Thanks for writing to me! I’m glad you liked the book, and your letter made me smile too
Steph

Your book is rad. Started reading while living down in joes valley last fall and finishing it off now (travel break). Was at the OR show hanging with the Prana guys – awesome folks. On my way to Squamish for a month or so to climb, then hopefully down to Yosemite. Just wanted to drop a line and say thanks and good company to keep.

Best,
Douglas

I had some neat footage of a spinning parachute malfunction that I cut away when I was jumping in Lodi, so I stuck that in there too. Much to my surprise, people thought that was a pretty dramatic situation! (The vimeo stat counter seems to be having an odd subtracting instead of adding malfunction right now, but it got almost 15,000 views in the first few days I put it up.)

Even more dramatically, it also made my mom unable to sleep for many many nights! (or so I’m told) She was not happy.

Oh dear. Skydiving is not death defying. I mean, you have a reserve parachute for pete’s sake, what can possibly go wrong? Why all this drama?

My first reaction was: note to self: do not send vimeo links to parents!
But then I thought, hold on. It’s just a question of presentation! I mean, isn’t everything, really?
But seriously. Skydiving is fun and safe (mostly), that’s why we do it! (Well, maybe we also do it to hone our wingsuit skills for base jumping, but that’s not the point.)

So when I got home from a lovely trip to Voltige yesterday, I made this video just for my mom!

Pas de Deux from steph davis on Vimeo.

And, got an official email back within minutes!

“Hi Steph and Mario, It was a great movie, nice music and scenery, but my favorite part was when you were both on the ground! How about a call before you leave and we want to see you. Love, Mom”

I am proud to report this one’s fully mom-approved.

A few days after that I bought the Amazon Kindle version and have been really enjoying reading it, and indeed enjoying that as you said, it was written in bits and pieces over the years.

Just one thing maybe you could bring up with the publisher? The Kindle edition has a lot of spelling errors that look like they scanned a printed version of the text, rather than using some original text format. Usually it is clear what the original word was, but other times it is ambiguous. You might bug them to redo it…
Seth

Hi Seth, Thanks for the heads up! I checked in with the Mountaineers, who published High Infatuation (in print version). Here’s what I found out:

Steph,
I’ll check into it. We send Amazon a PDF and they do the conversions into their proprietary format. The PDF is the same as the printed book.
We’re going to download the Kindle edition of H.I. and see what’s what. The errors aren’t in the print edition, but errors can be introduced when a book is converted to digital.
Doug C.

Thanks again for letting us know, and hope the typos aren’t too distracting….I hate typos!
Thanks also for coming the other night in Tokyo!
Steph

I’ve been wanting to write for ages, after reading High Infatuation. I am 25 year old girl, living in London, and I started climbing about 6 months ago. It has totally changed my life.

Reading your book, there was so much there that I really connected with: being a nonathlete, having eclectic academic interest and being told off for crossing subjects, loving solitude and independence, and at the same time, loving connecting deeply with close friends. Also, I really connect with your spiritual search, something that has directed my life decisions, and led me to a spiritual anchor of meditation (in whatever form, for me, climbing and ashtanga yoga are both infinitely meditative).

Anyway, I don’t want to go all groupie on you or anything, but just to say, I feel you are soul sister, and thank you for walking parts of your journey with me.

I wrote recently a blogpost about climbing, and I’m adding the link cos I thought you might like it. If you have any thoughts on some of my ideas re sprituality/philosophy, I would love to hear your wisdom.

http://angelictroublemaker.wordpress.com/2010/08/05/what-i-love-about-climbing/

With warmth and joy,
Hiranya

Dear Hiranya,
What an incredibly beautiful, heartfelt piece about your love of climbing and spiritual feelings. Thank you so much for writing, and for sharing this! I feel very blessed from my visit to Japan, which has started me on a habit of morning meditation. I can’t believe how good it feels. Even more, I notice how every day seems to flow more effortlessly than before.
xxSteph

Kinda Busy from steph davis on Vimeo.

Hi John,
I hope you are up there right now! I have always been pretty impressed by the difficulty of the Keyhole for a so-called “hiking” trail. So I hope you stay safe and have an amazing time up there, with good weather, enough warm clothes and food, and beautiful views.
Thank you for writing to me,
Steph

I am writing to you because I am a veg. for few years now, and I still didn’t found the best thing to take with me in a back-country.
Our mountains are 2500m high or more, and when I go climbing I need good food for my body to regeneration. What tipe of food can I bring along.
I cant put fire and I can’t cook cos of the terrain.

Many times I take nuts and all other nutrition food, energy table bars and so on… But is there anything else to take for example: cheese or vegetables or fruit. Everything I took before wasn’t good. My climbing takes around 4 to 5 days and there are lodges to buy food, but they don’t make any of veg.

I’ve been on Nepal twice and I am going this year again and there they make good food for veg. so there I don’t have any problem.

I must say for my organism I feel much better veg. than before when I was meat eater, my body can regenerate faster and it is stronger, but still I am searching new ways and tips for making my daily meal better.

So please if you have any idea let me know!
Thank you in advance , with best regards Matic

Steph,
Do you have any advice/good reads for someone who is interested in becoming a vegetarian? I’m a person who loves to cook and grill out. I’m also an animal lover who feels bad about what I eat. Do most people just quit cold turkey, or would it be easier to cut out a certain food first? I am just trying to make the transition as smooth as possible… Any advice you could give me would be much appreciated.
~Cheers~
Matt

hey Steph, I was just wondering if you know a good place to find vegan recipies and whether you have any tips on how to eat vegan. I’m moving to San Francisco in the fall to start grad school and I thought that it would be a good point in my life to try and change my eating habits. The big thing that I want to change is how much beef I eat. I’ve tried to cut down on eating beef in the past but haven’t had much luck because it is such a family staple and it’s part of the routine that’s hard to break. I feel it’s important not to eat beef for both health and ethical reasons. I’ve been to other countries, like Guatemala, where I’ve seen the devastation to the land and rain forests that has resulted from the mass cattle farming. I feel that it’s my personal duty to cut down on the impact caused by my eating habits. I would appreciate any tips that you have for me. Thanks a ton.
Sincerely,
Nate

Dear Nate, Matt and Matic,
Thanks for writing to me. (I know all about Slovenia! That’s where Phoenix Fly wingsuits come from!) I couldn’t agree more with all of your reasons for going vegan/vegetarian–compassion, love and respect of animals, environmentalism, and better health and performance. I don’t know if you have watched the film Earthlings. A lot of people have told me that after seeing it, it was no longer even an option for them to eat animal products.

Recently I came across a very good website called nomeatathlete.com, by Matt Frazier who is a vegan ultrarunner. I think you will find a lot of interesting information on the links on protein and nutrition. He has a lot of very thorough research, for those who like to analyze things in exhaustive detail. His blog and recipes are excellent too, so this will be a great place to go to learn and get ideas.

There are also two recipes that could be really good for days out in the mountains, if you like to bake. They are unique in that they both have beans in the recipe. So I think you might want to try baking these up and taking them with you for long days:
Vegan Energy Bars
Black Bean Brownies

Another thing I really like to take with me if I want lots of energy is vegan jerky, and small tupperware tubs of almond butter (to dip Mojo bars into). Dried figs and dried bananas have a lot of calories also. Usually for me, that’s plenty, along with Clif Blocks and Mojo bars, and maybe nuts.

For Nate and Matt, it couldn’t be easier to cut down on beef….just don’t eat it anymore I agree with you, the environmental impact of eating beef is significant. Especially living in the Bay area, you have access to some fantastic food options. I would recommend that you start eating more beans and legumes, and also wild fish (avoid “Atlantic” salmon). If you make a point of eating whole foods, and avoiding white flour, white sugar, and white rice, you will find that you very quickly feel more energetic and satisfied from your meals. Quinoa is also an incredibly easy, nutritious and delicious staple that is good for breakfast (with raisins and fruit), lunch (as a pilaf) and dinner (as a bed for vegetables and greens). Remember, you can do whatever you want. If you don’t want to eat beef, or any animal products for that matter, you don’t have to. It’s that simple. You can be and do whatever you choose.

When I found myself eating a vegan diet about 8 years ago, I really liked putting half and half in my coffee. I had been strongly attached to that in the morning, for years. After I realized that the rest of my diet appeared to be vegan (my eating change was more accidental than intentional, at first), and after I learned about factory farming, I felt bad about buying half and half, because dairy farming is not consistently humane to cows. But I really didn’t like soymilk in my coffee, or those vegan half and half substitutes which are full of sugar, because they change the taste of the coffee. So I made a point of buying organic half and half, which advertised itself as being humanely produced. I did that for several years, and made fun of myself for being a “half and half” vegan–vegan except for the half and half in my morning coffee. Funny enough, after a few years, one day I suddenly didn’t want it anymore, and that day I switched to soymilk….which I used to think tasted so bad in coffee.

So take the steps that work for you, try to make purchasing decisions that are in line with your philosophy, do the best you can, and never underestimate your ability to change completely.

More suggestions from others would be great too.
Thanks for being compassionate and mindful athletes,
Steph

I write to you to because I’m your fan and supporter…I read your books and I think they are great!
You are great! I’ve climbed since march, I’m good, and I love mountains so much that I run off from the city (I work in Milan) and I go to the rock…
When I’m at home, the only thing I think is the rock, the mountains…I climb at Mont Blanc and Monte Rosa in Valle d’Aosta…I climb in Val di Mello…
but my dream is leaving the city and living at the mountain.

When I read your books, I’m very excited because I think and I feel the same things you described in the books…I have to give you my compliments for your courage, for your determination: you are the best and an example for me!

Now I’m training hard (I’m a runner since I was a teenager…my father had been a marathon runner!!) in running and in climbing: my objects are climbing in the Yosemite, climbing other Big Wall, and staying always in the mountain…and meeting you of course! It would wonderful for me!!

Thanks to give me the opportunity to write to you…if you have any advices for me, please give me!! I listen to all you say!

With love and admiration
Viviana
PS: I send to you one of my favourite photo!

Steph,
i have just read your book that in Italy is titled “through wind and dizziness”;
you moved me so much and i could feel some emotions you described;you are
strong but also vulnerable..the rigth balance to live;
i live up on the alps,on the Italian side of the Mont-Blanc..maybe you have
been here..i climb a little, i like to be outside with friends and to share new
experiences with my children in this wonderfull place we live.
Have a good time and continue to dream!!
M.Cristina

Thank you for writing to me! I am very happy, because I will be coming to the Oltre la Vette Belluno Mountain Festival on October 10 It will be great to come back to Italy again this season! So maybe I will see you,
Ciao,
Steph

I will follow your web site and blog. I am not a climber and have no inclination to so. I am seventy-five and will limit myself to climbing stairs, climbing out of bed and riding elevators when offered as an alternative to climbing stairs.

Colin Smith

Dear Colin,
Thank you very much for your letter, and for following this site! I’m glad you enjoyed the American Lifestyle article, and that you appreciate plain speaking
Please be well, and don’t get too crazy on those elevators
Steph