Career Highlights

  • Free climbing El Cap at 20 years old
  • Rope soloing The Nose the same season as freeing the Freerider
  • The Shadow - Squamish BC

    Interview

    • Climbing

      When and how did you get into climbing and what kept you interested / fascinated in the sport?

      I started climbing at the end of my senior year of high school, right after my 18th birthday. At first, it was pretty casual, just climbing in the gym with some friends who had recently started going. I made friends at the gym who eventually took me outside to Smith Rock, and when I moved to Bellingham for university the following fall, I really started getting into climbing. I worked at the gym and spent weekends up in Squamish, where I met so many people through climbing and van life.

      I ended up taking a year off from school to travel and climb. That year turned into two, and now this fall will be my third year living in a van and climbing full-time.

      I think my whole life I’ve felt that “itch” that a lot of climbers talk about, the desire to keep moving, traveling, and seeing new places. I love pushing myself and trying hard, but what really pulled me into climbing was the community and the lifestyle. There’s something really special about traveling and building such a deep community around climbing.

      Who was your childhood hero and do you consider yourself a role model now? Does it influence you at all that other people look up to you?

      My childhood and life hero is definitely my dad. He has always been the person I go to with all my news, good and bad, and the person I seek out when I need advice. He is also a great climber, although I never climbed with him as a kid, and has always been a huge role model for me. Being able to look up to him in climbing and share so many of my hobbies and passions with him is something I’m incredibly grateful for.

      What were the most important milestones in your life so far, both in climbing and in everyday life? Did you immediately recognize them as such or only later on?

      One of my biggest milestones in life was graduating high school. I wasn’t always sure that I would. I struggled a lot in school and felt a little lost in my path when I was younger. I didn’t have much in my teenage years that felt inspiring to me, and I struggled with motivation. So graduating and getting accepted into college is something I’m really proud of, both in the moment and looking back now.

      Along with that, finding climbing and figuring out what I’m passionate about has been a huge milestone for me. Being able to find something I know I want to spend my life doing is something I think everyone hopes for. Looking back, moving into my van and taking the leap to travel and climb full-time was also a huge turning point for me.

      What were your greatest failures / setbacks / injuries? How did you cope with them and how did you come back from them?

      When I was 15, I almost lost my right foot in a silly accident. I spent over a year dealing with the fear of infection and the possibility of losing my foot, along with three surgeries after the initial one to try to make my ankle strong and mobile again. My most recent surgery was just a few months after I started climbing, which sucked a lot. I remember taking a family trip out to Smith before going in for the surgery and sending “Panic Attack” 12a. My first of the grade and I was so upset knowing that I would have to take 7-8 months off from my new hobby, post surgery.

      It’s something I’m still learning to navigate, especially because climbing is such a foot and ankle intensive sport. Sometimes it can be hard to push myself as hard as I want to when there’s still that fear of re-injury in the back of my mind. At the same time, climbing has helped me rebuild a lot of trust in my body and what it’s capable of.

      What is you favorite climbing related story / experience?

      My favorite climbing-related story/experience is for sure my solo of the Nose. I remember listening to some stories of Soline Kentzel (another EDELRID athlete) talking about her solo ascent the year before. At the time, I couldn't even begin to wrap my head around what it meant to solo a wall. 

      The idea kinda came quickly to me, and for better or for worse, without a lot of thought or planning. I kind of just decided I was going to start up. Then, 48 hours later, I was on the wall, with minimal packing and very little information on what it meant to solo something like El Cap.

      Pitch 1 was the first pitch of soloing I had ever done and only my second time putting my system together. Time one being the night before in the lodge parking lot.

      I started at sunrise, and within the first 4-hours it took me to make it to sickle I had lost a #1, rapped the wrong end of my rope, and got my rope stuck twice. Sitting on the ledge with my bag looking at the fixed lines down, I was so tempted to rap down, go back to bed, and never tell anyone I had gone up that morning, but another party bailing from Sickle convinced me to “just make it…Do lt!!”

      I decided to spend the night and see how I felt in the morning. It wasn't until I had finished changing corners that I knew I would make it to the top. I spent 3 nights convinced something would go wrong, and I would be rappelling to the ground in the morning.

      Topping out felt surreal.

    • Training

      What do you think of indoor climbing gyms in relation to climbing on actual rock?

      I think climbing in the gym is an amazing tool to train and get stronger, and a great way to improve access to climbing on real rock.

      What advice can you give to somebody looking to improve their training routine?

      Just go climbing! I spent the first couple of years climbing outside as much as I could and learning what worked for me on the rock.

      I think time on the wall is one of the best training tools you have. Spending time both outside and in the gym, climbing a lot, and paying attention to what makes you feel good and what you actually enjoy.

      Once you have that foundation, you can start adding more specific training around your goals

      Do you have a strict training schedule for when and how you train throughout the year?

      Not really. I spend most of my year traveling without lots of access to a training facility.

      Summers in Squamish are when I get most of my training in. I love spending time in the gym when I can, but I always prioritize climbing on real rock.

      Are you able to do a one-arm pull-up? How about a single finger?

      Definitely not!

      I think if I trained only one arms for the rest of my life I still wouldn't be able to do it. 

    • Psychology

      Is it possible for anybody to eventually perform a one-armed pull-up or get to the top of the Eiger/Matterhorn, or do you really have to be born for it?

      I think a lot more is possible than people think. Obviously everyone has different genetics and starting points, but I don’t think you have to be “born for it” to do something like a one-arm pull-up or climb a big mountain.

      There are limits to what any individual can do, but I think consistency, time, and being willing to work through failure can take you surprisingly far. A lot of climbing is figuring out what you’re capable of and then slowly expanding that.

      How important is it to set goals in professional sports? What are your goals / targets you are working towards in climbing and in life?

      I think goals are important in all aspects of life because they give you something to work toward and keep you motivated when things get hard.

      In climbing and life being able to learn and grow is super important, along with always trying to push yourself to be better.

      How to you deal with extremely hard climbing problems? Do you ever get frustrated and give up on them or do they motivate you even more?

      For me, trying hard is one of my favorite parts of climbing. I love getting to the point in a project where I’m thinking about every move and every hold as I’m falling asleep. There’s something really exciting about feeling close to a goal and slowly putting the puzzle together.

      Frustration is a normal part of that process. I think anyone who cares deeply about what they do experiences it, and I’ve definitely walked away from projects when they started to feel like too much. I think it’s important to make sure climbing is always fun. When the process stops being fun, that’s usually when I know it’s time to take a breath, reset, and come back with a fresh perspective.

    • Future of rock climbing

      Is there anything you would like to change about the current developments in climbing?

      I think rock climbing has so much room for growth, but one of the first things I would love to see change is the number of barriers to entry for women and people of color. The outdoors can often feel like an unwelcoming or intimidating space, especially for people who have historically been underrepresented in the outdoors.

      I would love to see more women and people of color represented in expeditions, big wall climbing, and leadership within the sport. I think access and creating more welcoming spaces are a big part of making that possible.

      Where do you see the sport going in the next years, what will change and what is your role going to be in it?

      The world is moving and changing so fast. When I imagine climbing in the next few years, I hope to see more brands moving toward more responsible manufacturing and a more diverse outdoor environment. Climbing is growing quickly, and with that growth comes a responsibility to make sure we are taking care of the places we climb and creating a community where more people feel like they belong. The climbing community is already becoming more diverse, and I think that will continue to shape the sport in a really positive way.

      I also hope responsible manufacturing is going to become a much bigger part of the climbing industry. As climbers, we spend so much time in wild places, and it is important that the industry reflects that connection to the environment. I hope more brands join EDELRID in their journey to responsibly manufacture climbing gear.