a climb over a particularly difficult part of a mountain.

The last and most obvious question I asked was “What’s next?” He said that he gets into whatever his family is into, which right now is rock climbing. Vince is thrilled with his kids’ choice because one thing he knows about is climbing. He derives great joy sharing his knowledge with his sons as they pursue rock climbing.

Now he has the time to give back to the community that has been so good to him. Vince loves living on the Western Slope because he has access to all the outdoor adventures enjoys and is a wonderful place to raise his family.

He has guided groups of school kids rock climbing and looks forward to more projects like that.

At the conclusion of the interview, as I thanked Vince for his time and candor he said, “I only wish I had gotten to ask you some questions.” That, right there, told me the kind of man he is. He is humble and curious, accepting people where they are and helping them achieve their own goals, not his.

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