When he’s not on the golf course, Cameron Tringale likes to play tennis. He’s a runner, and the Californian enjoys hiking and camping, too. “Just all the outdoor stuff,â€� Tringale says. He’s even tested himself by climbing up the side of a mountain. More than once, too. Now, Tringale doesn’t have his own gear and he doesn’t go mountaineering on a regular basis. But he has gone climbing in the Santa Monica Mountains near his home, as well as Red Rock Canyon outside Las Vegas. “I like the challenge,â€� Tringale explains. “I like the feeling of the accomplishment. When you get to the top of a route, it feels good. “It’s also pretty nerve wracking at times. Your heart rate gets going. It’s fun to just put yourself in that position. It’s relatively safe. So, it’s pretty fun.â€� The 30-year-old estimates he was just out of Georgia Tech when he climbed for the first time. Tringale and Smith, who played on the golf team at Pepperdine, went up into the mountains for several climbs over the holidays that year. “You get a little nervous,â€� Tringale says. “When you are reaching up, you have to lurch up for a hold. You are hoping you grab it. If you don’t, you will fall. You have got someone holding the rope at the bottom.â€� Luckily for Tringale, he’s never fallen more than a few feet. And when he has climbed, he made sure to take precautions. Tringale probably hasn’t climbed in three years or so. His farthest trek up the face of a mountain was “pretty high,â€� maybe several hundred feet, says the man who obviously has no fear of heights. “We went up, kind of had a base camp on the ledge, and then up from that ledge even farther,â€� Tringale says. “(But) I don’t have crazy claiming aspirations. “Like I said, I’ve just kind of gone when I have been invited. I find the challenge enjoyable.â€� Tringale says rock climbing isn’t a “passionâ€� but he’s happy to have had the opportunity to go. And besides, it goes along well with his other interests. “I like being outside,â€� he says. “And usually, you have got to hike back to where the climbs are. I enjoy hiking, I enjoy being outdoors, being in nature.â€� Surfing and snowboarding are also squarely in Tringale’s wheelhouse. Not to mention, he puts skydiving and running a marathon on his bucket list. So does anyone worry about him when he scales the side of a mountain? “I don’t know who I mean, my mom might worry, but what mom doesn’t,â€� he says with a smile.
Click here to read the full article…
