May 29 2018

Climbing, Travel and … Napping!?

Hi Beth,   First, thank you for truly being an encouragement, inspiration, and role model to all of the mommies out there trying to navigate their new roll as life giver while also trying to remember and live their identities as adventurers. Certainly a hard and rewarding transition.I loved the blog about the third wheel, thank goodness for them. Probably, all enthusiastic hikers, having told relatives and friends the good news about the upcoming addition to the family, hear similar phrases: “Well, now hiking will have to be postponed for several years ...

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May 24 2018

Climbing Postpartum, Recovery and Prolapse

Hi Beth -   Your blog has really helped me through my pregnancy and early days of motherhood. I gave birth to a wonderful baby boy in October last year. But, 6 months later, I feel like my body is falling apart. Apparently I have only a mild bladder prolapse but I can feel the pressure all day every day. Before having my baby, and during pregnancy too, I would climb, hike, cycle, do yoga...

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May 22 2018

Athletes, their children and social media

"Can't wait for the adventures ahead with this little man." That's the caption I wrote on my first Instagram as a mom. I posted it from the hospital bed as I held a seven-pound infant to my bare chest. I hadn't slept in over 36 hours, couldn't stand upright, but had been through the most profound experience of my life. It's human nature to want to share these impactful moments. Social media allows us to do this, and share them to whoever chooses to follow us. Even better, online...

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Dec 19 2017

Jen Bisharat Interview: Climbing Pregnant and Climbing with Kids

I first met Jen at a Triple Crown competition over a decade ago. She was one of those undercover locals that crushed all the visiting professional climbers. Since then she's gone on to quietly become one of America's most accomplished female sport climbers while simultaneously being a Kindergarten teacher, a fact that should blow anyone's mind. With multiple 5.14's under her belt, she's ticked off some of the hardest routes in Rifle. A little over a year and a half ago, she and her husband Andrew welcomed their daughter Piper into...

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Apr 11 2017

Outside Magazine and Being Vulnerable

A few years ago I wrote a piece about our beloved dog Max, who had just died. It was the most personal piece of writing that I’d shared with the public since my divorce. To say I was nervous and afraid to share my emotions so openly would be an understatement. But Max had had such an immense and positive impact on me that I almost felt as if I owed it to him to write down my thoughts and feelings and put it all out into the world, regardless...

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Mar 23 2017

Babies in Bleau

Salut friends! Here we are bouldering again in the forest of Fontainebleau.   Having spent my prime years competing in Nationals, sport climbing 5.14s, and either establishing or repeating hard big-wall free climbs on El Capitan, I would never have guessed that I would go on to become such an avid pebble wrestler in my ripe old age of "29-plus"-but here I am, on my third trip to Fontainebleau in as many years. Who knew that bouldering was the most conducive way of climbing with a kid?   Fontainebleau has become an annual...

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Mar 21 2017

Sash DiGiulian Interview: Thoughts on Climbing, Career and Having Kids

Sasah DiGuilian is one of the most influential climbers of the day, male or female. After her ascents of hard sport routes at the Red River Gorge and Spain, she shot to the top of the climbing scene. From there she's taken her passion and talent to all corners of the sport, traveling the world pioneering and establishing first ascents. She recently graduated from Columbia University allowing more time for climbing, work and travel. I've always admired how she's handled her notoriety and continued to put family and friends at...

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Jan 18 2017

An Incredible Tribe of Women

I found my first grey hair the other day. But if I’m actually telling the truth I found it closer to a year ago. I convinced myself that it was just an exceptionally blonde hair, like one from my youth, and combined with the bad light in my bathroom, I semi believed it to be true. The first thing I did was text my friend with some scary emoji and question mark, she returned the favor but also added “welcome to the club, congrats on everything you accomplished that gave...

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Nov 08 2016

Pregnancy Climbing Harnesses

  Hi Beth!   Your blog is awesome and I have read through several of your posts on climbing through pregnancy. I also follow you on Instagram and love your mama-climbing lifestyle. ?   Meanwhile, X-Men and With Love, Simon star Alexandra Shipp spoke about her sexuality for the first time in an emotional instagram post this week. I'm not afraid anymore," she wrote. I'm proud of who I am and what I do on this planet. Shipp, who is 28, also said she regrets not being part of the LGBTQ+ community sooner. It's...

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Nov 02 2016

Balancing a pregnant body with a climbing mind

  Hi Beth! I've followed you as a climber for a long time and recently came across your blog when I was looking for information about climbing while pregnant. As you know, there is hardly any! Thank you so much for sharing your experience and starting a dialogue about climbing and pregnancy.   I am around 4.5 months pregnant and have been able to keep climbing at least one or two days a week so far. My husband and I agreed I would only top-rope and we would climb primarily in the gym...

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