Twenty months after becoming a mum, I'm back to climbing hard. Up to this point I've been focusing on bouldering and sport climbing, but now I'm psyched to get back to hard trad. My body is stronger, but I'm still navigating the demands of motherhood, broken sleep, breastfeeding throughout the night and being there for my daughter.

My latest challenge is Yma O Hyd, an E10 trad route in North Wales. It's a really inspiring local route, but finding the time and energy to pursue it isn't always easy. Between fatigue, injuries, and competing priorities, I sometimes wondered if I was taking on too much.

So why do I keep coming back to these difficult goals?

Pursuing ambitious goals is one of the things I love most about climbing. But it's also about what I learn along the way. Climbing lets me practice caring deeply about something without getting too attached to the outcome, managing pressure and finding enjoyment in the process, even when things get hard.

Yma O Hyd follows my efforts on the route and explores what keeps drawing me back to challenging climbs, even when life is already full.

—Hazel Findlay

HAZEL'S GEAR PICKS

Dark Moss
MEILLEURES VENTES

Pantalon d'alpinisme pour femme
$99.00 USD
$99.00 USD $99.00
Piton Purple
NOUVEAU

Harnais Zone pour femmes
$169.95 USD
$169.95 USD $169.95
No Color

Camalot™ Z4
$99.95 USD
$99.95 USD $99.95
No Color

Camalot™ Ultralight
$119.95 - $159.95
$129.95 USD $129.95
Agave

Veste Fineline extensible pour femme
$189.00 USD
$189.00 USD $189.00
Octane
CHOIX DE L'ATHLÈTE

Casque Vapor
$169.95 USD
$169.95 USD $169.95
Coral Red

Parka Solution Femme 4.0
$499.00 USD
$499.00 USD $499.00

MORE FROM HAZEL

Climbing Magazine: Hazel Findlay Says We’re Looking at Risk All Wrong

The Strong Mind master discusses risk and her advice for moms and dads who climb

Learn More

The New Normal

Black Diamond Athlete Hazel Findlay sets off on her first climbing trip as a mum, and discovers what the climbing life is, now that everything has changed.

Learn More

Outside: After a Nearly Fatal Fall, Climber Hazel Findlay Confronts Her Fears on the Rock

In a new film, Findlay and Impact Day meet again for round two.

Learn More

CNN: They scaled one of the world’s largest unclimbed rock faces. Blizzards and falling ice almost stopped them

Pro climbers Hazel Findlay and Alex Honnold, ventured to the formidable seacliff, known locally as “the separate one,” in a six-week expedition that featured in National Geographic’s documentary “Arctic Ascent.”

Learn More