World Cup Winner, Professional Climber, Route-Setter, Coach; Albuquerque, New Mexico

If you’ve seen Timy Fairfield, 40, climb, you know he has the preternatural fluidity that signals an evolved grimpeur. Fairfield, in the late 1990s, became one of the early Americans to immerse himself in World Cup culture, entering 100 international events. During his five years on the Continent, he trained fiendishly on François Lombard’s garage wall; took first in a Bouldering World Cup at Clamency in 1997; won a difficulty event in Normandy that same year; and placed third two years later at Arco’s Bouldering World Cup. Fairfield’s also established 5.14c (Pimpin’ Aint Easy, Socorro, New Mexico), grabbed an early (1995) redpoint of the Volx testpiece Le Plafond (5.14b), and was the world’s first to flash V11 (Future Eaters, Switzerland; 1997). Fairfield was also the first American to flash V10, with Left Martini, at Hueco Tanks. Over the years, Fairfield has taken his knocks for “futurist” tactics like glueing and hold sculpting, perhaps because he speaks openly about tactics not uncommon in sport climbing. Today, he lives in his native Albuquerque, where you might see him taking one of his cats on a neighborhood stroll. 

When’s the last time someone brought your attention to your being an intensely passionate person?
During my workout about 30 minutes ago on my wall, right before you called me

And what went on then?
I was doing a series of boulder problems, pyramids schemes, and started getting more and more upset at my performance, [but] was able to turn it around because I got more focussed on what I was doing.

So you were having a bad performance?
I wasn’t having a bad performance; I just wasn’t having a perfect performance. I decided to get a little bit angry, but it was great, ‘cause I was alone and didn’t turn it on anyone else.

How did you channel that energy into your training?
I just tried to focus on body tension, breathing, not being afraid of the problem. That’s what changed about me: I don’t throw too many fits. If I throw a fit, I’ll just scream and it’ll be out of me and gone, in the past. And I don’t stay as angry. I look for solutions in myself.

You don’t stay in fit mode?
Yeah, because I started to get upset with climbing I had to figure out how I operate internally in order to maintain my healthy passion. Passion can turn both ways. I had to be more positive about those things. I mean, I have done those things when I was outwardly more negative. I was still working with that, but just not needing to express the negativity as much.