Beth Rodden
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Beth Rodden (born May 5, 1980 in San Francisco, California) is an American rock climber. She was the youngest woman to send 5.14a, and is one of the few women in the world to have redpointed 5.14b (8c). She lives in Yosemite, California and Estes Park, Colorado, and is married to prominent American trad climber Tommy Caldwell.
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[edit] Climbing history
Rodden started climbing at age 14 in 1995.
She won the Junior National JCCA Championships in 1996, 1997, and 1998; ranked first overall in the ASCF adult national series in 1997 and 1998; and placed third at the ASCF Fall Nationals in 1998.[1]
After her trip to Madagascar in 1999, Rodden moved on to a less-mainstream, trad climbing career.[2]
On a climbing trip in Kyrgyzstan in 2000, Rodden, then-boyfriend Tommy Caldwell, and fellow climbers Jason "Singer" Smith and photographer John Dickey were held hostage for six days by rebels from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.[3][4]
Rodden and Tommy Caldwell were married in 2003.
[edit] Climbing style
At 5'1", Rodden doesn't have the long reach of most professional male climbers, but makes up for it with her slight build and thin fingers that can fit into small cracks and crimps.[2]
[edit] Notable ascents
- 1998: To Bolt or Not to Be (5.14a, 8b+) in Smith Rock State Park. Rodden repeated the first 5.14 established in America and became youngest woman to send 5.14a.
- ????: Sarchasm (5.14a, 8b+) in Rocky Mountain National Park
- 1999: Bravo les Filles (VI 5.13d A0, 13 pitches, FA with Lynn Hill, Nancy Feagin, and Kath Pyke) in Tsaranoro Massif, Madasgascar. [5]
- ????: Ruby's Café (5.13a) in Indian Creek Canyon, Utah.
- ????: Disco Gun Machine (5.13, FFA) in Indian Creek Canyon, Utah.
- 2000: Lurking Fear (5.10 A3, FFA with Tommy Caldwell) on El Capitan, Yosemite Valley. Originally rated 5.10 A3, the first seven pitches free are 5.12c, 5.13c, 5.12d, 5.12d, 5.12a, 5.12c, and 5.13c.[6][7] With this climb, Rodden made El Capitan's second female free ascent.[2]
- 2001: Sphinx Crack (5.13c) in Colorado. Redpoint of "one of the US's hardest cracks."[8]
- 2002: Phoenix (5.13a, first female onsight) in Yosemite Valley.[2]
- 2003: West Buttress (5.13c, FFA with Tommy Caldwell) on El Capitan, Yosemite Valley. All pitches were redpointed at different times; no continuous free ascent done yet.[7]
- 2005: Anaconda (5.13b/c, first female free ascent) Lumpy Ridge, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.[9]
- 2005: Grand Wall (5.13b, Free Ascent) multi-pitch at Squamish, B.C. Canada.
- 2005: The Optimist (5.14b, FA/FFA)in Smith Rock State Park. Tied for the hardest first ascent completed by a woman, made Rodden the first American woman to redpoint the grade. [10]
- 2005: The Nose (VI 5.13, 3rd/4th Free Ascent with Tommy Caldwell) on El Capitan, Yosemite Valley, California. In October Caldwell and Rodden each led about half of the route’s 31 pitches and freed every one. [11][12]
- 2008: "Meltdown" (ungraded, thought 5.14c, First Ascent), Yosemite Valley, California. She worked the climb for most of the winter before redpointing in February, placing all protection on the redpoint ascent.
[edit] Filmography
- 2005: Dosage Volume III (bigUP productions) - Rodden on The Optimist
- 2005: A Day In The Life: 5 Women Who Climb (Vasentertainment)
- 2006: Wall Rats (Form Follows Function/Yegg Central Productions)
- 2006: The First Couple of Rock (bigUP productions) - Rodden on The Optimist. Won "Best Climbing Film" at Vancouver Mountain Film Festival.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Heidi, Haas. Beth Rodden. Women Climbing. Retrieved on 2007-05-13.
- ^ a b c d Kate, Sibler (2005), Schaffer, Grayson, ed., Outside's Faces: The 25 Greatest Athletes Now, Outside's Bookazine Classics, pp. 32-35
- ^ Child, Greg (November 2000). "Special Reports: Fear of Falling". Outside Magazine.
- ^ Child, Greg (April 2, 2002), Over the Edge: The True Story of Four American Climbers' Kidnap and Escape in the Mountains of Central Asia, Villard, Random House Publishing Group
- ^ "Live It Up" (January 2006). Outside Magazine. Mariah Media Inc..
- ^ Stanley, Matt (3 August 2000), “High Points: Lurking Free”, MountainZone.com (MountainZone.com), <http://climb.mountainzone.com/2000/highpoints/html/080300.html>. Retrieved on 13 May 2007
- ^ a b Cummins, Clint (March 2006), Cummins, Clint, ed., Yosemite - Long Hard Free Climbs, stanford.edu, <http://www.stanford.edu/~clint/yos/longhf.htm>. Retrieved on 13 May 2007
- ^ Horne, Jo (Dec 7, 2001). World news archive: Rodden Solves Sphinx Crack (5.13c). UKClimbing.com. Retrieved on 2007-05-13.
- ^ Schmidt, David (December 2005). "Hot Flashes: Rodden Redpoints Anaconda". Climbing (224). Primedia.
- ^ Joost (February 18, 2007). Emily Harrington climbs 5.14b (8c). climbing.nl. Retrieved on 2007-05-13.
- ^ MacDonald, Dougald. "Caldwell-Rodden Free the Nose". Climbing.
- ^ Wright, Cedar. "Yosemite Valley: Various Activity". Alpinist.
[edit] External links
- Beth Rodden. Marmot Athletes (2006). Retrieved on 2007-05-13.
- Rodden, Beth. Beth's La Sportiva Blog. La Sportiva Blogs. Retrieved on 2007-04-19.
- Ryan, Mick (April 2005). Climb Like a Girl - Part 1. UKClimbing.com. Retrieved on 2007-05-13.
- Coppa, Matt (June-July 2004). "Queen of rock". Men's Fitness. Weider Publications.
