A Balanced Climb – Whitewater
LR_FH Photographer: Wills Young Location: Rocklands, South Africa

When I was introduced to Rock Climbing over 25 years ago, I was instantly hooked.  From then on, climbing was incorporated into every area of my life - from scheduling classes around my climbing trips, to doing my homework between pull-up sessions on the Rock Rings that I hung from the rafters of my parent’s garage.

Becoming a “professional rock climber” just happened, it was never planned. This profession has taken me all over the world through a variety of climbing trips. I have spent a good deal of my time Exploring and training in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. I have alpine climbed in Patagonia, developed new bouldering areas in South Africa, and also competed in climbing competitions locally in the United States and in more exotic places like Italy, Korea, and Chile.

I have come to realize that for me, exploring does not just mean to go out to see and experience new places. Exploring the physical capabilities of my body through athleticism is just as important to me as exploring new places. I cannot substitute one for the other, but must keep the balance of both in my life in order to feel content and complete as a person.

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Lisa Rands is a professional rock climber and climbing instructor who calls Chattanooga, TN home. For more on Lisa’s travels and climbing, check out lisarands.com.

LR_1-1-scaled
LR_2 Photographer: Wills Young Location: Patagonia, Argentina
LR_3 Photographer: Wills Young Location: Starlight Summit, CA
LR_7-scaled Photographer: Wills Young Location: Patagonia, Argentina
LR_5 Photographer: Wills Young Location: Rocklands, South Africa
LR_4 Photographer: Wills Young Location: Starlight Summit, CA
LR_6-scaled Photographer: Wills Young Location: Rocklands, South Africa