Apr 04 2017

Paige Claassen Interview: Thoughts on Climbing, Starting a Non Profit and Having a Family

Climbing, Interviews, Kids, Motherhood, Travel
by Beth

Paige Claassen is one of the strongest, understated climbers of her generation. For the past decade she has dispatched with some of the hardest routes in the world - and doesn't gloat about it. What's always struck me about Paige is her eye and desire to try meaningful climbs - beautiful, historical, stiff - they are always "king lines" in my opinion.   She recently got married (happy almost one year anniversary Paige!) so naturally I wanted to know when she was going to have kids...

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Mar 23 2017

Babies in Bleau

Climbing, Motherhood, Pregnancy, Travel
by Beth

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

Climbing, Interviews, Motherhood, Pregnancy
by Beth

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

Climbing, Motherhood, Pregnancy
by Beth

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

Climbing, Motherhood, Pregnancy
by Beth

  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. ?   Anyways, I was wondering if you used a pregnancy harness and if so what brand? I swear I have read all of the reviews and cannot make up my mind. I am only 13 weeks but I can't fit my harness anymore. I am wearing my husbands old harness, but know at some point I will grow out of...

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Nov 02 2016

Balancing a pregnant body with a climbing mind

Climbing, Motherhood, Pregnancy
by Beth

  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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Aug 18 2016

Life, Death, and What We Worry About

Kids, Motherhood, Pregnancy
by Beth

”Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”—Dr. Seuss   I wish it were as easy as Dr. Seuss put it. But grieving is hard, and crying usually comes with it, at least with me.   In the eight years I’ve known my husband, Randy, I’ve seen him cry only three times. I’ve cried at least three hundred times in those same eight years. Randy has a way of coping or dealing or grieving that he saves the tears for the big ones. Once over the guilt and separation with his ex-fiance; once...

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Aug 09 2016

Thoughts and Struggles with Pregnancy by Melissa Strong

Climbing, Interviews, Pregnancy
by Beth

I first met Melissa when I started living in Estes Park in 2000 . I'd see her hiking to and from the bouldering in Chaos Canyon, a relatively novel and new area at the time. She had a huge smile, infectious laugh and a welcoming attitude. Always one to want to climb together, open her home to people and make community. A handful of years later, she and her husband Adam opened their arms and home in Heuco Tanks to me. I was in the midst of separating from my husband. My...

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Apr 06 2016

The Cycle of Passion

Climbing, Motherhood
by Beth

Maya Angelou once said, “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”   Maya really says it all right there, doesn’t she? For me, and probably most people reading this blog, my passion is climbing. I found it the first moment of the first day I ever went to a climbing gym. It was a feeling of being alive, and energized. I wasn’t sure how climbing—which, at first, was simply a matter of moving...

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Mar 30 2016

Climbing Pregnant: Medical Study Results

Climbing, Motherhood, Pregnancy
by Beth

There are two types of people: those who do their homework, and those who fly by the seat of their pants. It’ll come as no shock to any reader of this blog that I’m very much a do-my-homework kind of gal.   During pregnancy I wanted to do as much homework as possible to make sure I was doing everything "correctly." Unfortunately, the Internet is a horrible place to visit when you’re pregnant, with all of its worst-case-scenario prognoses on every site—especially if you have anxiety issues.   But what was even worse than...

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