The Red Bulletin June 2020 (US)

Peak Isolation
Mountaineer and filmmaker Jimmy Chin
knows plenty about riding out a storm.
North Face athlete, photographer and adventure
filmmaker Jimmy Chin has helped lead teams to big
things, but he knows plenty about isolation. After all,
the route up 8,000-meter peaks often involves days
on end with just a few people in the confines of a tent.
During an April conversation, Chin was holed up with
his film partner and wife, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi,
and their two kids in their home near Jackson Hole,
Wyoming. Here, in his own words, Chin shares his
thoughts on social distancing in small spaces.
CHRIS FIGENSHAU, MIKEY SHAEFER TRACY ROSS
Surround yourself with good people
“There’s so much trust required on high-stakes
mountaineering expeditions, so choosing the right
people is critical. Generally, I choose people who can
not only stay calm in tough situations but who step
up and thrive in them.”
Pass the time together
“What better time than when you’re locked down to
play cards, tell jokes and have deep discussions? We’ll
talk about books we’re reading (recent favorites: Jon
Krakauer’s Missoula and Sebastian Junger’s Tribe),
personal dreams and day-to-day logistics. If there’s
nothing to talk about, you just stop talking. You get
over that quickly.”
Move when you’re stuck
“When you’re confined for a long time, you have to
move your body. Otherwise you’ll stiffen up. There are
many exercises you can do in a tent. I do push-ups,
sit-ups, planks, Supermans and lots of stretches.”
Keep calm and carry snow
“Staying positive in a situation you can’t control is a
mental game. You don’t want to let fear or anxiety
take over, so you assess your situation, think about
potential outcomes, game these out and be productive.
Proactively taking care of others is also strangely
calming. No one wants to go out and get the snow to
melt for water. But if you get up, put on all your shit, go
out into the storm and come back and make everyone
hot drinks, you wind up feeling useful and good.”
Don’t lose sight of the long game
“Something we talk about is how storms pass. It’s
how you weather them that counts. I’ve been traveling
pretty much nonstop for the past few years. So having
this moment to slow down, spend time with my family
and get outside in a place I love—I’m grateful.”
THE RED BULLETIN 53