MBC2014: A Brief Chat with Loren Rausch

Loren in alpine mode

 This week, in our run up to the Montana Bouldering Championships on February 8th, I sit down for a brief chat with perennial comp finalist Loren Rausch.  Loren isn't really a competition climber, he's an everything climber, sponsored by La Sportiva.  He's put up some of your favorite boulder problems in Billings and snagged the first winter ascent of the Bear's Tooth in a 27 hour car to car push with Rusty Willis.  He gets out there!  You can keep up with his climbing thoughts on his blog The Dukkha Diaries. 

JOEL: We've seen you in a couple of comp finals over the past years in Billings, what sort of attitude do you try to bring to these type of events?

LOREN: I try and bring the attitude of trying hard but knowing I won’t win (because Charlie Barron always beats me by 1,000+ points). I try to have fun and not stress out with results. I beta dance.

JOEL:What's fascinating about your climbing is that you are the consummate all a rounder. You've excelled on everything, trad, ice, sport, bouldering, even gym climbing. What's your favorite and why?

LOREN: If I had to choose one thing to do for the rest of my life it would be alpine climbing. This is a trick answer to the question because I usually ascend a snow field to get to the route (ice), sit start the route (bouldering), clip fixed gear (sport), place a few cams (trad), and then get cold and scared and wish I was at the (climbing gym).

JOEL: You've put up a couple of good boulder problems around B-Town. You even produced a video documentary back in the day before that was really a thing (Check out Breath of Sand). Love that name by the way. What's your favorite boulder problem in Billings and why?

LOREN: I think Billings has great bouldering and it is hard for me to pick only a few problems from the hundreds of boulders. There are a few problems that I typically climb when I am in an area though and these tend to be my favorite problems:

Water Tower Boulders:“Mega Arête” - as the name suggests this arête is mega

Arvin Boulders:“Man the rails” – long, pumpy, techy, happy

Country Club Boulders:“McLovin!” – such a good sloper feature- it’s like gym climbing but sandier

Zimmerman Park:

“Becky’s crack” – perfect wide hands – a good mental game too

“Just do it” – DO IT!

“Pregnant Mare” – just like goat roping

“Fall of Man” – steep

Phipps Park:

“Cube slab” – makes you feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside

“Slapstick Traverse” – a lesson in the art of the heel hook


JOEL: Being a founding father of the Shepherd Mountaineering Club, who else are the members? and why would I want to climb in Shepherd? Secret boulders? Magical ice falls?

LOREN: The Shepherd Mountaineering Club was created by the Hayes brothers (Erik and Chris), Rick Dvorak, Matt Weiland, Corey Erickson, Tyler Miller, and myself. We were all in High School together in Shepherd and were the only kids who weren’t into motorsports. We were pretty gun-ho and did a lot of dumb stuff. The core climbers in the club (Erik, Chris, and myself) called ourselves “Team Badass” and even had slogans such as: “Team Badass- we climb hard so you don’t have to”, and “You don’t have to be good to be hardcore”. Basically we sucked at climbing, tried really hard, and made fun of ourselves. We never wore shirts. I could tell you about the secret boulders and magical icefalls in Shepherd but then I would have to kill you.

JOEL: You've lived in Billings, done the Bozeman thing, and are now living in Red Lodge (for your second time now). How's the climbing scene up there? What are some of your goals for the next couple seasons?

LOREN: The climbing scene in Red Lodge is pretty tight. I’m still learning the ways and meeting new people. The thing that has always impressed me with Red Lodge are the low key climbers who crush; there are badasses that walk among us and never speak up. Knowing this keeps me humble. Anyway, I want to bolt the world.

Loren not wearing a shirt.

JOEL: What's harder, teaching kids biology or 5:12 trad?

LOREN: Teaching kids biology (especially certain anatomical areas) is hilarious and requires a lot of patience. It’s a lot of work too- I don’t sleep anymore and I live on coffee and bad music. Teaching is immediately rewarding, climbing is immediately fun. They are both hard but both, oh-so-worth-it.

JOEL: Anything else you want to share with the climbers of Montana?

LOREN: Montana climbing is what it is (awesome) because of the climbers who live here. Keep being nice, fun loving people who climb hard and don’t over spray. Preserve the climbing we have by being good stewards. Never wear a shirt.

JOEL: Never wear a shirt. Yessssssssss.