Mia Tucholke: Pop Up, and Up, and Up

From her Hallmark Guanella pop-up camper, Mia Tucholke ropes us in and takes us vertical up rock walls, frozen waterfalls, and mountains.  Take us higher Mia!













Most of us look at Devils Tower in Wyoming or the incredible rock formations in Yosemite National Park from the ground.  Not Mia Tucholke.  Mia looks up, gets a grip, then a foot hold, and ascends.  While we're content to focus our cameras on nature's vertical wonders, Mia wants to conquer them. 

From rock walls to frozen waterfalls, Mia and her husband Dave take on as many climbing challenges as they can find.  And then there's a little story about how Mia climbed Mount McKinley as part of an all women team.  We'll start our story there, and then work our way down.  If you're afraid of heights, hold on.


TCM: Tell us about your experience climbing Mount McKinley.

Mia: I participated in an expedition climb of Mount McKinley in 1995.  We were an all women team and the experience was absolutely fantastic.  In eighteen days we climbed over 20,000 feet.  Two times during our climb we were completely snowed in.  You learn a lot about yourself during an experience like that.  

TCM: That’s amazing.  Did everyone on your team make it to the summit?

Mia: Yes, we got all the girls on our team to the top.  We were the only people on the summit that day.  The satisfaction we felt was mind boggling.  I felt like I was on top of the world.  It has to be one of the most beautiful places in the world.

TCM: How does one even go about climbing a mountain like that?

Mia: To start, you fly in on a glacier on this immense mountain.  As you’re climbing, it gets harder to breathe with the increasing altitude.  And it’s extremely cold.  At times it was close to forty degrees below zero at the summit.  

TCM: And you got snowed in during the climb?  What’s that like?

Mia: You can be snowed inside your tent for up to a week.  All you can do is sit and stare at the walls and count the squares on the tent.  We could only play poker for so long and tell stories for so long.  In order to cook, you have to go out in the weather to use the camp stove.  The wind is howling and the snow is blowing.  You have to be able to handle that situation and not lose it.  You can’t call mom.  You’re on your own.

TCM: That’s intense.  How did you take enough food and supplies?

Mia: You need to carry all the supplies you’ll need for an entire month.  Our backpacks were fifty pounds each and the sled we towed behind was another fifty pounds.  You have to carry all of your food, fuel to cook, clothes, tent, sleeping bags, down coats, pants, and gloves.  You look like a Michelin man up there.

TCM: How did you prepare yourself for such an experience?

Mia: I would go to gym and lift weights so I could handle carrying the weight.  I would get a backpack, fill it with heavy stuff, and then go for a brisk hike for two hours.  I trained rigorously for a year by putting myself into hard situations.  

I was out climbing almost every single day before work.  I made it like a run; how fast and how quickly could I do it?  Then, I would go camping at the top of a local mountain for a week and just sit in the tent with a book and hang out.

I also prepared by learning from people who have done the climb before.  Now I share my experience with others.  We learn so much from sharing information.  It’s really important to learn about it first because it can be so deadly.

TCM: Did you climb other mountains before tackling Mount McKinley?

Mia: Yes.  In the United States we have mountains that are good training mountains.  Living in Colorado I can climb mountains that are 14,000 feet tall.  In Washington state there is Mount Rainier and Mount Bachelor.  They have snow, ice, and glaciers like Mount McKinley.  

These mountains help us learn how to move on the glaciers and be safe.  Glaciers have deep crevasses in which you could fall and die.  Crevasses are deep holes in the snow, so sometimes you can’t see the bottom.  That’s why we’re roped in the whole time with our teammates.  In fact, while we were on Mt. McKinley one of the girls fell in.  Luckily we were roped up and we got her back up.  

TCM: That must have been terrifying.  Was it harder to go up or come down Mount McKinley?

Mia: With every step down the mountain we were going down in elevation, so it’s easier to breathe.  Nothing really prepares you for the altitude if you haven’t been there before.  Then we started to feel how tired and drained we were.  It was a long journey to get home.  At that point I just wanted a hamburger and ice cream.

TCM: I bet.  You also enjoy ice climbing.  What is that?

Mia: Ice climbing is straight up vertical climbing on a frozen waterfall.  The waterfalls are frozen on the outside like an eggshell and sometimes you can see the flowing waterfall right below you.  That adds a little more excitement.  I have an ice tool, similar to a hammer but with a long sharp point, on each hand and spikes on my feet that I am kicking into the ice.  It’s really fun, but it can be dangerous.

One of our favorite places to go ice climbing is Ouray, Colorado.  The camping is great and there is nothing better than waking up in the morning and being right where you want to be.  Another place where we like to ice climb is in Cody, Wyoming.  The temperature can be extremely cold, but I think we thrive in those conditions.

TCM: And you rock climb too?

Mia: Yes, we do!  Rock climbing is when we are ascending on vertical rock, utilizing little cracks and protrusions to get you to the top.  For rock climbing, I have climbing shoes that sort of look like a sneaker.  They are specialized with special rubber that helps you when climbing on rocks.  We hold the rock with our bare hands.  Of course we are roped up with all of these sports to make sure we are not going to fall.

TCM: What do you love so much about climbing?

Mia: I am addicted to it because it takes you to the most amazing places in the world.  When you get there you go, “Wow!”.   Only climbers will experience these places.  When I climbed in Mount McKinley, I knew that not that many people had stood on the top.  It’s so magical and so beautiful with a feeling of accomplishment.  I think that’s why we love climbing so much!

TCM: But isn’t climbing extremely risky?

Mia: The biggest risk with rock climbing, ice climbing, or mountaineering is not knowing what you are doing.  If someone is interested in learning or going out in the wild, taking a class is absolutely crucial.  That will help save your life if you are in a compromising situation.  You can also go to a lot of gyms with indoor climbing walls.  Try climbing inside and then decide if you want to climb outside.

We have great guide services in this country.  The American Mountain Guide Association has instructors and guides that are certified.  You can hire a guide or instructor that has top notch training.  There are lots of schools that teach climbing.  The school we teach at, Colorado Mountain College, teaches rock and ice climbing as well as winter survival.  My husband, Dave, and I have been teaching climbing classes for over fifteen years.

TCM: Do you need to be super in-shape to go climbing?

Mia: Not at all.  I’ve taken disabled people and people who are terrified of heights on climbs.  Kids as young as two and people in their nineties may be able to go climbing.  You don’t have to be young, athletic, or fit.  There are many different levels of climbing.  If you are willing to try it, do it.  Climbing takes you to so many places.

TCM: Are you allowed to just rock climb in the National Parks or do you need a special permit?

Mia: You need to find out the local rules.  BLM lands, national forests, and state and national parks all have different rules.  In the national parks, we get a permit.  For example, at Devils Tower, there are specific times when you can climb.  In Yosemite National Park, they have restrictions because of the falcon nesting times.  We need to be good stewards of the land and be respectful of the restrictions.

Now we look at Yosemite from different eyeballs because we climb.  People look at the Half Dome and El Capitan and say, “Wow!”.  We climb it.

TCM: How does your Hallmark truck camper benefit you when you go climbing?

Mia: We are amazed that we waited so long to get our camper.  Don’t wait!  Get one right away!  We got our truck camper two years ago.  Now we can go off-road, get into the backcountry, and have everything we need or want with us.  We always feel as we are living in luxury.  It’s so much fun.  
 
The other climbers are hanging out in their tents and we have our camper.  After a climb we have ice-cream.  They can’t bring ice cream along because they only have a cooler.  By having the camper with a fridge and freezer, we can bring a variety of fresh foods, plus we can cook inside, which is a bonus when the weather is bad.  We also have a comfortable queen size bed with real sheets instead of being on the ground.  Your body gets sore when you’re climbing.  I would never want to go back to a tent.

TCM: How do you extend your dry camping capabilities?

Mia: We have an extra large thirty-five gallon water tank.  That’s plenty, especially since we don’t take long showers.  We have LED lights, which don’t take a lot of power.  We never run out of battery juice.  We don’t have a microwave or television, so we don’t have things that draw a lot of electricity.  One propane tank in the summer can last ten days.  In the winter, a propane tank lasts about five days.  We know we can hit the road in the backcountry with no access to anybody for ten days in the summer.  We don’t really need solar, but we could add it.

TCM: Has your Hallmark been rock climbing?

Mia: We’ve definitely gone four wheel driving with our Hallmark.  We keep in mind that we have our food and everything with us, so we don’t want to shake too much.  With our pop-up camper the profile is very low and stable.  We have the camper bolted to the truck to be even more stable.  You can really tell when we’re off-road that it’s secure.

TCM: How did you discover Hallmark?

Mia: Dave and I bought our Hallmark Guanella on Valentines Day 2008.  We got the idea from a couple that we met while on a rock climbing trip in Yosemite National Park in 2004.  At the time, we were tent camping and thought that was a great way to go.  But that evening it was pretty chilly and there were loads of mosquitoes.  When we were invited for dinner in a little pop-up truck camper, we graciously accepted.  We were so impressed by how comfortably and roomy the camper was that we decided to get one.

We wanted a four season camper with insulated walls.  Well, that narrowed it down quickly.  When we went to Hallmark, we knew we weren’t going to go anywhere else from the customer service and the vibes we got from them.  They make a five star product.  With the construction and the details, it’s a Cadillac and it’s worth every penny!

TCM: Have you seen other truck campers out on your climbing trails?  

Mia: Truck campers are getting more popular.  In 2004 we didn’t see many.  Now we are seeing more and more people out there in both pop-ups and hard sides.  It’s usually the smaller truck campers for climbers.  People say, “Wow, that is so nice” and, “Wow, I had no idea. I want one!”  Word is getting out about how nice it is to go truck camping.  You can’t beat it!

TCM: What’s next for Mia and Dave?

Mia: We always keep our camper packed and ready to go so we can hit the road when we’re off work.  We have been known to drive all night, sleep a couple of hours, and then get up to climb.  

We typically go to California every year.  We just love the diverse nature and the exceptional climbing.  We rarely go to same place twice.  By owning a Hallmark pop-up camper, we can truly go to very remote areas.

I want to get out to other parts of the world.  We traveled quite a bit and have climbed in Thailand and to the Himalayas.  We’ve been all different places.  I’ll stop when my body has a hard time crawling up to the camper bed.  That’s going to be when I’m ninety.  I still have a long ways to go!