Interview with Juan Rodriguez

by Karen de Vera, Melanated Mazamas

What got you hooked on climbing and how long have you been doing it?

My first exposure to climbing was when I was 17. I grew up in Las Vegas. On the strip, there was this big arcade called GameWorks. It was two stories of nothing but video games. Right at the center of the arcade, they had a 72-foot tower that you can see from the strip, and that thing just begged to be climbed. So, I went down there and paid $10. They gave me a pair of shoes and strapped me to one of those generic nylon harnesses. Then the guy clipped me in, and said: "They're yours, go up."

I’ve told this story a bunch of times before. But I never get tired of telling it because I think, in retrospect, that climb must have been a 5.5 or something. It was giant jugs, but I raced to the top, super-fast. I remember thinking, "Yeah this is easy. I totally mastered this." I was hooked. I was so hooked. I think only climbers can understand because it's hard for people to imagine the grip it had on me from that point forward. Pretty much since then, it is all I ever think about or plan for. The most interesting thing about that whole deal is how powerful the takeover was. Is rock climbing part of your upbringing? It sounds like you got started around 17 years old. Did you experience it earlier than that?

So the short answer is that climbing was not part of my upbringing. I was a product of a single-parent family. My mom raised us, and my dad separated from us when we were 4 years old, the same year that I immigrated to the United States. I knew very very little about my father.

But here's something really interesting. Maybe 4 years ago, I was on a trip to Mexico City to visit family. My mom told me where I could find her wedding album, where I would find pictures of my father. As I was looking through these pictures, I flipped to this page, and what do I see? A picture of my dad somewhere in the mountains with a group of mountaineers, ice ax in hand, and a backpack. It looks like they took a photograph at the foot of the mountain and they were getting ready to summit.

It solidifies the feeling that I had in my mind: that climbing was meant to be a part of my life. In some way or another, and like all things, the universe has a plan for you. Whenever it's your time, that's when it's your time. And what do your parents, family, or friends think about you rock climbing?

In the beginning, it was a sore point. My mom was like, “Well I think this is a fine pastime, but you should really concentrate on getting a job, getting an income ...You should think about your future in better ways.”

It wasn't until maybe I had put in about 10 years of work into climbing. I really started to see a shift in the way they viewed the evolution of my climbing experience. Instead of thinking it was something that was a thrill-seeking thing, it was more “maybe Juan is on to something even if we don’t quite understand. It seems like he is making a way for himself.” It turned into a point of pride.

My mom now is more than happy to encourage and get behind all the stuff I do in climbing. Although there’s still a worry about safety, they are way more accepting of it now, especially since it allows me to be able to live the kind of life I want to live and do the things I want to do.

Could you give us a list of your most memorable climbing see their excitement and the curiosity in their faces. In my mind, destinations? if just one of these kids had that same reaction when I climbed for

Some of my most memorable climbs come in tandem with the first time, then this thing is a win. Because that's going to set some of the hardest routes. To date, the route “Darkness at Noon” this person on a different trajectory than potentially what's already at Smith Rock, is one of my most memorable and rewarding outlined for them as a person of color. You're planting the seed. accomplishments because of the leveling up of the psychological How have you been during the pandemic and what are some factor that I had to endure to complete it in a style I am proud of. creative ways that you do to stay in shape?

That project took me three seasons, a year and a half, to The pandemic was really hard in the beginning. This isn't complete, and that's a huge commitment. It took me two seasons unique to me. No one foresaw something like this. Everybody's life just to even touch the chains. has been ruined or drastically That means six months of trying changed. When the pandemic something and not even reaching hit, it hit me all at once and I, no the chains. Imagine the mental joke, probably didn't really leave fortitude it takes to continue to my room for more than a meal a approach that wall, tie in and day. For two weeks, I was just in start going, knowing that you my bed.might not even touch the chains. It was ugly, but this

By the middle of the second community is so amazing. A season, I had redpointed attempts friend sent me an email. It was where I was like, “Okay, any day a simple check-in message, but now, this thing is gonna go.” At that snapped me out of it. I was the end of that second season, so touched that someone would for the first time, I finally clipped notice. And from that day on, it the chains. I was like, “Okay this hasn't happened again. I tackled is possible!” At the very end of the the issue head-on. third season, the project came I figured I can't be the only together. I can't even explain to one struggling like this. So to stay you what that felt like! in shape and to keep my mental Do you find that the sport has health intact, I started doing been more inclusive over the Instagram Live workouts, which years? What can we all do to be helped me feel connected to my more inclusive? community. It helped me feel

We're in a pivotal moment connected to the usual me. in history. All of us have an What is your top advice to new important role to play in what we climbers? choose to do and how we choose My number one advice is to to present ourselves right now, know the fundamentals. The especially as a person of color. reason that people get taken For better or worse, we have the Juan Rodriguez and Aimee Filimoehala, Mazama Vice President, at the summit aback by this advice is because spotlight right now and we have to of Mt. Hood. Photo by Karen de Vera. they invest in trying to progress as take advantage of that. Whether fast as possible. If you blaze through the fundamentals in order you are a politician or an everyday 9 to 5er, everything you do is to get to the things that seem fun (because everybody loves the observed under this magnifying glass. You have to take your best challenge), you'll find that when you hit that wall, you are going to shot. have to work backwards.

We need to train a focused eye on the U.S. itself. It is If you start your climbing career by being patient and focusing predominantly white because we are not doing the outreach that’s on the mastery of the fundamentals, you will get far ahead of the at our disposal to reach other communities. In particular, look at game. It might be potentially slower work on the front end, but you where gyms are being built, look at the pricing structure, and look will skyrocket through everything else. at the cost to participate in the sport with the equipment that you need. A lot of times, that's beyond the budget of a normal inner- The last and most important question… What is your absolute city person. favorite crag snack?

In the summer of 2019, we did a pilot program with the help of If I had to pick one, I would say a breakfast burrito and a local gym members at Stoneworks. We offered it to the Boys and Bavarian cream donut from Joe’s Donut Shop. Stop in Sandy, buy Girls Club, the Big Brother Big Sister program, and the Beaverton your burrito, and eat your burrito while it’s hot. That thing will School District after-school program for Latinos called MEChA. keep me satiated from approximately 4 a.m. till 3 p.m. It's a timeThat was really awesome because we got a color palette of young release burrito. faces coming into the gym to receive technique classes. You could