Mountaineering Photographer Jimmy Chin on Winter Grooming
by Justin Fenner
To hear photographer and rock climber Jimmy Chin tell it, the assumption that mountain men have beards isn’t always going to hold true. In fact, if his new collaboration with Harry’s proves anything, it’s that you can get a great shave when you’re hanging off the side of a cliff.
Chin worked with Harry’s to create a set of razor handles that echoe the bright colors of most climbing equipment. His personal favorite is the Teton Green, but each of the four variants goes for $20. The blades will no doubt be in his Dopp kit as he travels to Sundance this week, where he’ll premiere his new film Meru—in which he documents scaling a Himalayan peak of the same name that makes Mount Everest look like a cakewalk.
Before he jetted off to Utah, Chin talked with us about photography, mountain climbing, and how to stay handsome at 20,000 feet.
DETAILS: So, did you start climbing or taking pictures first, and how did those interests combine?
Jimmy Chin: It was actually through climbing that I found photography, interestingly enough. I had a friend who was trying to become a photographer, and he shared his camera with me, and I took a photo with it. He went out and tried to sell some of his photography, and someone bought one photo, and it happened to be the one that I took. Which is kinda funny—I finished college and moved into my car and lived as a climbing bum for seven years. I didn’t have very many expenditures, so I thought, Wow, I only have to take one photo a month and I can do this forever!
The reason I think it worked is that I was surrounded by some of the best climbers and skiers in the world. So photography really became this extension of my own adventures and the adventures of my friends. And I found that it was a really powerful vehicle to really share the lifestyle and the passion of this kind of, at the time, fringe community. A lot of these people are world-class athletes, but they’re not televised, they’re not playing them in a stadium. When you see an incredible game, you can be inspired by an athlete’s performance, but outside and in the adventure world, nobody sees it. So it was kind of a chance to bring those stories back to people.
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DETAILS: What would you say is the hardest climb you’ve ever done?
Jimmy Chin: I would say the shark fin on Meru is the hardest climb I’ve ever done. I hope it will always be the hardest climb I’ve ever done, because I don’t want to try anything harder.
DETAILS: Is it safe to guess that filming the experience didn’t make it any easier?
Jimmy Chin: It’s always a struggle on these kinds of shoots to carry equipment. It definitely makes it challenging to carry any extra weight. We’re shaving ounces off our equipment to have everything as light as possible. It’s easily a day’s worth of food and more for the entire team, just with my camera and the lens. That’s fairly significant.
The hard part is shooting, though. Actually getting the camera out to shoot. That always poses the biggest challenge. It’s a real pain in the ass.
DETAILS: For Harry’s, you shot a friend shaving hanging out of a Portaledge. Would you actually do any shaving on a climb?
Jimmy Chin: It’s interesting because there are some delineations within climbing. If you’re a mountaineer and you’re on an expedition for two months, yes, definitely. At base camp, sometimes even a little bit higher than basecamp, you might shave. But on a really serious climb, when every ounce counts, you don’t bring much up there.
DETAILS: But it’s a different thing when you’re shooting commercially.
Jimmy Chin: The shoot for Harry’s was really fun. The thing I appreciate about them is that they don’t take themselves too seriously. Their campaigns have been a little bit tongue-in-cheek. We were having fun with it, [Harry’s cofounder Jeff Raider] and I, because we wanted to come up with something that was out there and kind of really serious, but also a little bit fun. We did a series of shots of a friend of mine shaving in a Portaledge on the side of a huge mountain. We had to do some very real, high-end climbing and rigging to achieve that setup and put it into position. But then we had a lot of fun with him hanging out of the edge and shaving. And it’s actually not a bad spot to shave.
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DETAILS: What are your grooming essentials for a climb?
Jimmy Chin: I bring really good sunscreen, a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, a shaving kit, and lip balm. Lip balm is pretty important. The one I always bring on these expeditions is Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm. It’s, like, 25 SPF, and it’s one of the few I’ve used that keeps your lips from cracking. Because you’re getting a ton of high-altitude sun up there, so it just crushes you. And then just some really good hand cream, because your skin gets so dry. It’s a pretty minimalist kit.
DETAILS: What’s the best way for a beginner to get into rock climbing?
Jimmy Chin: I think it’s always great to get instruction of some sort. Locally, you can probably find a climbing gym and get some basic instruction. But the whole point of climbing for me is to be outside, so I really encourage going to a climbing gym, getting some instruction, and getting information about climbing outfits nearby.
You could also go out to places like Jackson Hole and make it a vacation, hire mountain guides to teach you how to rock climb and maybe go climbing in the Tetons. The other really good way to come into it is to take a National Outdoor Leadership course. And that’s an immersive experience. So there are a few different ways to come into it.
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How To Maintain Perfectly “Unkempt” Stubble
photos: courtesy of Harry’s
