The BFL Combine is hands down the most unique climbing competition out there. Half weight lifting and half climbing, it is based on the NFL and NBA combines, where athletes showcase their athletic and mental skills to pro scouts. The BFL Combine started in 2021, and has attracted world class climbers, including Natalia Grossman, Zach Galla, and Drew Ruana.
Read MoreWhy do people take unnecessary risks? Extreme risk takers have been in the news in the past few years from billionaires in SpaceX shuttles or OceanGate submersibles to climbers free soloing in national parks. You might think that risk taking is only for the very rich, or for white people, but that isn’t quite the whole story.
Read MoreEven though we may face similar obstacles - like safety, access and representation - our stories and journeys are not the same. If you identify as a LGBTQIA+ Person of Color, you know just how hard it is to find a truly-inclusive outdoor community: Do you join the melanated affinity group with zero queer/trans leadership or the all-white queer outdoor meetup?
Read MoreAbout a year ago I answered interview questions for a brand about how the outdoor community can move forward in its efforts to expand access to natural spaces and outdoor activities for marginalized groups.
Read MoreAffinity spaces can be pure magic. Being in a space where your baseline safety requirements are met opens up your capacity for learning. Being in a community where you are not ‘the only one’ means the ability to physically relax and shift your energy towards having new experiences and building lifelong friendships.
Read MoreWhen you start your climbing journey, there is an overwhelming amount of information to learn! You have to learn safety, new lingo, new muscle use, new movement and more. One of the critical pieces of being a successful climber is understanding the hold types. Knowing the names and how to use different types of hold will help you read the climb before you hop on it and will help you communicate to other climbers. In this post, I go over the basic hold types.
Read MoreWe are experts in our traditions, stories, and knowledge—including the racism we experience. No one is more equipped than us to tell our own stories.
Read MoreYou may see climbing boards in your gym or while scrolling on Instagram and wonder, “What’s all the rage?” Or you may think, “Those board are only for the pros!” Well, I’m here to tell you board climbing can be for everyone and it’s great for training and measuring progress.
Read MoreI have cysts in my wrists, ganglion cysts to be exact. My coach at Lattice Training suggested four exercises to strengthen my wrists. I was a bit skeptical that they would make a huge difference, but after one week, I was back on crimps!!
Read MoreI want to reflect on the disenfranchisement that Black communities experience in Latin America and Latinx culture. It’s time to talk about the lateral violence that people of color place on Black folks.
Read MoreThe transition from indoor bouldering to outdoor bouldering can be daunting. What do I wear? What gear do I bring? How will I find the boulders? Most climber’s first outdoor climbing experiences usually make funny stories down the road. However, some stories end with a trip to the hospital or a call to mountain rescue. I’ve listed 8 essentials to make your first climbing trip a safe and happy one!
Read MoreLike any immigrant family, I was taught to face this adversity with hard work. This gift has helped me to become a strong resilient adult. It has also created unhealthy relationships with rest, self-centering, and expressing emotions.
Read MoreI dreamt of climbing in Albarracin for years, and this October, I was finally able to go. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint. If you are looking for a variety of climbing with short approaches that is five minutes away from the most adorable town, then Albarracin is the place for you!!
Read MoreAcross the country, bike lanes have become a flashpoint, leading to protests and pushback from local communities which are already feeling the pressure of higher rent and property taxes.
Read MorePredatory sexual behavior exists in outdoor adventure sports. Here are 3 red flags to watch out for.
Read MoreSo no, voting isn’t as simple as flossing—not unless you are a white person whose existence is untouched by race, poverty, immigration or the prison industrial complex. What about the rest of us?
Read MoreWelcome to the final installment of my push-up seriesl These exercises are going to be more advanced than Part 1 and Part 2, where I go over beginner and intermediate push-up variations. Get ready to feel the burn all over!!
If there’s another muscle group you’d like to see a series on, please let me know in the comments!
Read MoreSo if you are wondering why it’s racist for you to demand that Black and Brown strangers on the Internet wear helmets while ignoring scores of helmetless white strangers doing the same exact thing—I’m glad you asked! So that we are all on the same page moving forward, here are a few guidelines.
Read MoreColor the Wasatch is an affinity group that works to remove financial and social barriers for climbers of color in the Salt Lake City area.
Read MoreI needed gear, and lots of it. I needed the right colors and styles and brands. These were the rules of how to interact with nature, and they were created by people who did not look like me. As a child trying to belong, I felt unsafe disrupting these patterns.
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