Ashley Hardy is a friend of mine who lives in Boulder and just climbed her first 5.13c, a stout climb called "Choose Life" in the Flatirons. The reason I asked her to be on the show is that I find her situation to be both relatable and inspirational. The relatable part is that she has a full-time job as a software engineer and that she climbs with her husband, and she really REALLY loves climbing.
The inspirational part is that despite working full-time, she manages to climb outside 3-4 days per week for a lot of the year. And she doesn't train in any conventional ways (hangboarding, strength training, board climbing, etc). She just goes outside and climbs on routes that challenge her and has steadily worked up to 5.13c doing it.
I really liked this conversation and I think Ashley has a lot to teach us about how to pursue your passions and goals despite limited time and energy.
What we talked about:- Why she loves climbing so much and whether she ever gets burnt out
- How she fits outdoor climbing in with her work schedule
- Why she feels she needs more rest than other people and how much that is
- How she overcame the fear caused by a dangerous fall on her 5.13c
- How she works on her fear on a regular basis
- How she's gotten so strong mostly climbing outside
- How she and her husband keep their climbing relationship healthy
- Advice for people trying to break into the 5.13 grade
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