Parenthood can sound terrifying to the adventurous minded. We are confronted with the realities of having a new life that is utterly dependent on us; an expensive, demanding, and non-returnable new roommate. We fear that once we take that irrevocable step and become parents, that we’ll have to give up everything that we love and give it all to the baby. Don’t worry, you don’t.
Yes, parenthood might slow you down for a minute, and it will probably force some changes to your lifestyle. It can definitely affect the calculus of your risk-taking choices. But with planning, teamwork, and the support of our partners and community, you can get back out there and tackle whatever challenges suit you.
In 2016, my buddy Jon and I decided to do just that. We were both very recent members of the “dad club". We’d been climbing partners for years, but had both taken some time off to focus on creating our families. With a desire to get back into the game, we picked a climb that had stumped us once before and started training.
We also reached out to a couple other Deuter Ambassadors (Matthew Rispoli and Zak Farmer) who are also fathers, to see if they’d be interested in joining us. With our wives' support (a.k.a. permission) we set out to climb the Mountaineer’s Route up Mt Whitney to prove to ourselves, and dads everywhere, that parenthood isn’t the end of the adventure... it's just the beginning.
You can continue watching the ongoing adventures of the Dads Who Climb at: http://seatosummitproductions.com/dads-who-climb/