Ladies we Love: Rock Climber Beth Rodden

May 1st, 2014 • BY Erinn Morgan

[This Ladies we Love profile is the third installment in our new monthly series featuring the highly inspiring roster of female athlete ambassadors from Outdoor Research. They are skiers, climbers, mountaineers, and more—all breaking down barriers and pushing the edge.]

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Beth Rodden is climbing back. Since she started rock climbing at the age of 14, Rodden has shown the world what women are capable of on vertical rock—this prolific climber was the youngest woman to climb 5.14a and is one of the only women in the world to have redpointed a 5.14c traditional climb, Yosemite’s Meltdown. [Meltdown is considered the hardest climb in Yosemite and the hardest trad pitch in the United States—Rodden‘s ascent of Meltdown was the most difficult ascent of any route by an American woman and remains the hardest trad route ascent established by a woman anywhere.]

But life hasn’t always served up roses. In 2000, Rodden and five other climbers (including her then husband-to-be Tommy Caldwell) were taken hostage in 2000 while climbing in Kyrgyzstan. They subsequently escaped physically unharmed but emotionally shaken. And, in 2009 she tore the labrum in her right shoulder while bouldering in Yosemite and subsequently re-injured the shoulder twice along with suffering a broken ankle and a torn collateral ligament in both index fingers. But today, after a period of surgery and healing, divorce and a new marriage that has led her down the road to the adventure of pregnancy, Rodden is finding a new path in her life. Here, we check in with this amazing woman (and mom to be) on her new directions, how it feels to climb pregnant, and her favorite indulgence.

WomensMovement: What do you see as your greatest climbing accomplishment?
Beth Rodden: Hmmm, that’s a tough one. I’d either say the first ascent of Meltdown in Yosemite, or free climbing The Nose on El Cap.

WM: How did you incur the injuries that caused you to take time off?
Beth: There have been so many! The one that started the cascade of injuries was tearing my labrum in my right shoulder. I’ve always had very loose shoulders and until the injury was not very good at doing maintenance or proactive exercises with them. After surgery, I have been much better at those exercises. However, then came re-injuring my shoulder, hurting multiple fingers (pulleys and ligaments) and that led to several years of injury.

WM: Being injured and away from your passion can be so difficult! Was that time hard for you?
Beth: Absolutely. I think it was much harder at first because the time when I was able to climb hard was very tangible. However, as I got further and further away from that time, I started enjoying climbing for climbing, not accomplishment or any goals. I think this was actually very very good for me. It reminded me why I started climbing in the first place, why I fell in love with it and the mountains. I had been in such a goal-oriented mindset for over a decade that that perspective was lost for a bit.

WM: What have you learned from this time off from climbing?
Beth: To appreciate climbing in any form or any difficulty. Now I get just as excited to go climb a 5.6 with a friend as I would to climb El Cap!

WM: Tell us a little about your pregnancy adventure. Boy or girl?
Beth: It’s a boy! Or at least that’s what they’ve told us :) It’s been a trip being pregnant—really interesting to see how my body has changed and accommodated a little being inside of me. The first trimester was rough with nausea, but luckily that subsided around week 13 or 14. Since then I have just gotten bigger, slower and a bit more useless feeling towards the end here :)

WM: How does it feel to climb pregnant?
Beth: It’s hard to high step! You don’t really realize how much just a little belly makes a difference. Around month 7 I stopped climbing because it just didn’t feel good to climb, and I figured now is not the time to push it. Also, I have extremely loose joints even without being pregnant, so add in the looseness that comes with pregnancy and I had to be very careful to not tear or strain anything. I always climbed well below my level—5.6 to 5.8 routes.

WM: Where do you see your life/connection to climbing going in the next few years?
Beth: I see climbing always being a part of my life, for sure, no doubt about that. It is part of me, part of who I am, and I love it. I know that things will change having a little one—but I am planning on trying to get back into climbing slowly but surely. I still have lots and lots of climbing goals I’d love to accomplish, so we’ll see how it goes. We’ll have a bit of an adjustment phase, I’m sure, but this little guy will definitely grow up in the rocks and dirt at climbing areas.

WM: Fav climbing gear/clothing right now right now?
Beth: Right now I’m using all of my husband Randy’s clothes because they fit my big belly! I’m using his Acetylene, Transcendent Sweater, and Centrifuge Jacket.

WM: Fav energy food you stash in your pack?
Beth: Kit’s Organic Clif Bars—they are amazing!

WM: Biggest indulgence?
Beth: Bi Rite Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream in San Francisco—SOOO good!

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