Jessi-Lynn Gloria: Alpine Ascents

In Adventure, Climbing, Hiking, Mountaineering by This Adventure LifeLeave a Comment

Jessi, originally from Saskatchewan, currently lives in the Canadian Rockies, a premier destination for world-class climbing, alpine adventure and scenery. Jessi is a mountain hiker, climber and scrambler who loves to explore her new home and push her limits on every trip.

Her advice for preparing for longer climbs? “Lot of rest, a lot of pizza and a positive attitude.” Sounds good to us!

How did you become interested in mountain hiking and climbing, and how have they positively affected your life?

Being from Saskatchewan, the only climbing opportunity that was dished out to me was … wait for it … trees! So you can imagine when my mother frantically searched for me, she’d keep her sights on the tree tops. Becoming a committed mountain climber came much later in life when it was sprung upon me in Spain. Two years ago I picked a lesser known region in Spain to live so that I could learn Spanish by daily living. It was actually a date during my first week there that I was invited to go to a little dive bouldering gym! That quickly became my second home, and the boys became not only my Spanish teachers and climbing coaches, but basically family. I spent the next 10 months in bouldering fields! After my return to Canada I moved into the Rockies and quickly fell in love with getting on the ropes and feeling the breeze way up high.

It’s literally affected my life in every good way possible. The lessons it taught me in Spain were completely different than the ones here in Canada. Bouldering and alpine climbing are two different worlds! Spain taught me a lot about the community of climbing. We’d spend full days watching each other boulder and taking our turn encouraging one another. In the beginning, I didn’t know how to sit still and I’d feel like I needed to go for a run while I was between climbs! I learned patience and the importance of community with climbing. Alpine climbing in the Rockies taught me about trust and confidence. There’s no room for doubt when you’re run-out on a cliff, and there’s no better feeling than believing in yourself doing something you never would have fathomed a year ago. On top of that, the bonds I’ve created with my fellow partners will resonate forever.

How do you train and prepare for your climbs?

Does eating pizza 6 days a week count? In reference to training, I spent my winter in the climbing gym doing lead climbs repetitively and when the weather hit 4C or higher, I was out at the crag. While going into summer I thought I was going to be an avid sport climber, I got one taste of the alpine and committed myself that way. Often I’d spend my 1 or 2 days off doing a really big day, that I’d be so beat the rest of the week I’d maybe just do one other multi-pitch. The key to preparing for my longer climbs was a lot of rest, a lot of pizza and a positive attitude.

Follow her on Instagram: @gloria.outdoors

Check out her blog: gloriarhodes.wordpress.com

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