Renowned Alpinist Steve House Shares His View on Life Elevation

One of the greatest climbers of his generation shares takeaways from his mountain life.

Shattered / Tyler Stableford

Reinhold Meissner called Steve House, “The greatest climber of his generation”, and aptly so, as his mountaineering achievements is the list of some of the toughest ascents done at the time.

Included in that is the first ascent of the world's biggest rock wall, Rupal Face, on Nanga Parbat, the ninth-tallest and one of the deadliest peaks on the planet. 

One of the world’s best alpinists now runs Uphill Athlete, which brings together a best in class team to help individuals train to be their best outside and inside.

We caught up with House, as he shared some of his insights on life, and how he has used climbing as a way to better understand himself and applied those learnings to be a better person in his life and for his community.

Adventure on SI: What is your 'why' for sport and how has that impacted your life?

Steve: “Like for most, if not all of us, skiing and climbing are a core part of who I am and how I experience the world; how I experience myself. Of course it's a sport. But it’s more than sport; it’s culture. I’m raising my kids on skis, not to be great at it, just to be open to that shaping who they become. Knowing that one day they’ll realize they’ll endure a freezing chair lift ride for a great line. That they’ll endure painful boots for the perfect carve. Those realizations change you because when you love something, or someone, you’ll suffer for it gladly. Skiing and climbing were my first loves and love teaches us about grittiness. Endurance. Meeting challenges.“

“This is why I still like skiing and climbing. Though I’ll be honest I ski a LOT more than I climb these days simply because the ratio of type 1 fun to type 2 fun is much better. And I live in Austria and there is so much incredible skiing to explore here while I’m here. At this stage of life (in my early 50’s) I really just love the culture. I love sitting on the deck with a beer and the music as much as the carving or the powder. I love the way it brings together people (though we have a lot of work to bring more people back to the sport).”

Adventure on SI: If you could share a couple of things that stand out as helping you navigate roadblocks, challenges in life - both personal and sport (could be the same)?

Steve: “I’ll share success and I’ll share regret."

"First the success. I come from a lot of privilege as a middle-class white male who had a free (thanks mom and dad) college education. But skiing and climbing taught me not to take anything for granted. I think any craft, and many things one loves, can teach you these lessons. But I lived in my $1,500 Mazda pickup truck for years to maximize the time I had to practice these crafts. And that taught me what Viktor Frankl, on a much deeper level, observed when he wrote after surviving the holocaust: 'He, how has a why to live for, can bear with almost any how.' I was not forced into a death-camp. But I learned the same lesson. And it’s also quite reassuring to know that at any point I can be perfectly happy living in the back of a pickup truck.”

“My regret is that in my 20’s and 30’s especially I was so voracious about the experience that I did not make more time for the people and the relationships I began along the way. It was always on to the next thing, the next climb, the next run. I wish I’d spent more time with the people and prioritized them more. And especially that I had leaned in harder when the relationships got challenging because now I know that the relationship getting challenging is something about me, not about them. And the more I can be aware of myself, the more I can reflect on my triggers and sensitivities, the better I can show up in this world and that is better for me, and for those around me. It’s important to do this work so you can consistently be an energy generator, not an energy depletor.”

Adventure on SI: What are you doing today that matters and any suggestions/ideas for giving back to the community (sport, where you live, etc.)?

Steve: “I help mountain athletes become healthier, stronger, and have greater endurance. This is important. People love to geek out on gear. Which ski floats, which carves. But what about your body? I’m working to build a shift in our culture that prioritizes the human over the equipment. As a skier I like to say 'There is no such thing as bad snow, only bad skiers' And I’d like more people to take that approach because skiing (and climbing) are such a gift, such a privilege. And as we continue to refine gear or clothes we will hit limits. Does a hardshell jacket ever get lighter than 10 ounces? But what if our bodies are so strong, our endurance so good, that it doesn’t matter that much? I want to shift the conversation. Because with strong legs and good endurance you can indeed ski just about any snow, and have fun.”