Climb Your Mountain

Traveling offered a different perspective on life for JJ Justman

Story by Rick Stedman

Many travel writers would envy the life of JJ Justman. For the last year-and-a-half, JJ has lived a relatively normal life as an Eatonville police officer, but for two decades prior, he traveled the globe as a professional mountain guide with Rainier Mountaineering.
While the two professions may seem light years apart, JJ sees numerous parallels.

ABOVE: JJ has also climbed Mount Vinison in Antarctica.

“The similarities between being a mountain guide and a police officer are many,” he says. “Everything comes down to communication. As a good guide, you must be a good coach.   And that comes down to being able to
communicate effectively with clients. As
a good police officer, you must have great
communication skills, especially listening.
Even on people’s worst day, if you truly
show that you are listening and caring, it
makes for a completely different experience
and outcome.” 

Reflecting on his life experiences, JJ fully appreciates the adage: “Jobs fill your pocket, but adventures fill your soul”

“Everything in life is an adventure,” he says. “Your job should be an adventure. If you are not waking up saying, ‘I cannot wait to see what today brings’—whether that is at work or in any aspect of life— you need to stop and reevaluate. Every adventure has adversity. You will fail. You will not succeed. Sometimes you will not make it. That is a part of the adventure in everything. But no matter what, you have to keep climbing. Be it a mountain, with a career, in relationships or whatever mountain you are facing.”

JJ spent almost 21 years as a mountain climbing guide, from 1995-2016. During
that time, he summited Mount Rainier 239 times. He also climbed Mount Everest
(29,029 feet) five times. He also led numerous other 8,000-meter (26,246-foot)
mountain ascents. 

ABOVE: JJ’s trips, including this one to Tanzania, helped him meet locals around the world.

One of his most memorable climbs was Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, at nearly 20,000 feet. Gathering supplies the day before the climb, JJ and his host had an easy exchange of pleasantries, one of which was the guide sharing that his son’s birthday was that day. The host asked if it would be OK to pick up a birthday cake for the 9-year-old. JJ was all for it, and when buying the cake, the guide invited JJ to join him and his family for the birthday party that evening. Trying to be polite and not interfere, JJ tried to decline the invitation at first, but was glad he eventually accepted.

“That turned out to be one of the most memorable travel experiences of my life,” he says. He ended up enjoying his new friends, while dancing and drinking the night away

ABOVE: JJ golfs at the base camp at Mount Everest, which he has climbed five times.

Traveling to numerous countries has left JJ with many fond memories. While he is proud of his formal education, he admits that there has been no greater education than traveling.

“Having all those experiences, and hundreds if not thousands more, has made me realize the world is an enormous place filled with amazing people from every corner of the globe,” he says. “Of all the cultures I have experienced, what I love most are the families I now have in Argentina, Tanzania, Russia, Nepal, and so many other places. In retrospect, it is the people that have been the highlight.”

JJ’s last guiding trip was up Mount Rainier in September 2016. He knew ahead of time it was his last trip.

“The feeling is hard to describe,” he says. “Joy, sadness. But the biggest thing while on any mountain is just giving thanks. No one can successfully or fully explain what it feels like on a mountain. You have to experience it.”