Ascent Archive: Oral Histories with Rock Climbers

 Portia Menlove was born and raised in Salt Lake City. She spent time doing outdoor sports with her family. Portia was immediately draw to climbing as an ADHD kid and started climbing all the time at the Wasatch Front Climbing Gym and going on trips with older climbers. Portia competed in youth and adult bouldering competitions, including the Junior Competitive Climbing Association, Professional C...

Larry Love was born in Oroville, California where he grew up playing outdoors and enjoying sports. His dad was a plumber and his mother was a cook. After his parents were divorced, he and his mother moved to Salt Lake City where he attended the Sherman Elementary, Granite Junior High, Granite High, and Olympus High Schools. Right after high school he entered the Army Reserve, where he served for e...

Cerre Francis was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and suffered from hip dysplasia. Treatment for her condition involved multiple surgeries and a body cast during her first year. Her family was not particularly oriented to the outdoors so early in her life she was limited to taking lessons that her parents signed her up with. Her high-energy nature led her to more adventures in the outdoors when her f...

Jessica Taverna developed a love for the outdoors when she spent a semester working on a farm in Vermont during junior high school. In college, a friend of hers took her climbing and she loved it. She moved to Washington DC to work and became involved with the climbing community there. Jessica chose to come to graduate school in Salt Lake City because of climbing. She talks about her climbing expe...

John Cronin grew up in New York City and Long Island. He started rock climbing in 1987 and quickly left to live by the Shawangunks, NY, to climb. Within a year, John started doing climbing competitions, including a few international World Cups. John really enjoyed the mental and physical aspects of competitions. In 1992, John moved to Salt Lake City to continue training for competitions and climbi...

Sarah Wolfe grew up on Navajo Nation reservation with her mother and sisters. Her primary interests were singing and playing musical instruments and creating programming around culture and the arts. She moved to North Carolina after college and eventually became very involved in the climbing community through the North Carolina Chapter of the American Alpine Club, Triangle Rock Gym, and Carolina C...

Jacinda "JC" Hunter grew up in Wenatchee, Washington, before moving the Utah. JC spent her childhood backpacking in the Cascades with her father and did track and field in high school. After graduating from high school, she started climbing at the Rock Garden in Provo, Utah, and climbing outside. JC worked as a nurse and recounts returning to climbing after several years of being pregnant and bare...

Alex Lemieux grew up outside of Montreal and recounts playing hockey, doing gymnastics, and skiing in his youth with his older brother. In high school Alex became a ski instructor and continued to work his way up through the certifications. Alex was introduced to rock climbing in high school and that soon became his other passion. While on a three-month climbing road trip in the United States, his...

Adriana Chimaras was born in Caracas, Venezuela and grew up in Miami, Florida. After graduation, Adriana moved to Portland, Oregon, and starting climbing. After a long climbing road trip, Adriana settled in Salt Lake City and starting coaching at Momentum Climbing Gym in Millcreek. When approached by Amanda Leonard to create some type of event of event at Joe's Valley, Adriana immediately said yes...

 Ted Wilson discusses being hired to work at the Grand Tetons. He was chosen to be a part of the Tetons rescue team because of his rescue skills. He describes a few rescues he was a part of. After one rescue, the sheriff's office, who hadn't done anything to help, took all the credit for rescuing a group of kids. The most harrowing, and most famous, rescue Mr. Wilson took part in was a three day r...

 Ted Wilson discusses being hired to work at the Grand Tetons. He was chosen to be a part of the Tetons rescue team because of his rescue skills. He describes a few rescues he was a part of. After one rescue, the sheriff's office, who hadn't done anything to help, took all the credit for rescuing a group of kids. The most harrowing, and most famous, rescue Mr. Wilson took part in was a three day r...

Julia Geisler grew up in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. She discusses an early connection to nature and outdoor activities like night skiing, camping, snowboarding, and backpacking. After graduating from Dickinson College, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, with a degree in Environmental Science, Julia traveled, through-hiked the Appalachian Trail and John Muir Trail, taught English in Japan, and guided outdo...

Greg Child grew up in Sydney, Australia, and stated climbing in high school with friends. Greg discusses early climbing, equipment, and tactics in Australia. In 1977, Greg visited Yosemite to climb El Capitan and then from about 1980s onwards lived in the United States climbing in Colorado, California, Washington, and Utah. Greg recounts challenges to writing, including the internet and new work f...

Melissa Lipani was born and raised in Rochester, New York. Her family owned Lipani's Bakery, which unfortunately burned and was never re-opened. Melissa participated in dance and gymnastics as a youth. Melissa moved during college to Fort Collins and feel in love with the mountains and being outside. She eventually found climbing and became obsessed. After a period of traveling and climbing throug...

Legendary Utah-based climber Jeff Lowe (1950-2018) talks about his experience and observations on the development of climbing gear. Lowe did not just observe major significant developments that pushed the sport further; he was an innovative and driving force behind them. From shoes to portaledges, and his first soft-shell jacket which changed everything for regulating body temperature, Lowe mainta...

Legendary Utah-based climber Jeff Lowe (1950-2018) talks about his experience and observations on the development of climbing gear. Lowe did not just observe major significant developments that pushed the sport further; he was an innovative and driving force behind them. From shoes to portaledges, and his first soft-shell jacket which changed everything for regulating body temperature, Lowe mainta...

Legendary Utah-based climber Jeff Lowe (1950-2018) talks about his experience and observations on the development of climbing gear. Lowe did not just observe major significant developments that pushed the sport further; he was an innovative and driving force behind them. From shoes to portaledges, and his first soft-shell jacket which changed everything for regulating body temperature, Lowe mainta...

Legendary Utah-based climber Jeff Lowe (1950-2018) talks about his experience and observations on the development of climbing gear. Lowe did not just observe major significant developments that pushed the sport further; he was an innovative and driving force behind them. From shoes to portaledges, and his first soft-shell jacket which changed everything for regulating body temperature, Lowe mainta...

Legendary Utah-based climber Jeff Lowe (1950-2018) talks about his experience and observations on the development of climbing gear. Lowe did not just observe major significant developments that pushed the sport further; he was an innovative and driving force behind them. From shoes to portaledges, and his first soft-shell jacket which changed everything for regulating body temperature, Lowe mainta...

Legendary Utah-based climber Jeff Lowe (1950-2018) talks about his experience and observations on the development of climbing gear. Lowe did not just observe major significant developments that pushed the sport further; he was an innovative and driving force behind them. From shoes to portaledges, and his first soft-shell jacket which changed everything for regulating body temperature, Lowe mainta...

Matty Kastellec grew up in New York City, attending high performing public schools, including the Fiorella H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts for trombone. In addition to school and music, Matty remembers enjoying climbing with his Uncle and gymnastics. At the University of Michigan, Matty eventually studied International Studies, which taught him about power and systems o...

Jessica Powell grew up outside of Boise, Idaho. Her family spent weekends camping, riding dirt bikes, and snowmobiling. Jess moved to Salt Lake City to Utah county and got a job at a gear store and eventually progressed to a management role. In 2013 Jess started working at Black Diamond Equipment in Salt Lake City in sales and eventually became the Event and Partnership Manager. In this role, Jess...

 Garrett was born in Duluth, Minnesota, started skiing when he was around six or seven years old, and eventually moved to Montana, where he continued to pursue skiing. He moved to Switzerland, met his wife, Franziska, and discovered climbing under the influence of the Von Kämel brothers, Swiss mountain guides. James returned to the States in 1980 and worked as a ski patroller in Colorado before ev...

 Emmeline Wang grew up in Fremont, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area, playing travel softball and running cross country. Emmeline was a student athlete at Menlo College studying marketing. After college, Emmeline started rock climbing before moving in Salt Lake City in 2020. She loves the vast landscapes, particularly Yosemite Valley in California and Indian Creek in Utah. Since moving to...

Ryan Suen grew up mostly in Texas, before moving to San Jose, California, at about 11 years old. Ryan recounts the stark differences between Texas and California, importance of education to his family, and the impact on the 2008 recession on his extracurricular activities. While attending the University of California at Irvine, Ryan was introduced to climbing and spent time in Joshua Tree. After g...