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Dave Nettle summitted the Matterhorn, Mont Blanc, and the Eiger on a European tour in the summer of 2009. Photo by Dave Nettle |
CommentsStorytelling Culture Keeps Outdoor Community Inspired
Published: January 16, 2010by Olivia Dwyer
Dave Vuono gave a slide show on deep-water soloing on the cliffs of Mallorca, Spain. Photo by Dave Vuono
John Morrison climbs a couloir on Grand Teton, a training expedition for a ski descent of Denali in May 2009. Photo courtesy of John Morrison
Click on images for slideshow
Amongst the North Tahoe outdoor community, Dave Nettle has been known as a torchbearer for sharing stories and inspiring others to new adventures for decades. Mike Schwartz, owner of the Back Country store in Truckee, first experienced Nettle’s magic in the early ’90s. During the first week that Schwartz spent in Tahoe, he found his way to a slide show at Nettle’s house where Nettle entertained a crowd of locals with his latest rock climbing adventures. The stories, camaraderie, and inspiration in the air that night were all it took to convince Schwartz that Tahoe was home.
“People in the mountains are really amazing,” Schwartz wrote in an email. “They are the type of folks you want to be around.”
The Back Country sponsors the Adventure Slide Show Series, organized and emceed by Nettle, which brings a sense of community and the inspiration of storytelling to a wider audience for 10 weeks each winter.
“Being in proximity [to] another person when you have a shared passion — whether it’s a climbing partner or a lover — it beats the Internet,” Nettle said. “That’s what in-person storytelling keeps alive.”
He says one of the great things about the series is hearing the plans being made as the crowd mingles after each show.
“Adventure is not limited to climbing or skiing; it’s a condition of spirit or passion,” Nettle said. “It’s not just about the climb. It’s about sharing that desire to go out there and seeing how someone has connected with different cultures and different people.”
Nettle’s experience with storytelling goes back to the days when the perfect number of pictures for a slide show was 140 — the number of slides for a tray on an old slide projector. Now, the adventure series takes place in Bar One at Squaw Valley, where owner Tom O’Neill provides a setup with a digital projector and a large screen installed on the ceiling of the bar. Crowds range from 100 people seated comfortably to standing-room only to people forced to listen from outside the door.
“I come here and I’m just so impressed by the community in general, by the climbers and skiers and people that love the outdoors,” said Dave Vuono, who met Nettle rock climbing in Australia and gave a slide show on December 30. “My observation … is that what brings this community together is people like Dave that host these slide shows to get people inspired.”
The stories and adventures shared are meant to inspire, to inform, and to entertain. Nettle seeks out speakers with passion and a sense of humor.
“You have to be bold, you have to go after it and grab things,” Nettle said. “But you also have to be relaxed enough to laugh about encounters that could make you resent a culture or an individual or a mountain that’s beating you down.”
With four shows remaining on this year’s schedule, Nettle singled out “Girls of the Northern Sierra: Four Seasons of Fun” on January 20 as one not to miss.
“It’s the magic of friendship,” he said. “It transcends the magic of the summit for sure.”
While this year’s slide show series is on the wane, Nettle and Schwartz plan many more beautiful pictures and great stories to come. Their hope is that the events will continue to inspire the passions that support an active outdoor adventure community, which Nettle pointed out has had a steadfast presence in North Tahoe since before his time.
“I’m a conduit,” Nettle said. “I didn’t start anything and I won’t finish anything.”
Adventure Slide Show Series: Sponsored by the Back Country, this is a free event at Bar One in Squaw Valley every Wednesday night through Feb. 10 at 7 p.m.
Each week, Moonshine Ink posts an exclusive interview with Dave Nettle and the slide show presenter. Read interviews with Kip Garre, John Morrison, Vuono, and Schwartz.
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