Jack Roberts
Age: 58, Years climbing: 41, Hometown: Boulder, Colorado, Favorite product: Miura VS
blog: http://www.jackrobertsclimbing.com
Do you clip bolts, plug cams, stack pads, or crush ice?
Yes, I dominate all forms of rock and ice!!
How long have you been an athlete with La Sportiva?
Approximately 16 years...
What are some of your lifetime climbing goals?
To continue to climb to my maximum potential in rock, ice and alpine climbs. To establish alpine FAs until I drop.
Do you have a claim to fame?
The reputation of the shape and condition of my toes and feet have made me infamous. Even Reinhold Messner wanted to see them! Also, I'm the only male Sportiva athlete to appear in a dress in any ad.
Do you have any vices?
Yes, but too many to list here........
What makes you tick as a climber and in the real world?
Climbing stops the voices in my head from gaining control. If I stopped climbing I'd become dangerous.
What drives you to climb? The money? The groupies? The fame? What?
Definately the fame. Groupies are over-rated. Money is....what was the question again? Seriously, the freedom of moving in the mountains either solo or with good friends feeds my psyche and makes me feel alive.
What is your favorite movie?
Apocalypse Now.
Do you have any nicknames? Explain:
Many old friends call me JACQUES rather than Jack. These friends felt that I had more style than the name "Jack" . implies.. The nickname stuck.
What’s the longest you’ve gone without sleep? Why?
Four days. On a new route on Denali. Altitude and stress kept both my partner and I awake. We spent that time in a Bibler tent waiting out a big storm.
If you had to be named after one of the 50 states, which would it be?
Alaska. Because I've spent over 20 seasons climbing up there and know those mountains to be the most beautiful.
What did you have for lunch yesterday?
Sushi. A Rainbow roll along with some salmon and tuna sashimi.
If you could hook up a thought monitor to your head, would you see pictures, hear words or would music be playing?
A visual of someone climbing vertical ice to the Rolling Stones song......Fancy Man's Blues....the lyrics appear in a bubble above the climber's head.
What really scares you about climbing?
It's very easy to mistake the sensation of feeling omnipresence for omnipotence and get severely hurt trying to understand the difference.
If your life was made into a movie, what would it be called?
The Unsolved Mystery of Alpine Jacques......in 3D version.
Where would you live if it could be anywhere in the world?
Mexico. Food is tasty, Tequila is the world's best alcohol, Surfing is the perfect compliment to climbing and the beach life down there doesn't get much better...
Have no food or have no gasoline?
Got beer and two sticks to rub together for my fire...... Why ask for more?
Do you wish you had sexier feet?
No one has sexier feet than I have. Didn't we have this discussion earlier?
