The Mountaineers
Each week we bring you a personal story from one of our members. For our member profile this week we talked to...
Name: Jonathan Rambo (he/him)
Branch: Olympia
How long have you been volunteering with The Mountaineers? Since 2019
What activities do you volunteer with at The Mountaineers? Basic Alpine Climbing course; leading basic rock, alpine, and glacier climbs; and leading intermediate rock climbs.
10 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
WHAT FIRST BROUGHT YOU TO THE MOUNTAINEERS?
I was inspired to join The Mountaineers by my partner Kara Nester. She basically signed up and told me to sign up or get left in the dust!
Jokes aside, somewhere along the way I discovered that I was passionate about getting lost in the outdoors. Combine that with my interest in indoor rock climbing and I started feeling a pull to take it to the next level.
So after hiking, backpacking, bouldering, and snowshoeing for a few years, joining The Mountaineers felt like a logical next step.
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED AS A VOLUNTEER?
I started volunteering after graduating the Basic Alpine Climbing course in 2019. The first course I volunteered to support was Introduction to Leading Bolted Routes, which I volunteered for in the same year I joined Basic Alpine Climbing. Luckily for me, there is a great community in Olympia. Everyone is very encouraging of and motivated to support fellow climbers.
Giving credit where credit is due, Doug Hansen convinced me to join as an assistant lead for the Introduction to Leading Bolted Routes course in the fall of 2019.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOUNTAINEERS MEMORY?
It doesn't seem fair to pick one, every climb has offered something memorable.
But if I were to pick one, I would have to say it was climbing the Complete North Ridge of Mount Stuart. It was a fight from the start. But that didn't stop Marko, Sergey, Brandon, and myself from sending it! Plus, bivvying at 8,000 feet on a tiny ledge with a 2,000-foot drop off was exhilarating.
All in all, that trip was memorable for me because of the team. We all had each other's backs and the stoke was through the roof. I wouldn't have wanted to climb it with anyone else.
WHAT IS ONE THING YOU DO AS A LEADER TO MAKE YOUR PARTICIPANTS FEEL WELCOME?
There's a lot that goes into helping people feel welcome. For me I generally take the approach of:
- Getting to know someone, including their interests, and talking about what they are most excited about for the activity ahead.
- Treating them as an equal and establishing the mindset that we are all on the same team; it's the team that will make the activity successful.
What advice do you have for aspiring volunteers?
Understand your "why" when it comes to mountaineering before devoting hours and hours of your time to volunteering. You can easily burnout with volunteer fatigue. The fatigue might even make you question if you even enjoy the outdoors anymore.
So, really home in on what is most important to you and seek to prioritize everything around that idea.
For me, I love to get lost in the alpine for days. In order for me to do this, I need to train, practice my skills, then devote energy to the actual trip. If I over volunteer and I'm not able to go on grand adventures, I start to feel imbalanced.
Simply put, prioritize yourself and then prioritize others.
LIGHTNING ROUND
Sunrise or sunset? Sunrise
What's your favorite close-to-home adventure? Snoqualmie Pass (hiking, climbing, skiing)
What's you 11th Essential? M&Ms
Post-trip meal or go-to place of choice? Muchen Haus in Leavenworth (Big Bob bratwurst, pretzel, beer)
What's next on your bucket list? The Nose of El Capitan
NOMINATE YOURSELF FOR MOUNTAINEER OF THE WEEK
Mountaineers volunteers come in all shapes and sizes, varying widely in age, outdoor experience, and length of time involved in The Mountaineers. Part of what makes our community so unique is the broad diversity of our leadership, and we hope these weekly features highlight how our trip leaders, course instructors, and committee and branch officers support our community. We are always seeking self-nominations for our Mountaineer of the Week, and we invite you to share your story. Trust us, we want to hear from you!
If you’re a leader (or want to nominate a leader to spotlight), send an email to Michelle Song to make a recommendation.
