Life as a Climbing Guide: A Women’s Way to Mentoring

by Becca Roseberry, Climbing Guide

Extreme sports have always seemed to be more of a man’s place, where daredevil adrenaline junkies get their fix. It used to throw me for loop thinking about how I arrived at being a mountain guide in the Teton Range of western Wyoming, but I realize now it was my background growing up as a dancer — and all the female mentors I had along the way.

I grew up dancing in the alleyway that ran between my house and my best friend Angie’s house. We’d spend all day outside with a boom box on the side stoop, choreographing routines to dance music like Janet Jackson and Madonna. Over the years, Angie and I dabbled in every form of dance from tap and jazz to hip-hop and ballet. Together we danced through high school, facing the challenges of performing on stage, creating new routines, and relying on one another to perform our best.

Climbing has paralleled my background as a dancer in so many ways, from the physical demands on my body to  the moments of self-doubt. There were times when, to perform at a high level, I had to give more than I had.  Climbing and dancing really start to intertwine when deep partnerships are formed and mentoring opportunities arise.

When I first started climbing, my mentors helped boost my confidence in life as a mountain guide. The women I met were strong and self-reliant.  I noticed right away that they didn’t have their boyfriends or husbands leading the way — they were leading the way. As I listened, watched, and played with these women, I saw how much richer their experience was engaging with each other. Women share a different camaraderie. It’s a patient, calm, and encouraging atmosphere.

Kitty Calhoun was my first real mentor. She is best known for her ascents in the high alpine climbing arena. I met Kitty in Moab, Utah, after I moved there to embrace a dedicated climbing lifestyle. I felt lucky that this well-known female alpinist was going to show me the ropes. Kitty has always set a high standard for herself and when she took on that mentoring role, she knew how much more rewarding her ascents would be with another women at the other end of the rope. We would feel more like equals in our partnership. Kitty and I went on to summit El Capitan twice, spending a total of nine nights sleeping on the wall.

This was a very influential time in my life, and Kitty saw that. In a sport dominated by men, she wanted to be the leader for a change. She showed me how to diligently practice my skills and how to compose myself on the stone. The days spent with Kitty in Yosemite were some of the most fulfilling moments of my life. It’s been over five years since I’ve climbed with Kitty, but I remember all she taught me like it was yesterday.

As I stepped into the mostly male world of mountain guiding, it was intimidating at first. But as I was teaching my first class, with a young sixteen year-old girl preparing for an ascent up the Grand Teton, I thought, “this IS a woman’s place!” I taught her all the skills she needed to feel assured she could make the summit. She expressed her doubts and fears. I helped her wade through those emotions with patience and encouragement. As we climbed higher, we created a bond that was much deeper than client and guide. I was filling the mentor shoes.

Approaching the summit at 13,770 feet on a clear, cool summer day, we walked on stage and performed the dance I taught her days before. We weren’t thrill seekers or adrenaline junkies, we were dancers performing on a natural stage full of real challenges and adventure.  Our efforts were graceful. When we arrived on top of the Grand Teton, I could tell from her huge smile  that this was the beginning of a rewarding road, of finding truths in challenges, and making significant bonds with other women.

I continue to teach climbing for Exum Mountain Guides and Moab Desert Adventures. The pleasure and satisfaction I derive grows every year as I seal relationships with women and other female climbing guides. I love having a passion that I can share and evolve. A life unshared is a life half lived!

BECCA ROSEBERRY works and lives between Jackson, Wyoming and Moab, Utah. She practices massage therapy when she is isn’t out in the mountains. She’s a dog lover, avid back-country skier and passionate adventurer at heart. Follow Becca’s adventure on her blog beccaroseberry.blogspot.com