The Alpine Style falls somewhere between the extremes of the post-modern "go-anywhere parenting" and the more traditional, "all children should be kept on strict schedules" approach. In addition to sounding hip (who doesn't want to say they are down with Alpine Style parenting?), the Alpine Style is on the verge of becoming the hottest trend in contemporary fatherhood.
Truth be told, the Alpine style refers to a specific approach I take to heading out with my son on tour in town and in the hills, rather than a philosophical approach to parenting. I borrow the term Alpine Style from the world of mountaineering (thanks to Uncle Matty for the heads up), where climbers undertake their pursuit while carrying all of their gear, and therefore only the absolute essentials, to summit. This somewhat minimalist approach is in contrast to the Expedition Style which -- according to our good friends at Wikipedia -- involves stocked camps along the route, fixed ropes and the use of supplemental oxygen; in other words, gear... lots of it.
The shear breadth and diversity of stuff available to assist with the task of parenting is, quite simply, astonishing. And for some reason, contemporary parenting (myself included) somehow requires that we have all of it on hand, everywhere we go, at all times. Your double-wide bike trailer style stroller serves as an urban basecamp, with one child inside, and plenty of room for everything you couldn't possibly imagine being without. Like, maybe you're the type of person who prefers to shop by lifestyle, and you need all the equipment that justifiably suits your lifestyle. If so you will need to decide whether you are either (a) an organic and earth friendly, (b) a classic, (c) an experienced, (d) a city, (e) a trendy, or (f) a working mom. I'm not kidding you. These are the actual lifestyle categories you have to choose from at a certain babies r us store; that is, if you happen to be a mom.
Unfortunately, no lifestyle shopping choices are available to us dads (sigh). Where I am supposed to go for all those things I never knew I needed that also happen to align with the stylized version of myself? I guess we are on our own. Say what you will about commercialism and such, but as far as I can tell the dad market is pretty much wide open. Sure we have the bike trailers and the child carriers for getting us outside, but that's about it.
So into this void steps Alpine Style parenting. To be fair, the amount of baby gear you carry with you will correspond to the length of your outing, but not all trips need be expeditions. The basic premise of alpine style mountaineering is that exposure = risk. Similarly for alpine style parenting, the more time spent on the boring and mundane -- packing and unpacking, set up and take down -- the less fun it is for everyone. The more light and nimble you are, the better equipped you are to take advantage of opportunities to get while the getting's good, and as is sometimes necessary, beat a hasty retreat. No diaper bags, no strollers, no battery powered bottle warmers. Really, the contemporary father needs little more than a decent pair of cargo shorts to carry all of his child's needs and maybe even less if he equips himself with knowledge of his child's bowel movements. So the next time you consider whether to head out equipped as a classic, experienced or trendy father, just rock it Alpine Style.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
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I am so with you Adam!
ReplyDeleteYo dad dude. SBP here. As a father with past "alpine style" mountaineering experience, I whole heartedly endorse your analogy, and laud your risky approach. Remember, no risk, no reward...
ReplyDeleteI'm a full on Alpine Style dad.
There are so many ways this analogy works, and it is ultimately very useful as a guide (alpine?).
Don't be fooled by the minimalism; preparation is key. But the idea is to prepare once for all possibilities, rather than be continuously preparing and planning for each eventuality as it arises. Necessary to this approach is an understanding of adaptability, innovation, and the use of multi-purpose tools.
Lightness and mobility are paramount. No great feats can be accomplished while lugging around an anchor. You need just the life-saving basics, and the rest of the journey and its success is up to you. This also includes the notion of "support". While all climbing requires a team, can you do it with minimal external supports and without the equipment 'crutches'? If so, you will feel the freedom and the quickness of heart that create great experiences. (and give strength and confidence...)
It's the cheapest approach. That's one of the main unspoken parts of alpine climbing! Expeditions are freaking expensive - tons of gear, support staff, and the garbage produced... Alpine style became cool when dirtbag climbers couldn't afford the supposed luxuries of the expedition - they were just doing what they had to to get out there - and then it was discovered that this approach was very cool: technical. risky, ambitious, rewarding, free...
There's many more, which we need to discuss over a beer at the local climber's pub.
dude, the above post is written by the guy who brings a duvet camping and would argue that this is "alpine-style". (love ya SBP but you got a style your own)...
ReplyDeletejust got back from a journey to the sunshine coast totally alpine style. love it. my new favourite thing? leaving all toys behind and seeing how creative i can be with finding cool things to play with (so far hits include: leaves, anything wrapper-ish and crinkly, bottles, pieces of fruit, rocks, sunglasses, faces, the strings on my hoody, and everything and anything in the kitchen cupboard!)
: )