When Beth Rodden redpointed “To Bolt or Not To Be” in 1998, she became the youngest woman to climb 5.14a. Fast forward 20 years and Beth's website lists her as "Mother - Pro Climber - Writer".  Mother first. Climbing is growing up.

Beth and I sat down in Jackson, Wyoming while she was there to speak at The Teton Library Mountain Story series, despite delayed flights and a busy schedule. I wanted to know how climbing had changed for her since her son Theo was born, and what tips she might have for parents who are embarking on their own adventures. 

One of the most accomplished climbers of all time, it hasn't been all smooth sailing for Beth, and we dig into that and how it's informed her decisions. Her entire identity was as a climber. What happens when you're climbing 4 or 5 NUMBER grades below your previous best? Are you still a climber? Where does your identity go? 

Beth has a good hold on this, and we can all learn from it. 

SOME OF BETH'S RECOMMENDED KID GEAR

*Buying gear through these links helps to support the podcast, but does not raise your price. 

FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT:

Kris Hampton  00:33

What's up everybody? I'm your host Kris Hampton. Welcome to Episode 77 of the Power Company Podcast brought to you by PowerCompanyClimbing.com. It is beautiful and snowy today in Lander, which frankly seems more appropriate than the 40 degrees it was last week. The highest predicted is five today, three tomorrow. That's negative 16 for our Celsius friends out there. And actually this cold and snow is so much easier than the sloppy gray humid Cincinnati winters that I'm used to. So for all those people who were like, "How are you going to handle Wyoming winters?". Ah... better, that's how I'm gonna handle them. And I can just load more wood into the stove and make the 10 second walk out to the Machine Shop to train and life is wonderful. Speaking of which, I'm climbing again on jugs, doing laps, and the finger is cooperating. My rehab efforts are paying off quickly, which is great. And that's another story though, one that I detailed in Episode 15 of "Don't Call It a Comeback" on the We Scream Like Eagles podcast, which is our bonus podcast for all of our supporters. So if you're interested in those extra episodes and other rewards, you can check us out at patreon.com/powercompanypodcast. Or there's a convenient little clickable link right there in the show notes on your pocket supercomputer. And for as little as $1 a month or frankly, whatever matches the value you find in this thing, you get a couple of extra episodes per month. So check us out over there. A couple of quick announcements about what's going on around here. Tees and tanks will be back in stock soon. Some of you have been asking, and I'm finalizing designs with the printer today and she'll be starting on them this week. Finger care kits, people have also been asking about those, will be back in soon as well. They sold out way faster than I could keep up with, so those will be back. And I'm also in talks with Sport Rock in Virginia about hanging out for a week in mid April at their locations, so hopefully getting to work with some of the VA crew out there. And if you're in the area, be on the lookout for more info about that mid April. Hopefully I'll see you guys out there. Okay, enough about me. Let's talk about today's illustrious guest who needs no introduction. But if you've been hiding under a rock........except we all sort of do that, don't we? So if you've not been hungrily consuming climbing magazines, films, news and social media, which all of you have, or you wouldn't be listening to this, then you may not know much about Beth Rodden. Beth was one of the original crop of kids superstars, back in the mid to late 90s. She started as a gym rat comp climber, but three years into climbing did her first 14a,  To Bolt Or Not To Be, which coincidentally was America's first 14a, several years before Beth and that made her the youngest woman to do so at the time. Fast forward only two years and she freed El Cap via the FA of Lurking Fear with Tommy Caldwell. And a few years later, did a little route called The Nose, becoming the first woman to free two routes on El Cap. That same year, she became the first American woman to do 14b. Talk about progression people. The girl was flying. Two years later, she climbed Meltdown, which at 14c is now 10 years old and still unrepeated and is the hardest trade route done by a woman. I could have skipped all of that and just said she's an absolute badass, right? I mean, we aren't really here to talk about her climbing, so I thought I'd give you a little bit of it. We're not here to talk about the kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan. We're here to talk kids. Parenting and climbing..... the long term project. Now I've known Beth for a while and and I'm super happy that she was able to make time to sit down with me earlier this winter in Jackson, Wyoming after some plane delays, and she was on a busy schedule. We talk kids, traveling with little ones and what it all means for Beth's own climbing, which I think is super interesting. So let's get into it.

Beth Rodden  05:17

Climbing has so much to offer like the old Bleausards going out there when you're eighty, like dusting off your shoes and climbing up the easy climbs or you can piddle out in your late 20s. I'd rather be an old Bleausard haha

Beth Rodden  05:47

 He wasn't a good sleeper though, in the beginning. It took, I would say over.... I'd say when he was two and a half...no two.... maybe two when he was two.

Kris Hampton  05:58

Oh, that's when he started, so 

Beth Rodden  05:59

Sleeping through the night. Maybe two and a half? 

Kris Hampton  06:01

So it has just been about a year

Beth Rodden  06:02

A year, yeah of lovely sleep haha. But I'm a terrible sleeper anyways.

Kris Hampton  06:08

I am too.

Beth Rodden  06:09

 It's not fun.

Kris Hampton  06:11

 No sleeping sucks for me. I'm trying to get better at it. It's something I've gotten way better at in the last six years or so. 

Beth Rodden  06:19

Yeah

Kris Hampton  06:19

But still definitely a big like hole in my game. Yeah, I feel like I could do it way better.

Beth Rodden  06:26

Yeah, I always wake up in the middle of night and then I'm just sitting there awake.

Kris Hampton  06:29

Yeah. Was that something since Kyrgyzstan?

Beth Rodden  06:34

That has been since the divorce.

Kris Hampton  06:37

Okay. 

Beth Rodden  06:38

Yep, I was pretty darn good sleeper actually, like could sleep almost anywhere for a really long time. And then I don't know, I'm sure it was a bunch of different things like the divorce. But I don't know. I've have a lot of friends and I wonder if there's like some sort of hormonal thing that happens like in your early 30s or whatever. Because I have other friends that did it.

Kris Hampton  06:57

Yeah. We change so much as we get older. 

Beth Rodden  06:59

Yeah

Kris Hampton  06:59

 I tried to... I tried to not believe that for a long time. But now it's like, if I sit for an hour, it's hard for me to get up and walk. 

Beth Rodden  07:08

Yeah

Kris Hampton  07:08

You know, so it's definitely starting to take hold. 

Beth Rodden  07:12

Yeah. For sure. 

Kris Hampton  07:12

Which I'm not stoked about. But 

Beth Rodden  07:14

It happens haha.

Kris Hampton  07:15

 Just have to deal with it. 

Beth Rodden  07:16

Yeah. 

Kris Hampton  07:16

So the reason I wanted to talk to you is, you've, you've sort of reinvented yourself and I love seeing that. Especially in this outdoor space where, you know, when you were coming up as a young climber, I had a lot of friends who were in the same category as you and there was a lot of talk about, "Where do we go with this? Like, can climbing be a career and if so, what does that look like when you can't really, when you're not climbing as hard as you once were, you know, what happens?" And you've reinvented yourself and and something that I think is really endearing and valuable, is that you've, you've been very open and, and vulnerable in a way that that a lot of the top climbers never are. And while I think the media or you know, the outdoor industry in general has sort of put you into this place of being sort of the de facto expert on pregnancy and motherhood now, on your blog, you don't come across as if you're trying to be an expert.  You come across more of "I'm trying to learn with you guys. Do you guys have any tips for me? You know, here's what I do, what do you do?" and I think that's a really cool place to be. And I want to learn the things that you've learned. You know, my daughter's twenty, so I'm not dealing with it currently. 

Beth Rodden  08:56

I should be interviewing you actually.

Kris Hampton  08:57

Haha. But I have I have several moms who are clients of mine and, and a couple of pregnant women who are clients and training through their pregnancies and so I've spent a lot of time learning about it. And, and I really want to know, tips for after the pregnancy. Like, what's it like? How does your climbing change? How does your life change, you know? So let's dig into that. What....how.....first off, when you were after you had Theo, which was three years ago, I know you had a really rough postpartum. 

Beth Rodden  09:37

Yeah. 

Kris Hampton  09:37

Can we talk a little bit about that?

Beth Rodden  09:39

Yeah, I did really rough physical postpartum. The birth was great and amazing. I feel really fortunate about that. It went, it went fantastic. But, and most of my friends that I had kind of looked up to or people that I had interviewed and asked questions about, they kinda bounced back pretty quick. I have one friend Lynn, she's a superhuman and she went for.... I think she went for a run at week two, or something like that.

Kris Hampton  10:10

Right right.

Beth Rodden  10:10

 And then she went on this, you know, five week trip to Font with her little baby after that, and I could like 

Kris Hampton  10:18

What's his name?

Beth Rodden  10:19

Conrad. 

Beth Rodden  10:20

Yeah, he's about a year older than Theo. He's a rad little, little kid. But I could hardly walk from like the bed to the bathroom, honestly. I had a cystocele, which is like a slight prolapse of the bladder, so literally felt like ever, like my insides were just gonna fall out. 

Kris Hampton  10:20

Conrad. Okay. 

Kris Hampton  10:40

Oh, man. 

Beth Rodden  10:40

And. And it was just, I mean, you're used to as an athlete, like, I'm used to climbing injuries, you know,

Kris Hampton  10:49

Like pushing through and things like that?

Beth Rodden  10:50

Yeah, totally, but all of a sudden to have something like that was like, totally disconcerting. I'm just like, "My insides are gonna fall out!" And, and this is not a knock on my doctor or my medical professionals, but in Western medicine...I mean, you have a baby, and they're like, "See you in six weeks!"

Kris Hampton  11:09

Right

Beth Rodden  11:10

 You know, and I was just like, "There's so much going on." Luckily, our friend is a home birth midwife and so we had her come and do the postpartum care. And she was like, "You need to lay in bed for like...don't...Lay down for like six weeks" or I mean two weeks, you know, "Don't get out of bed really. You know, just really be gentle to your body." She was like the first person who ever told me and really got through my head to nurture my body.

Kris Hampton  11:34

That's tough for an athlete as well, 

Beth Rodden  11:36

Yeah

Kris Hampton  11:36

Because we're used to making ourselves better by punishing our bodies. 

Beth Rodden  11:40

Totally. I mean, I had been.... I'd looked at my body the whole time until postpartum or maybe partway through pregnancy as this thing I could use and abuse. Like it was this like vehicle to for like my success, or to sort through emotions or something like that, you know, but it was never, "Wait,  I should maybe try and take care of this somehow?" and that it serves another purpose. 

Kris Hampton  12:00

Yeah. 

Beth Rodden  12:00

So yeah, so my physical postpartum was rough. Like, I would say, it took me........ a few months before I could, like wear Theo in a carrier and like walk him around the block, to have like that heal. And then I had really...Theo and I struggled really a lot with, with breastfeeding. He had this thing called tongue tie, which makes it so he couldn't latch very well. And so I had all these mastitis infections where I had like a 103 fever, and I had to go on antibiotics and stuff. Anyways, so like, the first three months, like I really felt was like that fourth trimester that at least my, our midwife talked about. 

Kris Hampton  12:41

Sure.

Beth Rodden  12:42

 You know, it was just like this healing process, or whatnot.

Kris Hampton  12:45

So when were you able to get back outside and do things? Not even climbing, when were you able to get out and hike around or whatever?

Beth Rodden  12:52

Randy went back to work maybe after six or eight weeks, I'd say. And so that's when I kind of like, took over. Until then he was like carrying Theo all around and stuff. So when Theo was like, three months is when I started like walking around the block and, and doing that sort of thing and being able to make dinner for us. And, and then at four months, we went on this family trip with my parents and my brother and his family to Hawaii, with all the kids and that actually really helped. Like swimming in the warm water was so good for my body. 

Kris Hampton  13:26

Yeah. 

Beth Rodden  13:26

And then right after that, like we went to Squamish and I started to climb a little bit. But climbing took a lot longer because I have really loose joints in general. That's something that like, even before I got pregnant, I struggled with injuries with like my ligaments. And then when you get pregnant and are nursing, your joints get even looser. 

Kris Hampton  13:48

Right. 

Beth Rodden  13:48

And so I was just really mindful to be careful of that.

Kris Hampton  13:52

Yeah, and I think that's an important word. You have to be really mindful of it. It's not, not everyone's going to have the same response to it as you did. But as long as..... in any situation, as long as you're mindful of what's going on and paying really close attention, I think that's the number one thing you can do.

Beth Rodden  14:11

Absolutely. Yeah because every like you said, everybody's totally different. My friend Lynn was 100% fine, like climbing right out of the get go, you know, and running right out of the get go and she just has that body type. And then I think I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum. You know, I'm like, had many physical things go wrong, or whatnot

Kris Hampton  14:29

And had you climbed up right up until the birth?

Beth Rodden  14:32

 I climbed until about six or seven months pregnant and but pretty easy, I'd say because I felt my joints getting looser and as you are gaining weight, I felt then that put more strain on it. So I would go out and we would just climb really easy routes long routes in Yosemite. 

Kris Hampton  14:49

Sure.

Beth Rodden  14:50

 And that felt awesome to me.

Kris Hampton  14:52

Yeah, it's good to be around moving.

Beth Rodden  14:54

 Totally. 

Kris Hampton  14:55

Yeah, I have a couple of women, Molly and Abby, who are both pregnant and both training through their pregnancy

Beth Rodden  15:04

Cool.

Kris Hampton  15:04

 Doing quite a bit of strength training, really controlled strength training and climbing quite a bit. And Molly's writing a blog about her training through her pregnancy. 

Beth Rodden  15:15

Awesome. 

Kris Hampton  15:16

It's inspiring to me to see them willing to go, but it's also scary for me because I'm like, "I don't know how much to hold you back, because I'm not right there with you every single day. So I have to trust you to be mindful snd not go too hard, you know, and just understand your own body." And I think that's a really important part of it. 

Beth Rodden  15:42

Yeah, yeah. I, it was a big learning lesson for me, because I had never kind of, I'd never given up my body to something else before. Does that make sense? 

Kris Hampton  15:53

Yeah, totally. 

Beth Rodden  15:54

And it and especially for athletes who are so in tune with their body. You know every little thing and you know when something's wrong, or you know when you can start to push or whatnot, and all of a sudden, you're like, "Wait a minute, like, I'm growing this human, and my body's changing, and how am I doing this? And what should I be doing?"

Kris Hampton  16:10

Yeah, did it ever I'm just curious about this. It's not anything I've gotten from your writing or interviews, or anything else, but was there ever a time where it was almost...I don't know the word I'm looking for....not angry at being pregnant, but because you're going through these changes where it's not, you're not just responsible for you anymore, was there ever a time where you're, like, frustrated by it?

Beth Rodden  16:44

For me, it was the opposite, actually. 

Kris Hampton  16:46

Okay.

Beth Rodden  16:46

 Um, I was always frustrated by injuries, you know, so mad at myself in my body. I'm like, "Why am I getting injured?"

Kris Hampton  16:53

Right. 

Beth Rodden  16:54

But for me being pregnant, it was, it was actually kind of a relief, right? Does that make sense? It was 

Kris Hampton  17:00

For sure. 

Beth Rodden  17:00

It was like, "Oh, wait, I do have a reason now that I don't have to be out there climbing hard"

Kris Hampton  17:05

Trying super hard. 

Beth Rodden  17:06

Yeah and pushing all the time. 

Beth Rodden  17:08

And so it's kind of it was a relief. And that's not to like gloss over the fact that you're like, "God, my joints hurt" and "I can't sleep on my stomach: and, you know, "Why do my hips hurt so bad?" and, you know, obviously, there's all that sort of thing that you're kind of this completely uncomfortable and a nuisance and not to be glossed over. But I was never, I don't think I ever woke up when I was pregnant and said, "Ah I really wish I could like, go climb El Cap in a day right now."

Kris Hampton  17:08

Yeah. 

Kris Hampton  17:34

Right

Beth Rodden  17:34

It was more like, "Oh, I get to go hang out the boulders and kind of just relax."

Kris Hampton  17:39

Yeah, a lot of my friends who are in the same, you know, age group as you, came up around the same time, had this... around the same age as you're talking about, had this like, this moment where they were, "Oh, now I remember why I love climbing again. And you know, I've been pushing so hard and putting so much emphasis on my performance."

Beth Rodden  18:04

Mmm hhhmm

Kris Hampton  18:05

 "And being Beth Rodden, or whoever it is, for so long, that I'd forgotten why I love this thing." 

Beth Rodden  18:11

Totally. 

Kris Hampton  18:12

And finding it again, was that something that happened for you through the pregnancy?

Beth Rodden  18:16

I'd say through injuries and pregnancy, 100% . I had, you know, after, like, right around the same time as the divorce, my body just started breaking down. And you know, I'm sure it's all connected, like the emotional anguish and everything. And I was like, so desperate to climb and achieve again that my body was just like "W've had enough", you know. And so during that time, it was several years. You know, I went from like, climbing 5.14 down to climbing like 5.6 or whatever and I was kind of like, "Well, should I even climb anymore?". And, and just slowly going out and climbing all these things and with people that I'd never climbed with before, I was like, "Oh, wait, this is why I love climbing." and so that's when I feel like I kind of owned climbing again, if that makes sense. 

Kris Hampton  19:03

That's cool. 

Beth Rodden  19:04

Yeah. And so then, but that finding that ownership again gave me the courage, I think, to be able to say, "Okay, let's try and have a family." Because being in that previous mindset of always pushing harder, then I was just like, "How are we going to do this with a kid?"

Kris Hampton  19:21

A family is just an obstacle.

Beth Rodden  19:23

Yeah. And I'm like, "I'm not gonna be able to climb that", you know. So it was just this thing like couldn't even wrap my head around where all of a sudden, after the injuries, I was like, "Well, I'm climbing 5.6 and I'm still loving it, so even if I only climb one day a week with a kid, I'm gonna still love it." And so that kind of gave me the courage to take that next step, which I feel like is really amazing.

Kris Hampton  19:45

Cool. So when Theo was was first.... you were first getting out with Theo and you, Squamish was your first climbing trip you said?

Beth Rodden  19:55

Yeah. 

Kris Hampton  19:56

How How was that first trip having you know first trip with the baby?

Beth Rodden  20:01

Um, it was it was rough, I'd say. There,  I mean, there's a bunch of reasons why it was rough. We decided to drive up there haha. It was just like 20 something hours, you know, and I was like, "He'll just sleep the whole time" hahaha. 

Kris Hampton  20:13

That's a long trip for a baby. 

Beth Rodden  20:14

Yeah, it was like it was miserable. I'm pretty sure we ruined him for the car for the rest of his life.

Kris Hampton  20:18

Hahaha

Beth Rodden  20:20

And then also, like, we have these amazing friends up there, and they let us stay at their house, but I was still like struggling with breastfeeding. So I'm like, trying to walk from our bedroom without my shirt on to put on medicine. And, you know, it was just like, I don't I was just a mess, you know, like, walking around, and like you're leaking and milk and so it's just like, all this stuff. So it was hard haha. But I would say like, and then we spent the entire... we spent like four months in Yosemite after that and I think I feel like we kind of got into our groove. And then we went to Font, you know, that next spring when he was like nine months old. And it really helped to have friends that were doing the same thing other families, you know, because you can kind of like bumble your way through it and learn from it, what they're doing. 

Kris Hampton  21:04

Yep

Beth Rodden  21:05

And then you help each other. All of a sudden, I feel like, more so than entering the climbing community, which I thought was super inclusive when I first came and it was like this tribe that you enter, was the parenthood tribe. I feel like was even more welcoming, because you can just like lay it out there, you know.

Kris Hampton  21:24

I was saying to you earlier, I was looking through your blog today and I was really surprised by how many men comment and respond to your questions and ask you questions. And I mean, it makes me proud, a little bit, of men,

Beth Rodden  21:37

Totally.

Kris Hampton  21:38

 Because I don't think that's the space where a lot of men would be willing to say they spend their time.

Beth Rodden  21:45

 Yeah.

Kris Hampton  21:46

 But, but I think it's an important thing. And, and I thought it was great that you have all those men and women commenting and asking questions and communicating with you.

Beth Rodden  21:58

Yeah, no, it's, I mean, I just had somebody write last week who was like, "I'm a single dad and you know, I'm doing this" and I'm like  "Man, that's amazing." You know, single parents I feel are on the next level haha. 

Kris Hampton  22:09

Yeah. Yeah. 

Beth Rodden  22:10

So but yeah, no, I think it's awesome. I mean, I feel like everybody's in it, you know, and might as well share and help everybody and you're all just trying to get through the day, so.

Kris Hampton  22:22

Yeah. So other than choosing to drive to Squamish, were there other big mistakes, things you wouldn't do again, on those first few trips? 

Beth Rodden  22:32

Yeah, so I wouldn't drive like 20 hours. If you can't, then this is me having like rough nursing issues, like I think your own space to kind of just like bumble around or maybe with somebody who's like at the same stage or who you're super comfortable with.

Kris Hampton  22:52

A close, close friend.

Beth Rodden  22:53

Totally. Exactly that I can like walk around without my shirt on because of that. Mistakes....that is a good question. I"m trying to think of like early

Kris Hampton  23:02

Like out at the boulders or out at the crag are there... did were you ever out there and thought, "Geez, I wish we had this"?

Beth Rodden  23:09

Yeah, I mean, we definitely forgot diapers a couple times haha. But again, we were lucky enough that like friends were around. 

Kris Hampton  23:17

Right

Beth Rodden  23:18

They, you know, they were like, not the right size, but in a pinch. 

Kris Hampton  23:21

Yeah, it is better than no diaper. 

Beth Rodden  23:23

Exactly. Um...god we just, you know, I think we did a lot of trial and error, right. And so for different trips, like, and I think every kid or I know every kid is so different.

Kris Hampton  23:37

Yeah, I think it's okay to do trial and error. 

Beth Rodden  23:39

Totally. 

Kris Hampton  23:40

We want to get it exactly right as parents,

Beth Rodden  23:42

Yeah. But you're not gonna 

Kris Hampton  23:43

But you're not gonna. You're gonna screw it up just like every parent before you. And so trial and error, I think is fine. 

Beth Rodden  23:50

Yeah. No, I think it's necessary. Yeah, we just learned what worked for us, I guess. And so like, Theo loved the Ergo, right, like the thing that and he would

Kris Hampton  24:01

That's the carrier?

Beth Rodden  24:02

That's the carrier. I mean, he napped like months of his life, either on me or Randy, or like, maybe on my parents a couple times, but like, that's what we did. So we actually never had to bring a stroller anywhere we went. But then other friends of ours, like that was their key, right was like napping in the stroller.

Kris Hampton  24:19

Right

Beth Rodden  24:20

And so and we've had a lot of friends and when you go to Europe, like that's how every..... you walk in Font, and you walk around a boulder and there's just like a bob or a pram or whatever and that's how all the kids sleep.

Kris Hampton  24:31

Right

Beth Rodden  24:31

 And they just bring them out and they put them in these things and they sleep everywhere. 

Kris Hampton  24:35

Cool

Beth Rodden  24:35

So I think that's like a key thing for some people is you bring the bob and that's your like napping thing.

Kris Hampton  24:41

Yeah, I've seen people at the Red have like the little pop up playpen type things.

Beth Rodden  24:44

Totally 

Kris Hampton  24:45

Did you ever have anything like that? 

Beth Rodden  24:47

Yeah, you know, that worked really well for like Becca. Both of her kids napped in the tent really well. Like they have this KidCo tent. 

Kris Hampton  24:54

Yeah

Beth Rodden  24:55

Theo like...he took a couple naps in there but really like the Ergo was it or on a crash pad

Kris Hampton  25:01

 Gotcha. 

Beth Rodden  25:02

Um, like we could get him to sleep in the Ergo and then like, transfer him down on the crash pad and go climbing. So he, I think just like find your thing, so trial and error on that and then kind of stick to it.

Kris Hampton  25:13

Yeah, I know I'm totally asking you to think back here and on the spot too, but were there things that you had to have in your bag? You had diapers, obviously. Anything you might not think of?

Beth Rodden  25:30

Well, for me it was like all this...I mean, I hate to keep mentioning this, but if there's any women out there that struggle with breastfeeding, for me, it was like all care around nursing stuff. Because I'd say until like, I mean, I think I had the my last mastitis infection around like, eight months or something like that. So for a while, like that was an issue for me. I always brought that.

Kris Hampton  25:52

I think it's great that you wre getting out.

Beth Rodden  25:55

 Yeah. 

Kris Hampton  25:56

And still doing it you know and not letting it keep you inside or hiding or whatever it might be. So I think it's important, make sure you're bringing that stuff with you. Bring the things that are going to help you care for yourself as well.

Beth Rodden  26:11

Yeah, totally. Um, I mean, we always had enough food because it just seems like you never know. Changes of clothes for sure, especially like outside. Because if you want to be outside all day, and I don't know, they crawl through a puddle or something like that.

Kris Hampton  26:30

Yeah. When my daughter was little and we'd go to the Red, it's a it's basically a sand pit at most crags, so she would be an absolute filthy mess, covered in sand. Like Red River sand dust from head to toe.

Beth Rodden  26:47

 Totally. 

Kris Hampton  26:48

And she loved it. But I'm like, "You are not getting into my car like that"

Beth Rodden  26:51

Yeah, exactly haha. What did you guys do with the Red with the ticks? Because we had tick tick epics at Font last year. I mean, the kids are crawling in it, you know?

Kris Hampton  27:00

Yeah. You know, at the crags, it's not a big problem, usually, because because there's not a lot of foliage right at the crag.

Beth Rodden  27:08

Oh okay.

Kris Hampton  27:08

 But there were several times, one in particular, Kaitlyn and I were walking through the woods, just out walking around and we must have walked through a tick nest or something. Because the next day, I remember sitting at the crag with her and picking ticks off of each other for like an hour. 

Beth Rodden  27:28

Oh god.

Kris Hampton  27:28

We had we each had hundreds of tiny little ticks all over us. So it was just a matter of for us it was just check alot.

Beth Rodden  27:38

Yeah. 

Kris Hampton  27:38

Spend a lot of time checking and if I find one on me or someone nearby finds one on them, then I'm right to her looking around. 

Beth Rodden  27:45

Yeah, totally.

Kris Hampton  27:47

 But other than that, we we didn't really encounter them a ton. 

Beth Rodden  27:52

Okay

Kris Hampton  27:53

Because at the crag they're really not an issue. 

Beth Rodden  27:55

That's good to know. Yeah, so last year in Font, like, I think everywhere is just getting warmer or in changing, obviously. And so Font was so warm last year, and Theo had one embedded and then poor Ingrid, she was you know, just like a year old and she had these teeny tiny five of them that we had to get out. And you're just like pinning, that's when having a community comes in, right

Kris Hampton  28:16

Yep

Beth Rodden  28:17

Because you need like three adults to like, pin down this one year old and take out the ticks but

Kris Hampton  28:22

So do you have like a normal community of other parents that you travel , with climb with or do you sort of gravitate towards the people at the crag who have their own set up?

Beth Rodden  28:36

We're really fortunate. And I guess this happens in a lot of communities, climbing and not, but our friends kind of all had kids around the same time, you know

Kris Hampton  28:45

Right.

Beth Rodden  28:46

In California. And so the people that we climb with the most, they'd, you know, they're either a few months younger than Theo or a couple years older, and there's a bunch of kids and they all play. And then when we travel, it seems like one or two of those families might come and then we'll meet up with some of our friends from around the country that also have kids but and for sure in Font. Font is, like the best place we found so far with for for families or whatnot. 

Kris Hampton  29:16

Yeah

Beth Rodden  29:16

And I think the whole world knows it, because it's all 

Kris Hampton  29:20

It's where all the kids are now?

Beth Rodden  29:21

Yeah. From well, just from everywhere. You go and there, like Swedish families and you know, German families. It's, it's kind of cool, actually. It's

Kris Hampton  29:27

Yeah, I haven't been but I want to go.

Beth Rodden  29:29

 It's amazing.

Kris Hampton  29:30

 Yeah, it looks amazing. 

Beth Rodden  29:31

Yeah. 

Kris Hampton  29:31

When you're traveling internationally are there cruxes with bringing Theo along, especially when he was really young, you know, those first trips? 

Beth Rodden  29:39

Yeah, I mean, I had a ton of anxieties around that because I think I'm just kind of an anxious person. So I was like, "He hasn't had his MMR and he's gonna he's gonna get measles" and you know, so that sort of thing, when he was really young. And then like, once he got all his vaccinations, it came a lot easier. But I mean, we went to South Africa last year, and we're going again this year and I think it's been a good learning lesson for me in letting go, actually. And just being like, "Well, this is what we're doing and we're going to expose him to the world" and it's a great learning lesson for, for everybody. But cruxes... I mean, just guys, you know. Just going anywhere with the kid takes, you know, five times as long. You're like, "Okay", you text your friend and you're like, "Okay, we're gonna leave."

Kris Hampton  30:28

 Lots of patience.

Beth Rodden  30:28

Yeah, exactly. And you text somebody, you're like, "I'm gonna leave in 20 minutes", and then an hour and a half later, you're like, "And we're still not out the door", but you don't know what you're doing but you are doing something

Kris Hampton  30:37

It doesn't get any faster when they're 16. 

Beth Rodden  30:38

Haha. Right. Yeah. Great. 

Kris Hampton  30:46

Yeah, mine's 20 now, and she loves the "stand in the mirror and put on makeup", so that's it take takes even longer now. Luckily, she can drive, so I can just be like, "Well, you can just meet me there."

Beth Rodden  30:59

Haha. Yeah. You're like, "I'm leaving. I'm gonna go get some pitches in before you get there"

Kris Hampton  31:03

Haha yeah. 

Beth Rodden  31:05

 Yeah. Cruxes? I mean, I think everything just takes just be like, 100% more patient with yourself. Because it's gonna be, it's gonna take a lot longer, for sure.

Kris Hampton  31:14

Do you always have that third person around or an extra group around? How often is it just you and Randy and Theo?

Beth Rodden  31:24

Let's see, for the second half, we did three months abroad last year and for the second half of our trip, it was just the three of us, which was nice. I mean, we'd meet up with people randomly, obviously, because there's other people at the climbing area.

Kris Hampton  31:36

Sure yeah

Beth Rodden  31:37

 But um, yeah, and this year, I feel like it's going to be kind of similar in that we're going to have, we know a bunch of people going for the first half of our trip to Font, but then I'm sure I'll just meet random people. So a lot of times, it's just us. And then Randy has this nice thing worked out with his work where he does like three months remote, and then three months in the city and then three months remote, so 

Kris Hampton  32:03

Cool, that's a cool set up. 

Beth Rodden  32:05

So when he's working in the city, during the week in Yosemite and stuff, it is just me and Theo. And then he started preschool this year there, so that's been a big change.

Kris Hampton  32:13

Yeah. Are you getting out while he's in preschool?

Beth Rodden  32:17

Yeah, I'm, I'm alternating days right now. So he's in half day preschool or whatnot. And so I climb one day, and then I'm working on writing a book the other day.

Kris Hampton  32:27

Cool.

Beth Rodden  32:27

 So it's like climb, write, climb, write.

Kris Hampton  32:29

Yeah. Yeah, that's cool. When you're, when you are on these trips, what sort of schedule do you keep for climbing? Is it is it dictated a little by Theo? Like, is he is he able to do like a two on one off kind of a thing or does he get fatigued after a certain number of days going back out to the boulders and you'd rather do something else?

Beth Rodden  32:50

He's pretty good, actually. And until Randy and I have always just alternated days. So it will be like Randy's day to climb and I'll hang with Theo or it'll be my day to climb and he'll hang with Theo. And when there's other kids around, then that's the best because then maybe both of us could climb. 

Kris Hampton  33:07

Yeah. 

Beth Rodden  33:07

Which is nice.

Kris Hampton  33:08

Yeah. And I could see if there are other kids around, that's an ideal setup, because Theo's gonna love 

Beth Rodden  33:13

Totally 

Kris Hampton  33:14

Being out there with the other kids anyway. 

Beth Rodden  33:15

Yeah. 

Kris Hampton  33:16

What kid doesn't want to just go get dirty with other kids all day long.

Beth Rodden  33:18

Yeah. And like, run around with sticks in the forest. 

Kris Hampton  33:20

Yeah. Yeah. 

Beth Rodden  33:21

So like, last year in Font, that happened. There was probably like, eight kids under six or whatever and it was the first time Randy and I were like, "Wow, we can actually go climbing together."

Kris Hampton  33:31

Yeah. And you can go out... if it's if you're alternating days, you're probably going out almost every day.

Beth Rodden  33:36

Oh, we're going out every day. Yeah, yeah. But I don't know. Like some of our friends have kids that are really good self entertainers and can climb like, together and that and like, I was a terrible self entertainer as a child, and Theo has kind of adopted that. So I think it just depends on on your on your kid, you know?

Kris Hampton  33:54

 Sure. 

Beth Rodden  33:55

And so for us, it's just that's what we found has worked for our family.

Kris Hampton  33:58

Yeah. And I think knowing your kid's personality is really important. Like you just said, it's gonna depend on whether your kid's good at being self entertained. My daughter was for the most part, but I definitely saw things blossom when there were other kids around 

Beth Rodden  34:15

Totally 

Kris Hampton  34:15

Building little forts out of sticks or whatever it was. So I think that's important. You know, pay attention to what, what they enjoy doing and then sort of build your schedule around that, makining that work out

Beth Rodden  34:30

Were there a lot of kids when your daughter was young, out at the crag? Like it seems like I've seen it grow more, but obviously climbing is growing more. So I don't know if it's, you know, the one or the other or I'm just curious how that 

Kris Hampton  34:43

I think that's the thing is climbing is growing more. When she... 20 years ago, you know, I guess it was about 18 years ago, 17 years ago, I first started taking her to the crag and probably 14 years ago when she first climbed. There weren't that many kids, at least in the Red. 

Beth Rodden  35:06

Right. Okay.

Kris Hampton  35:08

 They just weren't that common. So. So there weren't a lot of opportunities to just hang out with other kids. And I wasn't lucky enough to have that all of my friends are having kids at the same time, so we've got a bunch of climbers with kids. It would have been great if we did, but just wasn't the case. So so we were always kind of a solo crew. It would usually be myself and a partner, plus Kaitlyn. And luckily, she loved climbing and was into it early on, so that was helpful. And I didn't ever push her to be a climber. 

Beth Rodden  35:48

Yeah. 

Kris Hampton  35:49

How do you feel about that with Theo? Is that something that you're going to gently nudge them into or wait to see what he comes up with?

Beth Rodden  35:57

No, yeah, I definitely don't want to I kind of want to let we've just let him dictate when he wants to climb, if he ever wants to climb. I think I'm probably a bit scarred from growing up in the kid comp scene. 

Kris Hampton  36:10

Sure. 

Beth Rodden  36:10

I've seen so many kids just get pounded and push by their parents and I got so turned off by that. And I had the opposite experience with my parents and you know, like, climbing was mine. 

Kris Hampton  36:21

Right. 

Beth Rodden  36:21

And I was the one pushing, and I just saw it just ruin climbing for so many kids and I don't want to do that to Theo, you know

Beth Rodden  36:29

So if he wants to, awesome. You know, that could be.... I think it'd be even better if he did it with his friends, because then it would he could own it in a different way, rather than "Oh that's what I do with my mom and dad."

Kris Hampton  36:29

Yeah. 

Kris Hampton  36:39

Yeah, yeah. And we've seen, you know, quite a few generations, pick it up from their parents doing it. Just pick it up, and then take it off and make it their own thing. 

Beth Rodden  36:52

Totally.

Kris Hampton  36:53

 So certainly a feasible idea. And frankly, I think it's more feasible. I think it's more likely, if you're not pushing them into it. 

Beth Rodden  37:02

Totally. Yeah.

Kris Hampton  37:03

 Chris Lindner was a good friend of mine. And I know he was he was sometimes pushed into climbing and and kept trying to make comebacks, but it never really stuck for him, at least in the public way. He may still be climbing, for all I know, which would be great and I hope he is. I hope you found where he really loved it and was able to, to stay there. 

Beth Rodden  37:28

Totally.

Kris Hampton  37:28

We've seen it was several people. I'm not trying to single out Chris or, Tom, for that matter. But, but we've seen it several times, like you said.

Beth Rodden  37:38

Oh, yeah, no, I've seen I've seen it a lot. I'm curious. So you were able to sport climb, though, with just a partner? 

Kris Hampton  37:45

Yeah

Beth Rodden  37:45

Because Kaitlyn was so chill and good at

Kris Hampton  37:47

She was self entertained, yeah

Beth Rodden  37:48

That's so awesome. 

Kris Hampton  37:49

She was good at it. And she, and it was at a time already, where she understood enough about climbing. I'd never really went climbing with her when she was really little, so I have no experience there. You know, I would only go climbing on the weekends when I didn't have her. So she already understood climbing enough to cheer me on a little bit and want to watch while I climbed. 

Beth Rodden  38:15

Oh that's so cool

Kris Hampton  38:17

And those were huge moments, you know, being able to hear her voice cheering me on was big. But it worked out fine. 

Beth Rodden  38:26

That's awesome. That's cool

Kris Hampton  38:27

You know, and, and especially in a place like the Red where you get, you know, destroyed, pumped and it takes you know, you're taking 45 minutes or an hour in between routes. So even if there are two of you, it's not like you're trading belays back and forth, and back and forth. It's more like, you both climb, and then there's a 45 minute period where no one's climbing.

Beth Rodden  38:49

Right

Kris Hampton  38:50

 So you get a lot of time to hang out and build forts and play in the dirt. 

Beth Rodden  38:54

Cool. That's awesome. That's awesome. 

Kris Hampton  38:56

So what have you found between sport climbing and bouldering...I know. I know, you said on your blog, that bouldering is definitely the easier thing

Beth Rodden  39:04

For us right now. Yeah, we went we went to Ceuse last year for a couple weeks. But we, our friend Emily signed up for the family, family scene for two weeks. So we did alternating days.

Kris Hampton  39:17

How is the hike up there?

Beth Rodden  39:19

Randy was a champion haha.

Kris Hampton  39:21

He carried Theo up?

Beth Rodden  39:22

He carried Theo

Kris Hampton  39:23

Nice.

Beth Rodden  39:23

 I mean, Theo would walk like whatever for 10 minutes some days, but for the most part, we just kind of like hammered it up there. Yeah, so he was two at the time.

Kris Hampton  39:34

And I can't imagine there's much of a kid scene at Ceuse.

Beth Rodden  39:39

No, but the Airbnb that we rented was rad because they had like a little girl just a little bit older than Theo and they had like a trampoline and they had other things. So there was a few days where Theo was like, "I just want to play with Louisianne". And we're like "Great, that's fine. Well, like one of us will hang out here with you." Yeah, so yeah, but no, there's definitely not. I've seen some people not...I don't know them well, that have gone but maybe with their kids a little bit older. Although no that's not true because Becca and Tommy, they took Fitz when Fitz is like a year or something like that, so. So yeah, we've mainly bouldered. I have to say I do miss miss rope climbing though. But I think we're getting closer to the place when Theo can be a little bit more self entertained and you know, be okay.

Kris Hampton  40:25

Yeah, I think for me it was definitely around, like around five or six is when it really got good sport climbing. 

Beth Rodden  40:33

Yeah. That makes sense.

Kris Hampton  40:33

 Yeah, there was definitely a period when she was really young when I had stopped climbing all together to focus on music. So, so there was that period that I completely missed out on learning how to climb with a toddler. 

Beth Rodden  40:47

Right. Yeah.

Kris Hampton  40:48

That would have been difficult so.

Beth Rodden  40:52

And yeah, that's what we found. Like, that's why I feel like we're just kind of getting there because before you know, you're when you're sport climbing,  you're actually tethered in.

Kris Hampton  41:00

Right

Beth Rodden  41:01

 Like even the belayer so like if they crater or something happens, you can't just be like, "You're off belay. I'm going", whereas you know, bouldering, you can kind of run and do something, so

Kris Hampton  41:12

That third person comes in really important in sport climbing. Yeah,

Beth Rodden  41:17

Yeah, exactly. So yeah, so but I kind of just looked at this as like a phase where we'll boulder primarily for a bit.

Kris Hampton  41:27

So camping versus hotel. Do you guys ever camp with Theo? Is it mostly, I'm sure, you know, like you said, you're renting an Airbnb when you're taking these long international trips.

Beth Rodden  41:38

 Yeah. 

Kris Hampton  41:39

When you take shorter trips in the US, do you camp?

Beth Rodden  41:43

Yeah. So we we usually, you know, go up to Tuolumne in the High Country in the summer and we camp up there. And Theo loves camping, like he asks to go camping all the time. 

Kris Hampton  41:53

Yeah. 

Beth Rodden  41:54

And maybe it's because he's going with his best friend a lot of the time, but

Kris Hampton  41:56

Now define "camping" for me. Because in today's climbing climate, there are several levels of camping. 

Beth Rodden  42:04

Haha Yeah. Yeah, so we don't have a Sprinter, but we have only done a tent a couple times. We just have like a pickup truck. And so you know, we put a bouldering pad in the back and then we've put this piece of plywood across like the top of our feet, you know, type of thing and Theo sleeps on the plywood.

Kris Hampton  42:25

 Oh, cool. 

Beth Rodden  42:25

Then we sleep on the

Kris Hampton  42:26

It's like a little miniature bunk bed. 

Beth Rodden  42:27

Yeah, exactly. 

Kris Hampton  42:28

Yeah, that's really cool. 

Beth Rodden  42:30

Yeah. Yeah. So that's what we do.

Kris Hampton  42:32

 I'm sure he likes having his own little platform too.

Beth Rodden  42:34

Yeah, it's awesome, actually. And before, in  like, in the very beginning, we didn't have like a little, you know, piece of one by two or whatever and he like 

Kris Hampton  42:42

A little rail, so he would just roll off. 

Beth Rodden  42:43

Yeah he'd tumble onto us in the middle of the night and I'd be like "Sorry, buddy." Haha. So then we put that in. But yeah, we've done we did like a trip to the Southwest, climbing in New Mexico and stuff for like three weeks doing that. 

Beth Rodden  42:57

That was and we have a big dog too, so he like sleeps in the front of the cab you know? 

Kris Hampton  42:57

Cool. 

Kris Hampton  43:03

Gotcha. Do you have pictures of that set up anywhere on your blog?

Beth Rodden  43:06

I do....Oh, in the blog? No, maybe I should, yeah, maybe I should put something up. It's a good... I mean, it works out great. 

Kris Hampton  43:14

If not, I'll get something from you and post it up when we put this up.

43:17

Totally, I can just send it to you. Yeah, I don't know how it would work if you had a second kid. Maybe it would work okay until, like co-slept with us until whatever, like nine months or 10 months or something. So I think when they're young, and could co-sleep, and other people. I'm just a terrible sleeper, as we discussed. So I needed like space. But yeah, I know other people like co-sleep, you know, way longer and so then it would work if you had a second. But I've never like I don't know if that would work for for people with two kids though. 

Kris Hampton  43:47

Yeah. I like the little platform. 

Beth Rodden  43:48

Yeah. 

Kris Hampton  43:49

I think that might work with a couple of kids. I mean, the platform would have to be a little bit bigger but

Beth Rodden  43:53

Yeah, you'd like widen it. Yeah. 

Kris Hampton  43:54

Yeah. But that could be fun. And, you know, thinking back to when you said that, that you had a little platform, I thought back to when I was a kid and how cool that would seem. 

Beth Rodden  44:05

Yeah haha

Kris Hampton  44:06

To have my own little platform in the you know, in the space.

Beth Rodden  44:09

 Yeah, totally. 

Kris Hampton  44:10

It would be so cool.

Beth Rodden  44:11

Yeah. No, it works out great for for our little unit how we have it. I mean, obviously like it's not great if it's like dumping rain, and like trying to cook in there, whatever.

Kris Hampton  44:25

Yeah

Beth Rodden  44:26

 But for summertime camping, it's fantastic.

Kris Hampton  44:30

Has there been talk of "We should get a camper sprinter something" or you just, "This is fine."

Beth Rodden  44:38

This works for us for now. I'm kind of like, one, where would we get the money? Two, I'm like, would we really use it? Because how we have our life set up right now, it's like, we're in Yosemite in the fall, where we have our little place. We're in Europe in the spring and then we're basing out of the Bay in the summer and the winter. So it's kind of like...maybe if our lives totally changed and Randy took like a remote job and we wanted to travel around the country, then maybe we could we would do something different. But for our needs for camping right now this this seems good.

Kris Hampton  45:13

Yeah. Can we switch gears a little bit?

Beth Rodden  45:15

Totally

Kris Hampton  45:16

 I want to talk a little about your climbing and how its how its evolved to this point. I said I was reading your blog a little earlier and there was a post that I thought was really great that talked about finding a passion, and how that passion has to be something you can grow inside of, or you just get bored with it like you did with tennis. But climbing was something that because you switched from comps to outdoor climbing to big wall climbing that you could constantly grow and find new things to do, so climbing became your passion. And you mentioned that motherhood has become this new passion for you.

Beth Rodden  46:01

Mm hmm

Kris Hampton  46:02

 And it and it is it does fit the requirements. You know, it's something you can grow, you can constantly learn, you can always get better and

Beth Rodden  46:09

You have to  haha

Kris Hampton  46:09

You have to, yeah. Do you think it's replaced the passion for climbing or is the passion for climbing growing back? Has it always just been there? What's it like now?

Beth Rodden  46:23

That's a really good question. It's definitely not replaced it. Because there.... I'd say and I don't have two kids, but I wonder if it's kind of what people say that your heart just grows bigger when you have another kid, right? It doesn't like you don't replace it. 

Kris Hampton  46:40

Yeah, you just make more space in there

Kris Hampton  46:42

Right

Beth Rodden  46:42

You just make more space. I would say my like that, that need, I don't I don't feel that need to have to go climbing, if it's just not working one day anymore, right. Whereas I used to wake up and like if it was supposed to be a climbing day, or if it was supposed to be a day that I went on my project and I didn't do it, like that was the end of the world

Beth Rodden  46:42

 Like I was failing and like, the world ended that day. Whereas now it's like, you wake up and Theo is sick or whatever and you're just like, and you had climbed plans, you're like, well, I'm just, I got to...this is where I'm going to focus my energy today right is on that. And, and I feel that, that focus and that energy, I don't feel upset by that, you know, that I don't go climbing whereas I definitely used to feel that. You know, I would feel jaded if I didn't get to go out and climb. But now I'm kind of like, but if I wake up and I'm supposed to go climbing and like Theo is in preschool, and I get to, then I'm so psyched, you know. Like it's still there and I'm like, so excited.

Kris Hampton  47:46

It sounds like it's become a more healthier, more mature passion. 

Beth Rodden  47:51

Oh, yeah, I think so 

Kris Hampton  47:52

You know, where it might have, for so many of us, bordered on obsession. 

Beth Rodden  47:58

Oh, yeah

Kris Hampton  47:58

You know, in an unhealthy way sometimes to the detriment of other parts of your life. 

Beth Rodden  48:04

For sure.

Kris Hampton  48:05

 I think that's what it sounds like to me is it's become a more healthy, mature passion.

Beth Rodden  48:10

Yeah, it was a really like, I mean, amazing, in so many ways, way to live but kind of like this addictive way. Like set in, set a goal, see how hard you can push yourself, see how big you could dream

Kris Hampton  48:23

Yeah. I wish people could see your eyes right now because your eyes get really big and so excited. 

Beth Rodden  48:30

Haha .Yeah. 

Kris Hampton  48:30

And that's how it feels. It almost feels like too much. 

Beth Rodden  48:35

Yeah

Kris Hampton  48:35

When you look back at it,

Beth Rodden  48:37

Yeah, you just like set this huge thing. You're like, "Maybe I can do it." And then you do it and you're like, "Can I do something even bigger?"

Kris Hampton  48:43

Yeah.

Beth Rodden  48:44

 And, but then that's just unsustainable, at least it was for me, you know, that just wasn't.... at some point in my life, you know, I just felt like I wanted something different and more, you know. It just that couldn't satisfy everything anymore.

Kris Hampton  49:00

Yeah. Do you think there will ever be another project, in a, in a healthy way, like, The Optimist or Meltdown or something that could become all consuming if you let it? 

Beth Rodden  49:20

Um, God, I don't know. I don't know.....I mean, I should ask you this. Like, maybe when Theo is older, I just don't feel like I can be the mom I want to be, but also have an all consuming project at the same time. Because I just know how I used to be with projects and then I know how I want to be there for Theo and I don't see those two things. How I used to be with projects, perhaps if I found a new way with projects, a better balance then I.... I mean, I still have a list of things I want to do.

Kris Hampton  49:57

 Right 

Beth Rodden  49:58

For sure. I mean, I don't know if you ever

Kris Hampton  50:00

Do you have an actual physical list?

Beth Rodden  50:02

No, I don't actually. Yeah.

Kris Hampton  50:04

Yeah.

Kris Hampton  50:04

I was curious haha

Beth Rodden  50:04

.I know a lot of my friends do. They have like, for every trip they go on, they have like a list and I'm like, "How do you find the time to compile that?" Like, yeah, I just have this list in my head. I'm like, "Oh it would be cool to do this and it would be cool to do that." And, but, um, I mean, I tried for years after Meltdown, but my body was just like, shutting down. 

Beth Rodden  50:06

 And so it's not like, I don't have that desire to climb hard again. I totally do.

Beth Rodden  50:25

It doesn't even have to be the difficulty of The Optimist or Meltdown to be consuming. 

Beth Rodden  50:37

Totally. Yeah. 

Kris Hampton  50:38

You know?

Beth Rodden  50:39

Yeah, I......um..... right now, when Theo is this age, I just can't see myself getting wrapped up in project.

Kris Hampton  50:47

Sure. I think that's a good, honest answer. 

Beth Rodden  50:50

Yeah. 

Kris Hampton  50:51

For me, I climbed my hardest routes and hardest boulder problems after the age of 40, so it was when my daughter was grown. And, you know, while 16 was a struggle, for sure, 

Beth Rodden  51:09

Yeah.

Kris Hampton  51:10

 I think that only served to heightened my dedication

Beth Rodden  51:16

Right

Kris Hampton  51:17

Both to her and to climbing

Beth Rodden  51:21

Right. That's so awesome to hear.

Kris Hampton  51:23

 Because it really it really forced me to focus, you know, on on different things at different times. So I don't think I don't think that's that your answer is saying that you can never have that again. You know, I just think it's, this is what I see now and that's, that's as far as I'm willing to look ahead. 

Beth Rodden  51:51

Yeah. 

Kris Hampton  51:51

And I think that's fine. I think that's what we do. You know, saying, "Oh, in 15 years, I'm gonna do this." You know, none of us really know if that's what's actually going to happen. 

Beth Rodden  52:05

Totally

Kris Hampton  52:06

So saying that stuff is mostly bullshit. You know, we're just trying to convince ourselves 

Beth Rodden  52:12

Haha. Yeah, totally. 

Kris Hampton  52:14

So I think that's a good, honest answer. 

Beth Rodden  52:16

Yeah, I used to be such a planner, like, "I'm gonna do this, this and this is gonna be then and that's gonna be then" and I think that's one thing that motherhood, you just have to kind of let go of. 

Beth Rodden  52:28

Yeah. 

Beth Rodden  52:28

You are just like, "Well, we'll see where we are."

Kris Hampton  52:30

What's interesting, you say that that's something you let go of, because there is there's a pretty big, pretty high level of planning has to happen as a mother. 

Beth Rodden  52:42

Yeah.

Kris Hampton  52:42

 It's just different planning. It's not planning...it's not planning in the same way. It's not a selfish planning. 

Beth Rodden  52:49

Yeah. 

Kris Hampton  52:52

So I think it's interesting that you, you made that distinction. 

Beth Rodden  52:56

Yeah. That's true 

Kris Hampton  52:57

Because I would bet you do a lot of planning right now. 

Beth Rodden  52:59

Oh, yeah. We do a lot of planning. Less concrete life planning, more "How are we getting out the door today?"

Kris Hampton  53:07

Hahaha. Yeah, I think that's important. Does it does sometimes does it still feel like a junk show to you?

Beth Rodden  53:14

Oh, my God every day. Yeah. Yeah. No, that's an exaggeration for sure. Not every day. But yes, it still does. Because you still... I mean, you wake up and you've, at least for me, I wake up and I feel like I'm doing something for three hours and we're still not out the door, you know. And I'm like, but it's not like I've just been sitting here.

Kris Hampton  53:33

 Yeah.

Beth Rodden  53:33

 Like, it's like, you're like making breakfast and you're making lunches and you are getting people dressed and you're like him to the bathroom and you have to go the bathroom and you have to get dressed and

Kris Hampton  53:42

All the things your parents did to get you to the climbing gym on time.

Beth Rodden  53:45

Haha. Yeah, exactly. 

Kris Hampton  53:47

Yeah, it's funny when it all comes back around, huh?

Beth Rodden  53:49

 Totally. Yeah. No, my parents have.... because I'm always calling and like "Was I like this?" and they're like, "Oh, yeah." He got it from me, haha. 

Kris Hampton  53:58

The age old question 

Beth Rodden  53:59

Yeah, exactly.

Kris Hampton  54:01

Yeah, so what's it look like from here for you? Are there plans? Are you just taking it one day at a time like you say you are?

Beth Rodden  54:11

Um, I mean, there are like plans... I mean, we're going on a trip again this year overseas

Kris Hampton  54:17

Right. Are you any making any climbing goals at all? Or just right now just waiting to see what happens?

Beth Rodden  54:23

Yeah, I mean, I'm like getting out and climbing. I guess it would.... it happens each day. I'm like "Oh, I'm feeling okay maybe I'll go try this" or "Oh", like you know, I just kind of take it as but I don't go like I don't have a list on our trip, like "I'm like in Font and I want to do X, Y & Z". That's totally not how I have planned out that trip. I'm like, "We're going to Font, we're going to Switzerland, and we're going to South Africa." and that's like, all I know. And then I'm also writing, writing a memoir and so that's like, something that I'm working on.

Kris Hampton  54:55

Yeah, I'd call that a pretty damn big project.

Beth Rodden  54:58

 Yeah, it's a big project. 

Kris Hampton  54:59

Yeah, that might be harder than Meltdown.

Beth Rodden  55:01

 Oh, yeah. Yeah. I'm like trying to slowly pick away at it.

Kris Hampton  55:06

Yeah, I talked to Tommy on the podcast this summer and he said that writing, writing the book was the hardest thing he'd ever done. 

Beth Rodden  55:14

Oh, yeah?

Kris Hampton  55:15

Yeah. And that he really had to focus in like he would on a big project to do it. 

Beth Rodden  55:24

Yeah, no, it's, I mean, I think for some people, it probably comes easy and some people will probably doesn't. You know, I enjoy writing, but I find it to be a great challenge, so

Kris Hampton  55:34

Yeah. Well, I think it's, I think it's probably a good thing, that you're not forcing yourself to be climbing goal oriented. You know, I think it's, I think it's necessary for some people. But having the history that you've had of first the comp scene, then pushing yourself during this time of, you know, trying to reconcile the fact that your identity was as a climber who did hard thing. 

Beth Rodden  56:08

Yeah, totally

Kris Hampton  56:09

You know. And now refinding that, that love of it, it's probably a smart thing to just let it come and be excited about what you're climbing on at the moment. And if you want to try something hard, try something hard. And if you don't, you don't.

Beth Rodden  56:27

 Yeah

Kris Hampton  56:27

You know, I think that's probably a smarter decision than "I really want to climb this V10 in Font" or whatever. 

Beth Rodden  56:36

Oh, yeah. No, that would kind of ruin my trip, I think. 

Kris Hampton  56:39

Yeah.

Beth Rodden  56:40

 You know, no, I'm, I...it's been it's been awesome actually, that revelation or that discovery, the injuries through the injuries so many years ago. You know, I've just seen so many of my peers and friends that they were in that same state and once they couldn't climb hard again, then they stopped. 

Kris Hampton  57:02

Right

Beth Rodden  57:03

 You know and that's it.

Kris Hampton  57:04

Yeah. I've talked I've talked to quite a bit about doing a "Where are they now?" podcast, talking to some of those young crushers who just disappeared.

Beth Rodden  57:12

Yeah, yeah. Because I feel that like climbing has so much to offer. so many different people. Like, it can be whatever you want it to be right. Like, you can be like the old Bleausards going out there when you're eighty, dusting off your shoes and climbing up the easy climbs, but, or you can piddle out in your late 20s and that's it. 

Kris Hampton  57:35

Yeah. 

Beth Rodden  57:36

So I'd rather be the old Bleausard haha. 

Kris Hampton  57:39

Yeah, totally. Me too. Me too. And I'm glad you didn't, that you aren't one of those young crushers who disappeared. I think you're you're bringing a good voice, you know, and like I said, reinventing yourself, finding this space where your voice is really important. And I'm glad that that's happening, that climbing is maturing for you. 

Beth Rodden  58:04

Yeah, no, me too.

Kris Hampton  58:05

 I think that's cool. Where can people find you online? What's your....

Beth Rodden  58:10

Um, well, I have a blog that I should be doing more on, but I'm writing the book, so that's kind of taken a lot of my time.

Kris Hampton  58:19

Well, there's a lot on there.

Beth Rodden  58:20

Yes. Oh, yeah. So it's just bethrodden.com and then my Instagram account is mainly pictures of Theo hahaha. And, yeah, there's, I have a Facebook page. 

Kris Hampton  58:33

Okay cool. Well, I'll definitely link to that and send people there. And I know you had a post on your blog with some of the products that you really loved. 

Beth Rodden  58:46

Oh, yeah.

Kris Hampton  58:47

 I'll definitely link to that as well. Because I think a lot of people, it's nice to just buy the good product and not have to do the trial and error by screwing it up over and over. So

Beth Rodden  58:58

Yeah, yeah. And I'd say like, find whatever works for you know, you and your family. For sure. Like, that's, I mean, there's going to be I think that's the cool thing about this community and how every community of parents is like, you get to see what people do and then you get to like, take little tidbits from here, and little tidbits from there and make it your own. And I think that's kind of cool about parenting. There's like, no, one way to do it, you know. You get to figure out what works so 

Kris Hampton  59:27

Cool. Well, that's, that's perfect. I really appreciate you taking time to sit down even though you were delayed getting here and I know you got a busy schedule while you are here, so

Beth Rodden  59:36

No, thank you. Thanks for thinking of me. 

Kris Hampton  59:40

Maybe the thing I appreciate most about this conversation with Beth is that she doesn't pretend to have all the answers. You know, she she actually threw me off a bit when she asked or when she said you know, "Maybe I should ask you." I go into these conversations with a genuinely curious desire to learn and It's obvious to me that Beth did the same thing and I appreciate that a ton. So thanks, Beth. The time is much appreciated, as well as a great conversation. Let's do it again. And for the record, should you decide to find another mega project, no matter what the grade attached to it is, count me into your cheering section. That's another thing I respect about what Beth has to say. Her identity was entirely as a climber, from teenager to adult, that's what she was. And when she made the decision to re identify as a mother first, I think it showed a level of maturity that many people find hard to come by. And I think we can all learn from that, whether it's being a mother or a father or a structural engineer or a musician or whatever. It's okay to follow what you're passionate about. You're still a climber and climbing will still be there and maybe best and your best years yet to come. Thank you guys again, for listening. You can find Beth at bethrodden.com. You can also find her on the Instagrams @bethrodden all one word. You can find us at PowerCompanyClimbing.com. You can support the podcast at patreon.com/powercompanypodcast. And you can find us on the Facebooks, the Instagrams and the Pinterest @powercompanyclimbing. You can look for us on the Twitter all day long. You can look for us on the Twitter forever. I don't care. You're not gonna find us because we don't tweet. We scream like eagles.