In the 180^th issue of Rock and Ice, Andrew Bisharat wrote about the raw and isolated climbing experiences offered in Venezuela.  (To read the article click: Low Hanging Fruit.  For him to be able to write this article he was ‘escorted’ by Jose Miranda, a native Venezuelan, who also lived in the US for many years.

I know that Andrew Bisharat’s article was primarily based on revealing a new climbing destination to the climbing world, but I felt that the mention of Kami and the children as sidekicks of Jose Miranda’s local expertise was worth a follow up.  It is great that magazines like Rock and Ice continue to write great articles about great destinations and awesome accomplishments, but I think it’s important that outdoor adventurers also look at their favorite sport as a way to educate, teach and form children’s understanding of what it means to be in nature, to be sustainable and to accomplish physical mastery, rather than always searching for self identifying moments of greatness or the coolest new destination.  Hey, of course we want to read those articles, but I’d also like to focus on growing outdoor sports into a movement that includes people of color, children, families and less able people, in addition to a culture of white, strong, single men.

 I had the opportunity to interview both Jose Miranda and his wife Kami Miranda, and I felt like I should write about their experience with sharing the outdoors with children, while also living in two different cultures.

 The Miranda’s are the perfect couple to use as an example of people who were driven by their ambition in their sport but then shifted to include the needs of their children.  With a big goal to rekindle their adventurous lifestyle, they left their cozy Colorado town to start an adventure & Health Community and Retreat Center based in northeastern Venezuela dedicated to sustainable living, education, community service and getting people outside, that would also be family friendly, named Lolokal.

Faced with various cultural and economic hurdles, the Miranda’s are still working hard at making their Venezuelan Eco-tourism company a reality.  Bringing two young children to the Venezuelan life they left behind five years ago has brought some challenges.  Living in a remote area, where schools are not good, where homeschooling is illegal and social interactions are sparse can be difficult on children and parents.  As the Miranda’s were juggling the legal aspects of transporting their lives to another country, they realized that maybe a life shared between the United States and Venezuela may be the better option for everyone involved.

So, I wanted to know, how is life in Venezuela in regards to having children in the outdoors?  Is it not just a part of life, a part of the cultural landscape?  A couple like Jose and Kami, would they not welcome the isolation from American consumerist culture in favor of endless outdoor adventures?

“How do you teach your child to be OK with scorpions and bug nets after living in a regular air tight home in the US?”  is an example of one of Kami’s questions.  A whole lot of challenges suddenly appear in South American wilderness when you bring children along. You have to teach them to be careful when lifting rocks, or sitting on the ground.

I also wanted to know how Jose, who grew up in Venezuela, thought about our obsession in the United State with parenting and parenting advice (like this website giving tips on outdoor family life).  In Caracas, families go to the mall on the weekend and play on the indoor play ground and paint stations.  It is a family outing.  Families in the country let their children roam around more freely, but many have fears of the unknown outdoor world as well.  When he was growing up he did not see many native Venezuelan children climbing, but he is seeing them more now.  As parents are more into outdoor sports, more are introducing their children.  I also asked him about the amount of gear available in the United States and if outdoor activities are as commercialized in his home country.  He explained that a lot less choices are available, but that people do look for gear that would help them perform better, but with a smirk he said that if you are going to be a great climber you can do it with an average shoe; a better shoe may give a bit of help to someone who may not be that good. He explained that life is the same everywhere now, the challenges and freedoms may vary, but people struggle with the same internal and external questions.

It seems like the Miranda’s have realized that if you raise your children exclusively in one environment they will have a hard time adapting to a new one as they get older.  If you expose your children to different places, people and culture, they may be more adaptable, but more than likely, at one point they may reject one specific life style.  For now, Jose Miranda crosses his fingers and hopes his family can feel comfortable in the small remote villages of Venezuela.  And Kami Miranda, hopes that her children can grow in their adaptability and to living a life that is well blended between the mountains of Colorado and Venuzuela.

Heidi

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