Q&A With Ambassadr Alexa Romano

Meet Switchbackr's very first ambassadr... legendary hiker, climber, and biker... ALEXA ROMANO!

Alexa hails from New Mexico and has spent her life exploring some of the peakiest peaks and craggetiest crags known to Earth. After an awesome career on the Stanford Varsity Basketball team, Alexa joined the climbing team and absolutely crushed it. You also may have noticed her photos populating many of our blog posts. We sat down with her to have a chat about some of her favorite gear!

What are your outdoor activities?

Backpacking, camping, rock climbing, and recently got into road biking! Would love to get a tour bike soon!

What’s the piece of gear you’ve owned the longest?

My grandmother’s old red tent. I was gifted it after high school and it served as my tent throughout all my college escapades!

What’s your favorite memory with it?

I remember bringing the tent to Big Sur to visit some hot springs. The hike was really long and steep and once we arrived we began pitching the tent. The tent had gotten so weathered that the poles, which were held together with duct tape, began snapping and the elastic string inside also began snapping. We spent the evening re-tying the elastic strings and fixing the poles. To top off the evening, my parents who arrived later to the scene, demanded that we change camp spots because the spot we chose was too shady. We then had to transport my fragile tent across a river. It was the last trip I took my beloved tent on, but it did shelter me for 4 adventure filled years.

Where did you first fall in love with the outdoors?

When I first laid eyes on the Grand Canyon I was speechless-- amazed by its grandeur and size. I had a planned a spring break with my high school friends to backpack down to the river at the Grand Canyon’s base. The whole process of researching the wilderness, planning the meals, and visiting shops for gear and maps was so much fun. The excitement of anticipation of an adventure is hard to compare to anything else.

That feeling I got looking into the Canyon is the feeling I often get when I am surrounded by nature… It was that feeling that hooked me to planning more backpacking trips and seeking outdoor experiences.

If you could change something about outdoor culture, what would it be?

The logistical and economic barriers to its accessibility. It sounds so ironic that the wilderness is hard to experience because it does require a lot of research, permits, driving, gear… it is actually very expensive to seek and plan outdoor adventures or camping trips.

All photos courtesy of Alexa Romano. instagram @romanoalexa