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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 two American women to have redpointed 5.14b (8c). She lives in Estes Park, Colorado, and is married to prominent American trad climber Tommy Caldwell.

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.

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]

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. Bravo les Filles is longest and hardest big wall free routes to ever be established by an all-female team.[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 (of two) American woman to redpoint the grade.(Josune Bereziartu had redpointed 14b in Spain in 1999) [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.

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.

See also

References

  1. ^ Heidi, Haas. "Beth Rodden". Women Climbing. Retrieved 2007-05-13. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  2. ^ 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 Cite error: The named reference "Sibler-2" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  3. ^ Child, Greg (November 2000). "Special Reports: Fear of Falling". Outside Magazine. Retrieved 2007-05-13. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  4. ^ 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
  5. ^ "Live It Up". Outside Magazine. Mariah Media Inc. January 2006. Retrieved 2007-05-13. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  6. ^ Stanley, Matt (3 August 2000), "High Points: Lurking Free", MountainZone.com, MountainZone.com, retrieved 2007-05-13
  7. ^ a b Cummins, Clint (March 2006), Cummins, Clint (ed.), Yosemite - Long Hard Free Climbs, stanford.edu, retrieved 2007-05-13 {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help) Cite error: The named reference "Cummins-5" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  8. ^ Horne, Jo (Dec 7, 2001). "World news archive: Rodden Solves Sphinx Crack (5.13c)". UKClimbing.com. Retrieved 2007-05-13. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  9. ^ Schmidt, David (December 2005). "Hot Flashes: Rodden Redpoints Anaconda". Climbing (224). Primedia. Retrieved 2007-05-13.
  10. ^ Joost (February 18, 2007). "Emily Harrington climbs 5.14b (8c)". climbing.nl. Retrieved 2007-05-13. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  11. ^ MacDonald, Dougald. "Caldwell-Rodden Free the Nose". Climbing. Retrieved 2007-05-06. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  12. ^ Wright, Cedar. "Yosemite Valley: Various Activity". Alpinist. Retrieved 2007-05-06. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

External links

  • "Beth Rodden". Marmot Athletes. 2006. Retrieved 2007-05-13. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Coppa, Matt (June–July 2004). "Queen of rock". Men's Fitness. Weider Publications. Retrieved 2007-05-06. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)CS1 maint: date format (link)
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