Rock Climbing, Russia, and Relaxin

Max Bogdanoff, one of the students in the journalism class, shared his story with me during the interview. As a 15-year-old sophomore, he has led an exciting life. 

He has a hobby of bouldering which he is passionate about. 

He first started bouldering during a summer camp this year and sparked his interest in this sport. Bogdanoff wanted to try it out and see if it would be any fun. 

“It’s a good workout, and it was fun,” he said.

 The camp was outdoors, and he could have fun with his friends. During this summer camp, he did have a first-hand experience of how dangerous it could be. One of the instructors went to put an anchor in the rock. He was not secure and tumbled 30 feet down the rock face. The instructor did not face any injuries, but it was still a shock. Bogdanoff wishes he has a climbing partner to climb higher and do different rock climbing activities. Currently, he climbs 2 or 3 times a week, mainly outdoors. 

Eventually, Bogdanoff wants to climb in Yosemite, one of the most popular climbing destinations in the USA. 

He does not want to free solo climb, as “People who do that, end up dying.” he said. Competing, on the other hand, is something he is interested in and wants to do in the future as he gets better at bouldering.

Besides his interest in bouldering, he also enjoys skiing and video games. Bogdanoff was born in the UK and lived in Russia for a while. He has three passports, belonging to the US, UK, and Russia. Bogdanoff can speak fluent Russian and wants to afford a house here in Colorado, and one in Russia, so that he would be able to see all of his friends and family. He mentioned that he would not go to London again, as it is too expensive.  

Russia is one of his favorite places to be. Although it is very different from Conifer, as a big city versus a smaller town, it is where part of his heart is. It might get cold here in Colorado but in Russia, it gets up to -20 in the winters. 

“Even in the fall you need the full winter get up, coats and hats and gloves and all,” Bogdanoff said. 

It is only sunny for two months out of the year, but during this time, it is beautiful. There are many parks covered in green, and it is amazing to be able to walk around. In the fall the leaves turn a golden color, covering the ground. The 30 minutes it took for Max to get to school was well enjoyed. 

Another thing that he liked about living in Moscow was the transportation system. People could go and see their friends and plan events with minimal hassle, as it was fast and convenient to get almost anywhere. 

Bogdanoff also knows how to speak Russian. It took him three years to learn, and he is still taking classes through college. He says that the best way to learn a language is to fully immerse yourself in it.

 “It’s kinda scary at first, but it works well,” Bogdanoff said.

In the future, he wishes to be able to have a home in Russia and Colorado. Bogdanoff knows that he needs to work hard to achieve this goal, but he is willing to do it to see all of his friends and family.