Interview with Renan Ozturk

Renan Ozturk’s Background

Renan has combined the two great passions of his life and become a very well accredited climber and artist in his own right. He continues to push himself harder each time he takes to climbing a new face and only last year, Renan became one of the first people to rediscover ancient murals of Budha in the semi-autonomous zone of Mustang in Tibet, after a tip-off by a local sheep farmer.

More career highlights and extraordinary video footage of the climb of the unclimbed Shark’s Fin in Meru, India can be seen in the full interview on cheaptents.com.

Renan has made quite a name for himself, in the worlds of art and of climbing…but he finds them complimentary in every way of self-expression - a truly inspiring guy. Here’s the interview…

The Interview

CheapTents.com: What inspired you to combine Art and Climbing?

Renan: Living in Joshua Tree, Indain Creek, Yosemite I was inspired to interact with the landscape not only through physical climbing but also through mixed media art. I see no separation between art and climbing.

In my life they are complimentary forms of creative self expression that force me to dig deeper and go farther. As in climbing, so in art, so in life. In all three the full spectrum of emotions come into play. At times there will be uncertainty, insecurity and fear. At other times there will be inspiration and things will flow effortlessly.

Ultimately it is amazing that we are here at all. The more time we spend expressing ourselves through actions and thoughts the more richly we have lived. Climbing and art are two of the greatest vehicles I have found to carry me in this direction.

CheapTents.com: What has been your greatest achievement in this field?

Renan: The ability to motivate for these types of self-expression while in the high places.

CheapTents.com: What is you biggest weakness?

Renan: Apple Products…

CheapTents.com: When did you feel like you ‘made it’ in your field of outdoor sports? And do you feel like you’ve satisfied your goals?

Renan: Hmm… I don’t think I’ll ever say I “made it” in an effort to keep looking forward to new thresholds of adventure. I’ve satisfied some simple dreams of climbing into the unknown on alpine rock towers, but still have goals of more remote rock journies. Gotta feed the rat.

CheapTents.com: What do you find most challenging about training for these achievements?

Renan: 3 trips to Asia a year and the associated butt pee, poor diet, and high altitude sufferfests don’t make you extremely fit for your dream free-climbing onsights…

CheapTents.com: What has been your worst injury (if any), from outdoors sports and how did it happen?

Renan: Torn tendons in my foot from racing down Half-Dome w/Cedar after the free ascent

CheapTents.com: What will be your most challenging climbs for next year?

Renan: After I recover from this frostbite/trenchfoot and forget the pain I’ll most likely start drooling over some spiky rock formations in the Himalaya…

This extract has kindly been provided by Cheaptents.com. You can read the full interview with Renan Ozturk, along with examples of his artwork and video footage of recent climbs on the Cheaptents Blog.

Article written by Giles Thurston on November 15, 2008

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