Processing Grief and Celebrating Women in the Wilderness: Carly's Mountaineering Story

Processing grief brought Carly to the mountains. Community gave her a reason to stay.

Carly Dykes is a mountaineer, University of Washington student, and 2024 Summit Scholarship recipient who climbed Mt. Baker in Washington last June.

Just before Carly turned 18, her dad died from cancer. Carly shares how she found solace in the mountains, why she decided to climb Mt. Rainier in his memory, and the life-changing experience of an all-women’s expedition up Mt. Baker through the Summit Scholarship Foundation.

Carly and Angie talked about:

• Grief, growth, and the healing power of the outdoors
• What it’s like to climb Mt. Rainier and Mt. Baker as a beginner
• Why all-women’s climbing teams matter in a male-dominated sport
• How Carly is paying it forward by helping more women get into mountaineering
• Baker recap: a birthday summit, glacier school, and mountain sisterhood
• Coexisting with rather than conquering the mountain

Send this episode to a friend who you want to climb a mountain with this year.

You can help us close the gender gap outdoors and beyond:

• ⁠Become a 2025 Trailblazer⁠. You can make scholarships like Carly’s possible.
• Check out the ⁠Summit Scholarship Foundation⁠.
• Share this episode with a friend or family member.