Meet… Mountain Climber Jonathan Neville

West Virginia

The Ultimate Rock-Climbing

Road Trip

WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER | PHOTOS PROVIDED (UNLESS NOTED)

IN 2019, JONATHAN NEVILLE set out on an epic road trip to climb America’s best rock. It was a journey that would last 500 days and where he would trade in comfort for pursuing his passion. "I'd rather wake up in a Prius, psyched on life, than wake up in a queen-sized bed, in a mansion, and full of apathy," he said.

ANSWERING THE CALL TO CLIMB

Jonathan Neville first experienced the exhilarating sport of rock climbing in 2012. His passion quickly grew and he sought bigger and bigger challenges.

“Living on the East Coast, I’d heard lore and legend about how great it was out West and of the famous locations I’d always wanted to see,” he said. After earning his bachelor’s degree in Adventure Education from Plymouth State University, Neville outfitted his Prius for a long-haul road trip. “A Prius is the smallest vehicle I’ve ever seen anyone live in, but realistically, that’s what it was going to take to allow me to climb all the time.”

HOW TO LIVE IN YOUR CAR

Jonathan Neville was still recovering from a shoulder injury, but that wasn’t going to stop him – he was determined to learn just how good of a climber he could become. First, he headed south, into the hills of West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Each week, he’d climb for four days and rest for three. At first, he simply laid the Prius’ back seats down to sleep, but his legs were under his kitchen supplies, which wasn’t very comfortable. By removing the back seats completely however, he discovered there was enough room for sleeping, a solar generator, a refrigerator, a water tank, and his other equipment. Living in his car kept his gear close and his expenses low.

Mexico

“I was living a lifestyle Eldorado Canyon, Colorado that would’ve cost hundreds of thousands of dollars if I was staying at hotels and eating in restaurants. Instead, I spent less than $1,000/ month and had the best time and the best experience ever. Car insurance, the phone bill, and food were really my only expenses and food is cheap when you buy things like rice, beans, and oats. Americans are hilarious about how much they spend on food.”

To supplement the money he’d saved, Neville took a temporary part-time job as a kayak guide through an underground mine.

ENDLESS BEAUTY

During the colder months, Neville traversed the southern states, climbing in Georgia, Alabama, and Texas. “This experience changed how I look at life and at parts of America. These places are a testament to how awesome God is, and how the world He created is so endlessly beautiful.” In Mexico however, he experienced a trip high – literally, climbing 1,000+ft. up, and found a perfect place to relax.

“On the days I wasn’t climbing, I liked to sleep in, cook a really delicious breakfast and just do a whole lot of nothing. Mexico was so laid back. I found it to be so much cheaper there, the pace so much slower, and it was always sunny.”

PANDEMIC, PAIN, AND PERSEVERANCE

When COVID peaked, Neville had made his way up through Arizona and was experiencing the incredible climbing outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. “It was a really strange environment. As soon as the casinos shut down, everybody decided to go hiking,” he said. Leaving Las Vegas and travelling through Utah, and Colorado, he then landed in Wyoming. “It was the best thing ever. It was like an oasis. It’s a really low population state, so life carried on very normally, like nothing had happened.” He topped Devil’s Tower, the Grand Teton peak, and by the summer of 2020, he’d found a landscaping job. “Some people love to be in a different place every week, but when I found a place I really liked, I’d stay there for a while.” Unfortunately, he began experiencing debilitating sciatica leg pain. “It feels like being electrocuted. It was demoralizing. Just walking was painful. That was really tricky and the biggest downside of the whole trip,” he said.

COMFORT: THE ENEMY OF GROWTH

By spending his precious funds on chiropractors, he was able to continue on to South Dakota, Idaho and beautiful California before finally returning to Ballston Lake, NY with some major lessons learned. “Comfort is not inherently bad, but as an end goal or a destination, it’s an enemy of growth. It’s the same way with your muscles: beat them up and put them through the ringer and they come back stronger,” said Neville. He spent Spring 2021 at the Saratoga Ninja Lab. “It’s the perfect job. I naturally trend toward being an instructor and educator and I love Ninja exercise because it's really fun and is great cross training for rock climbing.” This summer, Neville plans on returning to Kentucky for steep overhang climbing, and to winter in Mexico. For Spring 2022, he’s got his eyes set on Yosemite Valley, CA - a destination that’s always been at the top of his bucket list. Go with Jonathan Neville on his crosscountry climbing adventures, subscribe to his YouTube channel, and find him on Instagram @jonnyneville. SS

Garden of the Gods, Colorado Wind River Range, Wyoming

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