“Tread Lightly”

“As a daughter of immigrant parents and a self-identifying LGBTQIA+ Asian-American rock climber, I often feel like a stranger in this land. The spaces I have the privilege to recreate on are not mine—and that’s exactly how I feel they should be treated. As a minority in society, especially in the outdoor space, this paradigm of treating belongings and areas better than how I found them traces back to my childhood and life experiences. Though I feel this way about the beautiful outdoors, a lingering worry for my personal safety creeps into my shoulders when traveling to the places I go to climb.”

To read the full story on The Cleanest Line, click here.

*All photos in this story were taken by Drew Smith (Instagram: @_drew_smith_).