Professional alpine climber and mountain guide Emilie Drinkwater visited Hamilton on March 3 to coach climbers on the rock wall and share her stories. She works in the Adirondacks, the Tetons in Wyoming and Mount McKinley in Alaska.
Drinkwater dedicated a large portion of her presentation to her seven-week, sponsored trip to the Himalayan high peaks in the summer of 2011. She and two friends traversed all kinds of terrain just near the convergence of Chinese, Pakistani and Indian territories.
Drinkwater lives with her husband in a yurt in the Adirondacks, where they have no electricity, no running water and very spotty wireless Internet. This lifestyle not only helps her save money for her expeditions, but also is very conducive to her profession. She can hike, climb and ski just minutes from her home. When asked why she climbs, Drinkwater said, “I love the unknown.” Though she admits that her job as a mountain climber is not particularly lucrative, Drinkwater’s passion for exploring fuels her to conquer even greater heights.
Her visit to Hamilton was sponored by the Hamilton Outing Club.