Ascent Archive: Oral Histories with Rock Climbers

Rachel Wittmann, Tallie Casucci
  • 5.0 (3)
  • WILDERNESS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The Ascent Archive Podcast features oral histories collected by the University of Utah and produced by the J. Willard Marriott Library, including the Rock Climbers Oral History Project and the American West Center’s Everett L. Cooley Oral History Project. You’re about to hear an oral history that is unedited. Please excuse possible interruptions, sound quality issues, potentially outdated or offensive terminology, and the occasional curse word. https://ascentarchive.lib.utah.edu/

  1. 04/09/2024

    Portia Menlove

    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 Climbers Association, Mammut Bouldering Championships, and Nationals. In 2005 Portia won Nationals and was on the US Climbing Team. Portia discusses inspirational female climbers, friendships surrounding competitions, the pressures of competition, and disordered eating. Portia now focuses more energy into trail running, but still loves to climb and be a part of the community. Portia is an ICU nurse at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. View Portia Menlove's Oral History in the Marriott Digital Library

    1h 49m

  2. 04/02/2024

    Larry Love

    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 eight years. He attended the University of Utah and Brigham Young University, graduating in 1968 in physical education with a coaching emphasis and a minor in German. He played volleyball for the "Y" for four years and substituted the deep powder skiing class. He first climbed in Jackson Hole at age sixteen and was one of the originators of the Alpenbock Club. He talks about climbing with Ted Wilson and discusses the advancement in equipment. Outdoor Recreation Project. Interviewer: Erik Solberg View Larry Love's Oral History in the Marriott Digital Library

    1h 28m

  3. 03/26/2024

    Cerre Francis

    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 family moved out of urban St. Louis. She first experienced climbing when a friend, who was an experienced climber, took her to a cliff. She surprised her friend by making the climb without any falls on the first try. From that point her desire to climb played a larger part in shaping her life. To get around her parents' restriction against overnight trips she fabricated a high school sponsored climbing club. At eighteen she convinced her parents to let her go to school in Steamboat Springs to be closer to the mountains of Rifle. Shortly after she moved on to Salt Lake and the climbing opportunities it offered. Her experience and drive led her to enter into competitive climbing. Cerre believes that climbing is losing its label as an extreme sport as it becomes more popular with people left with fewer available activities. Utah Interview is part of the Outdoor Recreation Project. Interviewer: John Worsencroft View Cerre Francis' Oral History in the Marriott Digital Library

    53 min

  4. 03/19/2024

    Jessica Taverna

    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 experiences in Utah and the climbing community. She describes the climbing industry´s impact on the sport and on the environment. Outdoor Recreation Interviewer: John Worsencroft.   View Jessica Taverna's Oral History in the Marriott Digital Library

    1h 14m

  5. 03/12/2024

    John Cronin

    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 climbing locally at American Fork Canyon, Little Cottonwood Canyon, and other areas. John recounts memorable first ascents and repeats during a very intense 12 year climbing career. John left Salt Lake City and stopped climbing, but continues to visit to see family and friends. John now plays table tennis and surfs in his free time in California.

    1h 49m

  6. 03/05/2024

    Sarah Wolfe

    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 Climbers Coalition. She moved to Eugene, Oregon, for her now husband to complete his graduate degree. During that time, she created the Oregon Climbs newsletter to connect and inform climbers across the state about climbing-related news, organized the programming for the Smith Rock Craggin' Classic and Wilsonville Festival of Art, and compiled the Oregon reports for American Alpine Club's Accidents in North America. In winter 2019, Sarah moved to Salt Lake City and created the Utah Climbs Newsletter. Sarah works for Trails Utah, a trail advocacy and trail building nonprofit. She continues to compile Accidents in North America reports for Northern Utah, and serves on Glendale Neighborhood Council Board. View Sarah Wolfe's Oral History in the Marriott Digital Library

    1h 50m

  7. 02/27/2024

    Jacinda "JC" Hunter

    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 barefoot with her four children, getting the first ascent on Fantasy Island, and first female ascent on Breaking the Law. JC talks about being a female sponsored athlete and love of deep water soloing. JC currently lives in Boise, Idaho. View Jacinda Hunter's Oral History in the Marriott Digital Library

    1h 10m

  8. 02/20/2024

    Alex Lemieux

    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 van broke down outside of Salt Lake City. While waiting for the van repairs, Alex and his then-partner found jobs in Salt Lake City and became full-time residents. Alex became a ski instructor at Park City Mountain and continues to guide backcountry skiing and rock-climbing clients with Utah Mountain adventures as well as other guiding companies. While living in Salt Lake City, Alex and his friends started developing new climbs along the Green River, West Desert, Uintas, and other areas. Alex is particularly drawn to longer adventure climbs. Around 2015, Alex started volunteering with the Salt Lake Climbers Alliance's volunteer rebolting group (WARI, the Wasatch Anchor Replacement Initiative) and now is an employee as an anchor technician. Alex discusses the impact of rebolting old routes and his own route development, safety considerations, and ethical concerns and considerations. With his friend, Rene Cortenraad, Alex created Gear Loop Topo, a business selling very detailed topos of classic multi-pitch climbs.   View Alex Lemieux's Oral History in the Marriott Digital Library

    1h 31m
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About

The Ascent Archive Podcast features oral histories collected by the University of Utah and produced by the J. Willard Marriott Library, including the Rock Climbers Oral History Project and the American West Center’s Everett L. Cooley Oral History Project. You’re about to hear an oral history that is unedited. Please excuse possible interruptions, sound quality issues, potentially outdated or offensive terminology, and the occasional curse word. https://ascentarchive.lib.utah.edu/

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