You know what they say: “Couples who climb together, stay together.”
OK, so maybe it’s just what we at Get Out say, but Chattanooga is chock full of couples who not only fell in love with each other but also fell in love with our sandstone paradise.
Case in point: husband-and-wife duo Zachary Lesch-Huie and Ehrin Irvin.
Both are avid Chattanooga climbers and members of the Southeastern Climbers Coalition. In fact, Zachary’s full-time job with the Access Fund is all about protecting access to climbing locales.
So on a recent blustery day, we caught up with the pair before their workout at High Point Climbing and Fitness, and here’s what they said about their favorite sport, love and marriage:
Get Out: What is your most memorable moment on a climb together?
Ehrin: When we were in Canada [climbing the Lotus Flower Tower], you said something really sweet to me and I can’t remember it. (Laughs.) It was something like, “I love you” or “I trust you.” It was before we got married and I was like “Oh yeah, he’s the one.”
Zachary: It was a challenging climb and she was doing great. It was a nice little moment, 1,000 feet up.
Ehrin: When you trust someone in a certain situation [like climbing], you can trust them in life.
GO: How often do you climb together and where do you go?
Ehrin: We’re lucky if we climb together one day a week, but we’ll do whatever we can.
Zachary: Usually, Ehrin [an emergency room nurse at Parkridge East] is off work when I’m on. We like any of the regular spots – Deep Creek, Rocktown, High Point downtown. We take weekend trips to the Obed and camp out and climb.
GO: What do you think the sport brings to your relationship?
Ehrin: It gives us a way to spend time together. When you get busy doing day-to-day life, you have to have something that brings you back together. Climbing is that for us.
Zachary: It enhances the quality of our life.
GO: What advice do you have for other climbing couples?
Zachary: [Climbing together] isn’t always perfect because of the performance pressure, but that’s been good too, even just learning how to have an enjoyable day together, keeping it mellow and fun: Don’t give advice. (Laughs.) It’s fair to say men give too much advice.
Ehrin: Say something that’s not instructive but supportive, instead.
Zachary: For a couple who is into those sorts of adventures, it’s a fun and novel thing to try. It’s also healthy and good for you. On the whole, it’s a positive way of life.