Outdoor Adventure Couple: Jenny and Damon
Photo by Damon Yeh
In the world of outdoor recreation, adventure often becomes a foundational pillar of relationships, fostering personal growth and deeper connections. For many couples, these shared experiences in nature provide not only excitement and challenge but also an opportunity to bond, communicate, and explore common goals. The dynamics of outdoor relationships, however, are nuanced, involving collaboration, compromise, and passion for exploration.
Relationships are built on trust, communication, and shared experiences—qualities that become even more significant when adventure and nature are involved. Couples who share a passion for the outdoors often find their connection tested and strengthened.
To explore this unique dynamic, I spoke with outdoor couple Jenny He and Damon Yeh about their shared love of rock climbing.
Jenny, 32 and Damon, 36 live in San Francisco with their dog, Nova. They enjoy the outdoors and were avid climbers before meeting in Maryland at the climbing gym where Damon worked at the time. A mutual friend invited them to climb at a local crag, and they’ve been together since. When Jenny began a graduate program at UCSD, they continued their relationship long-distance and used climbing trips to meet up.
“Those trips weren’t just about climbing; they were about getting to know each other,” Jenny recalled. “We spent so much time together in the car, talking for hours. It was a great way to connect.” Damon agreed, adding, “Outdoor trips gave us a chance to bond in ways that everyday life doesn’t always allow.”
The two continued to date long distance for three years before Damon relocated to San Diego, and they eventually moved to San Francisco. Their relationship is deeply rooted in a love of rock climbing and outdoor adventure. That has included climbing road trips and international travel.
Compromising and Communicating
Photo by Jenny He
Outdoor adventures are not without their hurdles. Jenny and Damon have faced challenges, from misaligned trip goals to logistical obstacles such as planning adventures with their dog Nova who is not quite the adventurer they are. They sometimes take turns or adjust plans to make it work and ensure everyone’s comfortable
Balance in a relationship is important. It requires effort and compromise since challenges will come up that need to be worked through.The flow of communication and respect for each other’s independence allows couples like Jenny and Damon to flourish and grow together.
“It’s a constant conversation,” Jenny admitted. “We’ve learned to check in with each other and find mutual goals.”
Sometimes that means spending time apart to pursue individual interests! “When we did a three-month road trip in our van, it was hard because Jenny was super focused on climbing, and I wasn’t feeling it as much,” said Damon. “It took a lot of communication and compromise to figure out how to balance our goals for the trip.”
Damon began bringing his fly fishing gear along on climbing trips. It allowed him the freedom to pursue independence in the outdoors while Jenny continued to rock climb and go after her own goals.
Keeping It Fun and Engaging
Jenny and Damon enjoying a hike with Nova. Photo by Jenny He.
Keeping their love of climbing alive also requires flexibility and innovation to keep things fresh and exciting. According to Damon, switching up routines or trying something new has helped breathe new life (and goals) into the relationship. Recent outdoor adventures include backpacking to Mount Whitney (and then climbing it) and road trips with friends to reinvigorate his love of climbing. Another way they have been able to share their love of nature is by incorporating small rituals like cooking their favorite campfire meals like hot pot, steak, and even occasionally baking. “Cooking in the van or experimenting with meals is a fun way to keep things interesting,” Jenny added. They also enjoy non-climbing comforts like playing Nintendo Switch during camping trips.
“Those trips weren’t just about climbing; they were about getting to know each other.”
Future Goals And Advice
I wanted to know how they push beyond their fears when climbing and if they encourage one another to reach new heights—literally. “I’m just happy to climb regularly” said Damon. “I don't have any strong climbing goals beyond simply being able to keep doing it for as long as possible—hopefully for the rest of my life.”
When asked about future adventure and travel plans they both said they love learning about new cultures and exploring nature. Climbing isn't their goal when traveling but is often an added bonus. They’d love to visit their home country of China, learn more about their heritage, and visit family members. Jenny would also like to take Damon to revisit countries she travelled to as a child including Kenya or Tanzania in Africa to experience it again with a different perspective.
Their advice for couples in the outdoors emphasizes the importance of communication.. Adventure can mean different things to different people. So it’s important to be on the same page and clearly communicate expectations and goals.
Start small and find activities you both enjoy. Be open to trying new things; support each other’s individual interests; and be open to spending time apart. Time apart is necessary and important for a healthy relationship.
Conclusion
Couples who introduce variety into their routines, including outdoor activities and adventure, report higher levels of satisfaction and enjoyment (Aron et al., 2000). Research has spoken: spending time outdoors is great for couples! You don’t have to climb a mountain either. Start small with accessible outdoor activities you can do together or separately, like the dog park; walks in the neighborhood; learning to skate; bird watching; slacklining in the park; or volunteering at a community garden.
Outdoor adventures have the power to deepen relationships, foster personal growth, and create lasting memories. By embracing the challenges and joys of the outdoors together, couples like Jenny and Damon continue to strengthen their bond, one adventure at a time. You can see more of Jenny and Damon’s rock climbing adventures by checking out their instagram pages.
References
Aron, A., Norman, C. C., Aron, E. N., McKenna, C., & Heyman, R. E. (2000). Couples' shared participation in novel and arousing activities and experienced relationship quality. *Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78*(2), 273–284.
Kling, R. (2024, July 25). Embracing the Outdoors Together: Strengthening relationships with outdoor adventures — Ross Kling Therapy.
Jenny recalled. “We spent so much time together in the car, talking for hours. It was a great way to connect.” Damon agreed, adding, “Outdoor trips gave us a chance to bond in ways that everyday life doesn’t always allow.”