Episode 75: Self Worth and China Doll with Heather Weidner

Photo: Jon Glassberg

Heather Weidner doesn't need an introduction, but this episode certainly does. When I recently watched a film made about Heather's ascent of China Doll, putting her into a small group of women to have climbed 14a on gear, I was left with a bad taste in my mouth. It seemed that given the current gender climate, the filmmakers, Jon Glassberg and Caroline Treadway, could have crafted a story that didn't depict Heather as so dependent on her husband, Chris Weidner, for not only support, but to also tell and show her how to climb the route. One friend suggested that the film should have been titled Mansplaining 5.14.  

Shortly after, Heather wrote a blog post indicating that she felt similar upon seeing the film, and I knew I had to talk to her about it. The omissions, the contradictions, and the lessons. 

We don't tweet. We scream like eagles.

China Doll is a provocative exploration of gender stereotypes, romance, and rock climbing. Witness Heather Weidner battle personal demons in the world of hard traditional climbing. With her ascent of China Doll, a 5.14- R traditional route in Upper Dream Canyon, Colorado, U.S.A., Heather Weidner nabs the first female ascent, and becomes the fourth woman in the world to climb a 5.14 traditional route.