Four years ago this month in 2019, Yosemite’s Magic Line, a 5.14 crack originally put up by Ron Kauk and not repeated until more than 20 years later by his son, Lonnie, saw its third ascent. Pushing her limits both physically and mentally, the formidable Hazel Findlay solidified her status as one of the strongest trad climbers in the world with the send. She reflected on her experience working the line at her blog, which is a must-read. Today, we rewind to an episode with Hazel in which she shares strategies for getting into the right mindset to send, strategies she no doubt called on to take down Magic Line. She talks breathing techniques, pre-climbing rituals, flow state, and more.

When this episode was recorded, Hazel was just beginning her journey into being a professional coach, and she has since continued along that path, founding Strong Mind, which specializes in mental training for climbers, and also the Strong Mind Podcast, which she hosts. If you’re interested in learning more about Hazel and Strong Mind’s offerings, check out Hazel’s Performance Hacks course!

This episode originally aired on September 3, 2017; to learn more, click HERE.