"Wild Cat" - My first solo highline establishment

"Wild Cat" - 120 feet (ish) :)

For about 4 years now I've been involved in the sport of highlining and it's so amazing to stop sometimes, look around and see all the progress I've made over those years. One of the things I love most about the sport is that there's always something new to challenge yourself with, always some way to get better. That can be done by trying longer lines, higher lines, learning new tricks, learning to rig your own lines and much more, the list is endless. During the whole journey I've been very cautious and careful not to push my limits too far, or push myself further than I am ready for. I remember about two years ago a friend of mine asked me to go rig a line with her, just the two of us. At the time I was still fairly new at the sport and wasn't quite ready to go out and rig something without an experienced and knowledgable rigger with me. I said no because I wanted to stay safe and I felt like I had a lot more to learn....and I did.

Years later, being just last week, I "established" my first highline. This means that I scouted it out, climbed, bolted, rigged and was the first person to walk across. This was a HUGE step for me. I am so proud and feel a big sense of accomplishment. I had been scouting this particular area out for about a year before it was the right time to set something up. The area is relatively untouched when it comes to both highlining and rock climbing and the line that I envisioned required not only bolting but trad climbing to get to one of the sides. I was so excited to get started because a lot of the fun is in the process of it all.

My boyfriend Mark was out of town when I started so I had friend and photographer Krystle Wright help me out by belaying me up to the side that required climbing. I bolted the easy access side first and it was fairly simple, although I was using a drill that doesn't have "hammer" action. This means it's a bit more difficult to drill the holes and takes a bit longer than it would if it did have the hammer action. A very big thank you to my friend Mick for lending it to me! Once the bolts were drilled on the "easy" side the next day I geared up to make my ascent to the other side. I climbed up a gully that I'm guessing was about a 5.7 or 5.8 crack climb (with really only 2 fairly difficult moves). Once I got to the point where I was ready to bolt I realized that it was not going to be easy. There was no real place for me to sit or position myself that was both comfortable and a good angle for me to bolt. I tried to make the best of it and it ended up taking me 2 days to get only 3 bolts in due to the drill, battery life and the other limiting factors. Once I got the 3rd bolt in I decided that was enough. There was a really nice crack to place some camelots as extra protection up there so I decided that I had put enough bolts in. Thanks to Krystle for being so patient with me and for being an amazing belay!

The next day I ascended again to start getting the gear up there and attaching the line. I was up there for approximately 2 1/2 hours hanging in my harness and setting up the anchor, which really starts to get uncomfortable! Meanwhile, Krystle was hiking up and down the other side attaching lines, hauling gear and getting things ready for me. Once I was finished and everything looked satisfactory, I realized that Krystle had fallen asleep in the desert sun so I hurried down to join her for some rest. The line was just about ready! All we had left to do was tension it and tape the main line to the back-up line before I could walk it. I finished it off that day but decided to head home, rest, and walk it the next day. Rigging takes a lot out of you!

Shot from below by Erin Hamilton

That night, Mark got home from his trip to California and I was able to tell him all about the past 4 days. He was so psyched and couldn't wait to watch me walk. I was actually quite nervous and for a few reasons. The first reason was that I had put the bolts in myself. Up until that point, I had just blindly trusted the bolts that other people had put in, which you do when you're climbing established routes or rigging established highlines. This time, I had a bit more knowledge of them and due to that knowledge had more doubt and worry in my mind (not sure if it was justified or not, but it was there). Secondly, the line was pretty long and also fairly loose. But, despite my nerves I stood up confidently and walked across on my first attempt, an "on-sight". SUCCESS! I was ecstatic, my heart pumping, full of appreciation and feelings of such accomplishment. So much work and I had done it! This is what I love so much about what I do....it's difficult and sometimes grueling but that feeling when you make it across is priceless. I decided to name the line "Wild Cat", a childhood nickname that was given to me by my father. I have always been a bit on the wild side and I find it very fitting for my first line establishment to be named that :)

**The pics are few and a bit obscure because I want to save the good pics for when Krystle releases them :) Stay tuned! 

Women's Adventure Spring 2013 Issue - I'm the cover and feature article!

I am honored to be featured in Women's Adventure Magazine this spring, below you can read the article written by Mattie Schuler :-)

My take on free-soloing

Being involved in Highlining there are approximately 10 questions that I receive on a regular basis. For example: "Have you seen the movie "Man on Wire"?, "Are you in the circus?" or "Do you do gymnastics as well??". The question that I've chosen to write about today is "Do you walk with protection??" and for the past 4 years my answer has always been "YES". Taking a moment and reflecting back on when I first started slacklining I was never particularly drawn to free-soloing, which is the term for walking a highline without any protection whatsoever. It just never appealed to me and to this day, it still doesn't.

Last year I was walking a friend of mine's tree highline and while he was down below messing with something and not paying attention to me, I free-soloed the line. It was approximately 20 feet high and 45 feet long and I felt very in control, solid and confident. I aced it. But when I got to the other side I didn't get the feeling that I expected I would. It felt more like "I'm SO glad that's over and I'm not sure I'd like to do it again" than "Wow, that was amazing". I know that I am very capable, actually more than capable, of free-soloing and I have a lot of confidence and trust in myself. But, here's the thing: it's not worth it to me. I realize that it's all about mind control but there are a lot more factors involved than just the mind. I don't want my life to come to a screaming halt because I slipped up or because the wind blew and I couldn't handle it. I love what I do and yes, I risk my life by just participating in it in the first place, but only to an extent. I use back-ups and wear a harness so if something does go wrong I have "another life" so to speak. With free-soloing, besides catching the line, there isn't another life and I value my life so, so much. 

I was just talking about this the other day with my boyfriend Mark, who is a BASE Jumper and Wingsuit Flier. We participate in very different sports but share the mindset that it's just not worth risking our lives for. We love what we do but we take every precaution possible to stay alive and keep doing it for the rest of our lives. For me, it's about longevity. I want to be that crazy 90 year old woman who's still rock climbing and highlining despite her arthritic hips and that will be because I didn't ruin it all in my 20's. 

Despite the fact that I don't choose to free-solo, I do use a "swami-belt", which is my version of free-soloing. Instead of wearing a regular harness sometimes I choose to wear a swami which I made for myself. It's reinforced two inch webbing that I wrap around my abdomen which is then connected to the leash. If you are to take a fall in this it's either going to really, really hurt or potentially break some ribs. For me, this is doable. My life is not on the line and it provides me with some extra incentive, just enough incentive, for me to push myself a little further mentally. I have never taken a leash fall in my swami and I don't plan to because I know that I have a strong enough mind. Like I said, it's my version of a free-solo.

Swami Belt ^

As an athlete, I want to not only inspire others but also truly live and represent my values. I don't believe that you have to risk your life to be an inspiration or even be the best. A lot of the athletes that I truly admire are athletes that stand for something and pave their own path. For example, my friend Nick Williamson, also known as "Sticky Nick" who grew up here in Moab. I'm inspired by him because he is completely in love with climbing. When I watch him, it's like he's dancing up the rock. His movements are so fluid and beautiful to watch. No, Sticky isn't the "best" rock climber in the world (although he's damn good!) but he manages to inspire people just by being who he is. He's not faking it or doing it for the fame. He doesn't risk his life and he isn't on magazine covers but he's influenced me as well as many others, and that's a really special thing. 

All of that being said, this does not mean I don't respect those that do choose to free-solo and this is not meant to be a negative post towards those individuals. It is, after all, a personal choice. It takes a lot of courage and strength to either climb or highline with no protection and I commend those that can do it. It's just not for me. I hope that this post, instead of creating controversy, encourages people to make the right choices for themselves. I know that in life it can be difficult not to try something because everyone else is doing it, but stay true to who you are. There's nothing more powerful than that.

Stay tuned for a new video coming soon by Will McPherson.....I'll be talking more on this topic as well as sharing more of my world ;-)

Winter Fun

I've had a great month playing outside despite the cold weather here in Moab. I didn't think that I'd enjoy the winter all that much but it's been great! I forgot how nice it is to get outside and work hard in the cold rather than in the sweltering heat that is typically the case. I've been blessed with some fantastic winter gear from Oakley Women (BIG thank you) so I've been nice and warm. I've rigged more highlines recently than I have in a while and it feels great to be getting out there again. I rigged the classic "river line" that has become very popular over the past few years with my boyfriend Mark and a new friend Lauren. It's about 75 feet long if you rig it at it's shortest length (there are many options at this bridge, you can pretty much make the line as long as you want!). We all had a good time on the line, Mark gave it some great attempts and Lauren walked it both directions. One of my favorite things is to watch someone else get on a line, especially if they're fairly new at it and are challenging themselves. It's like watching a kid learn how to ride a bike for the first time. You see the struggle and frustration in their eyes but when they succeed, it's euphoric.

Mark and Lauren gearing up

Mark on one of his attempts, he's gonna walk this one soon I know it

Lauren on her walk! 

I also rigged a line called the "Birthday Gap" with Mark and our friend Larry. This line was perfect because Mark has been attempting lines for a while and this one is great for beginners. It's about 35 feet long and a really easy set-up. For months now Ive been putting Mark on longer lines (70 feet or so) because that's what I was rigging for myself. I feel bad now because he was really struggling with that length! When he got on the Birthday Gap he walked it on his 2nd or 3rd try!! It was so special to see him walk his first line. He finally got past the first stage of consistent failure and has broken through a mental blockage. He's ready for more now.

My walk of "The Birthday Gap"

Mark's walk!!!! 

Larry Harpe walking with his dog standing guard :) 

Cool effect and my favorite Oakley Women gear.

Us :)

I've been watching Mark jump a lot which has been really nice. I'll often hike up to the top with him and watch from up there or I'll just hang out at the bottom. It's nice to get different perspectives of the jumps. Recently I hung over the edge (carefully, of course) and he ran right past me and jumped off. It was one of my favorite views so far! Here are some pics of his recent jumps.

Mark getting ready to jump the "Tombstone", one of the most popular jumps. 

There he goes!

Mark jumping "Stuntman"

Another line I recently rigged was a brand new one. I rigged it on all camelots (eeeek) and it was approximately 140 feet long. It ended up being really difficult due to the webbing I used. I decided to use my "Type 18" webbing which tends to be heavy and has a lot more stretch to it. When a line is heavy it's more difficult to control especially at longer lengths. I wasn't able to walk it all the way across, I got just about halfway. Below are some pics, hopefully I'll get out there again soon and try again. Perhaps this time I'll drill some bolts for safety and piece of mind ;-) A big thanks to Sterling Rope for donating some ropes...I wouldn't be able to do these bigger projects without them!

Getting ready for some attempts

Ouch

Also! We had some good friends come and visit, Mike Payton and Heather Falenski. It was so nice to see them, they truly are quality, genuine people. We pranced around the desert finding petroglyphs, watching Mark jump and we rigged a cool rope swing off of "Looking Glass Arch". I have only done one rope swing before so this was fun. There was a 3 pitch climb up to the top (super easy) where you set up the anchor, rappel down and then are able to swing. It's hard to explain the set-up completely because it's quite different than most other rope swings. Anyway, regardless it was really fun! It snowed on us while we were out there and it was gorgeous. Here are just a few pics :) 

Weeee!!!

Friends! 

Oakley Women Summit at Snowbird Resort!

This past weekend I was a part of the Oakley Women Ambassador Summit at Snowbird Resort in Salt Lake City! 30 Oakley Ambassadors were invited to ski, snowboard, learn more about the Oakley brand and get to know eachother. I had no idea how amazing and inspiring the experience would be and am so grateful to have been a part of it!

The first day we all flew in and settling into our hotel rooms. I have been to one Ambassador Summit prior so I only knew the girls briefly. I was looking forward to getting to know them all better this time. I had three beautiful roommates: Carly Swanson, Brittany Da Costa and AJ Govoni. Click on their names to learn more about them. 

We all hung out at the hot tub and chatted about our lives as we waited for the welcome dinner. The resort was so beautiful and I was ecstatic to be in the snowy mountains again! I live in Moab which has snowy mountains but there aren't any ski resorts. I grew up skiing and snowboarding in New Hampshire and it was such a blast from the past being there and experiencing the resort life. I miss it! I am inspired to get back out there. 

The second day was spent on the mountain, trying out all of our new Oakley Women snow gear! We were all given our own stuff (jackets, pants, socks, base layers, gloves, goggles, etc) to wear that day and try out! When I was a kid I was usually the dorky girl on the mountain with the lame/mis-matching outfit but I felt so stylish out there this time! All the gear is TOP quality and made for experiencing the snow, staying warm and being comfortable. I am so impressed! A lot of companies focus on only style and fashion, but Oakley is committed to providing top quality equipment and takes it very seriously. 

Christine Donaldson and I! Christine is a phenomenal skiier and musician.

Me with Suz Graham and Christine Donaldson

So happy!!!

I was  thrilled to be flying down the mountain again and challenging myself on the board. I have always been an athlete and I LOVE trying/participating in new things. I took a little GoPro video of me in all my gear on the mountain (below).

After our day on the mountain we spent a day learning more about both the brand Oakley Women and the Ambassadors. I am so blessed to be a part of this inspiring and supportive community of women. I never imagined I would be so lucky! The most memorable part of the trip, besides being on the mountain, was a "get to know you" exercise we did the second night. We all took turns introducing ourselves to the entire group but telling our own unique story. Every woman that stood up there had their own individual struggles, challenges, successes and goals throughout their lives. I was so inspired by every single one of them that I will never, ever forget it. I feel so empowered and have realized what I am most passionate about. It's not JUST highlining. I know that I am a very strong woman but I am an advocate for empowering other women to become the strong women they can truly be. I truly believe that my constant participation in sports throughout my life has given me the self confidence I have today....KEEP PUSHING, LADIES!!

All the Oakley Women Ambassadors!