Insight

W H A T W O R K S F O R M E PEAK PERFORMANCE

Mountaineer RICK RIDGEWAY spent five decades being the first to travel to unchar ted regions. Here are his keys to chasing adventure near and far.

a s t o l d t o C H A R L E S T H O R P

Seek Inspiration

My home has a room where I’m completely surrounded by books, including the first one I bought when learning to climb called Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills. Reading initially inspired me to become a climber. I read a National Geographic story about the first American to climb Mount Everest and wanted to be like him. That guy was Jim Whittaker, and little did I know he’d be the leader of our first American ascent of K2 in ’78. It was around the time of my own K2 ascent when another book came out called The Snow Leopard. The main character, naturalist George Schaller, became my mentor and one of my best friends. I set up an expedition with Galen Rowell, Conrad Anker and Jimmy Chin for the purpose of finding the birthing ground of the chiru, an endangered Tibetan antelope, to support George’s research and help protect the animal. It was the most meaningful trip of my life.

Redefine Peak Condition

I don’t remember any of my friends who were climbing back in the ’60s or ’70s ever going to a gym. None of us had a training regimen. We just climbed and went on long hikes to get to the mountains before expeditions. The on-foot approaches to the landmark climbs were a lot longer than they are now. That was our boot camp experience, whether it was hiking from Kathmandu to Everest or up to K2. I did start going to the gym in the ’80s. I learned the benefit of doing low weight with high reps to keep the lean mass I needed. I do that about three times a week these days. I always valued fitness, even as a teenager. I got in shape in high school and never fell out of it. I weigh exactly the same as I did back then, 157 pounds. I know to some it may sound like a brag, but I’m proud of that fact. That commitment to physical health is one that’s served me well over the years.

Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way

Over 20 years ago, my hips were making problems for me, causing terrible discomfort. It was only getting worse over time. I met with a doctor who advised me to get a hip replacement. I was in my 50s at the time and worried about the recovery and complications. I discovered yoga through [Patagonia founder] Yvon Chouinard shortly after meeting [surfer] Gerry Lopez. I could see how beneficial yoga was to maintaining world-class surfing skills at an older age. It seemed like he was getting better every month, and he attributed it to yoga. I was working at Patagonia when I started my practice, and would go to the classes we had at the office. I started to see the benefits pretty quickly and was able to avoid having the surgery. Being flexible and limber while staying strong is crucial at my age. I’ve created my own routine that I do at home around three times a week. It’s a good time for me to find peace. I do it in the afternoon, because I can clear my head of noise and finish my day in a better mindset.

I GOT IN SHAPE IN HIGH SCHOOL AND NEVER FELL OUT OF IT.

Find Your Base of Operations

I was always a surfer as much as I was a climber—an ocean and a mountain person. It was important for me to live somewhere I could do it all. I stayed in Malibu in the ’70s, but over time was disenchanted with the number of poseurs. I started visiting the Ventura and Santa Barbara area to surf when I first met Yvon. Eventually we started climbing around there and I discovered it was a much better fit for me personally. I asked Yvon to keep his ear to the wind for a place I could call home. It didn’t take him long to find one, and I moved a few doors down from him. Over the course of my career, I estimate I’ve slept about five years of my life in tents, and I can say it’s nice living somewhere you’re happy to come back to. I’ve gotten just as much enjoyment going out to the wild areas in my backyard as I have in the farthest reaches of the world.

Stay in the Running

I started trail running in my early 20s, and it’s still one of my favorite activities. I first began when I was traveling a lot, because it seemed like an easy way to get outdoors and stay in shape no matter where I was in the world. All I needed was a pair of shoes. These days I do most of my running at home in Ojai. I live right next to Los Padres National Forest. There’s an incredible network of trails right off my backyard. I’ve been on those trails every day this week, and I plan on staying on the trail as long as possible.

JOHN ROSKELLEY (MOUNTAIN); JIMMY CHIN (PORTRAIT)