The North Face

Sep 14 | Heidi Wirtz: Yoga for Climbing

By The North Face

I am pretty sure that without yoga I would have lived a completely different life. I never would have; climbed as long as I have, established new climbing routes all over the world, broken speed records in Yosemite Valley, been sponsored by The North Face or picked up the nick name Heidi Almighty.  My thoughts on this stem from the fact that I was fortunate enough to have found yoga and to have immersed myself into this truly amazing practice that can heal body, mind and spirit.

 

When I was only 19 years old, I was already plagued with horrible sciatica problems. Unable to sleep at night and hardly able to function during the days I sought out help from a local acupuncturist. After sticking what seemed like 100s of needles all over my body, she began to explain that if I really wanted to heal myself, I had to do just that “heal my Self”. She suggested that I begin the practice of yoga. With my other option being a life of pain I opted for the yoga. The next day I found a yoga book on my housemate’s bookshelf and began to practice on my own. Soon, I began studying with a local teacher. Within weeks I was doing yoga nearly every day, my sciatica problems were gone and, with a renewed and expanded passion for life, I set out into the world to explore this newfound freedom. I was back to truly living. Thus began my long love affair with yoga.

 

Now, 22 years later I am still a regular practitioner of yoga as well as a teacher and I can say with confidence that yoga has been a major influence in every aspect of my climbing and my life. Yoga gives so many positive gifts to the practitioner that I feel all athletes would benefit from at least a basic yoga practice in their lives. Through yoga one can find greater flexibility, strength, body awareness, discipline, and focus. Not to mention that it also creates a sense of inner peace and harmony, which is always useful when tackling a difficult climb, skiing a particularly challenging line, hiking up a strenuous trail or dealing with every day situations. 

Aug 02 | Rock Climber and TNF Role Model Heidi Wirtz on Taking Kids climbing outdoors and "bringing out some smiles"

By The North Face

 

Take The North Face Role Models pledge to share your passion for the outdoors with others and you could be entered to win a Travelocity Trip to the Bay Area to meet athletes from The North Face team! apps.facebook.com/tnfrolemodels

I have always  loved working with kids. I have had jobs as camp counselor, rock climbing guiding, substitute teaching and was on my way to becoming a school teacher.

My passions however led me in a different direction completely as hiking, being out in nature and climbing began to take over my life in my early 20s. I got so immersed into my climbing passion that I soon dropped from normal society, moving into my Toyota pick up truck and living on the road as much as possible in order to get my climbing fix. I soon found myself sponsored by various climbing companies, hanging from big walls, frozen water falls and boulders throughout the globe while my love for working with kids began to move further and further out of my sight. Not that I didn’t love my new life full of adventure and travel, but I still had that desire to get back to bringing smiles to kids faces.

 

Eventually my desire to work with kids began to wiggle back into my life, first manifesting into starting a non profit, which helps bring education to underserved girls and women in remote areas of the world. This organization named Girls Education International (www.girlsed.org)  was my way of giving back to the communities that I have visited throughout the world as well as helping to give kids the opportunities that they deserve in life through education.

 

My newest endeavor, which is to share my passion for outdoor rock climbing with kids, has just started to come together this summer.

I partnered with Big City Mountaineers, an organization that is taking kids into the out of doors on backpacking adventures, along with Colorado Mountain Club, who helps to get kids out climbing. We got a grant from The Explore Fund and have now taken two groups of inner city kids out climbing in the Golden/Boulder area. It was so amazing to see these kids take on to climbing. At first some seemed especially tentative about all of it…the climbing, belaying, being in the dirt…but soon even the most skeptical kid had a smile on their face. That was enough payment for me! We have more trips coming up in late Summer/Fall, psyched to see more smiling faces soon!

I feel that climbing can be very transformational. I have seen a number of climbers throughout my years that have come from either rough families, drug problems or just low self esteem. Climbing seems to have…shall I say “saved” these people from there struggles in life and learn to rise above any challenging situation. Therefore I feel like bringing these kids outside onto real rock, where things are not so easy…sometimes it’s dirty, or cold, or hot, or challenging, or scary…by tackling these difficulties in a safe environment these kids will learn that they can overcome any obstacles in life…that they are awesome, strong and capable.

 

Apr 29 | Barefoot in the Czech Climbing Expedition 2008

By Cedar Wright

Barefoot in the Czech Climbing Expedition 2008.

We arrived in Prague on April 26, jetlagged, but psyched to make the drive to Elbsandstein which lies right on the border of Germany and Czech. Our group consists myself (Cedar Wright) along with Renan Ozturk, Vera Scultz/Pelkum, Heidi Wirtz, Matt Segal, Alex Honnold, and Topher Donahue.
Peter Mortimer, and Nick Rosen from Sender Films are accompanying us to capture the action for their upcoming movie "The Sharp End." Local Legend Bernd Arnold is showing us around, and at 61 he's still running it out and climbing difficult and dangerous routes that would shut down a lot of strong climbers half his age. Bernd is one of the original pioneers of the area and many of the best climbs are his. The sandstone tower climbing in this region is steeped in tradition and history and has the most unique and strict ethics of any climbing destination I've ever visited; No Chalk, Only Knots For Protection, Barefoot climbing is encouraged, and you only can climb on formations that can't be walked to the top of. These strict ethics add up to terrifying climbing, and it isn't uncommon for a local to perish or break their legs or backs. For our team, it's like learning to climb all over again, as we get used to wedging knots in cracks for pro, and learn to find routes without chalk to lead the way. Renan, Matt, Alex and I decided we would attempt our first lead barefoot, which proved to be a sketchy experience with the crux of the route consisting of two mono pockets for the fingers and one to stuff a toe in. Today we rest, and then we will be trying to step it up and climb some of the harder more runout routes here, hopefully without cratering. Stay tuned for more dispatches...CEDAR WRIGHT.

Photos and Art: Renan Ozturk

Apr 23 | No chalk, no shoes, no pro. No problem?

By The North Face

On Friday, April 25, The North Face team members Vera Schulte-Pelkum, Heidi Wirtz, Renan Ozturk, Cedar Wright, Matt Segal, and Alex Honnold head out to try their hand at the legendary sandstone tower climbing in the Czech Republic and Elbsandstein, Germany. Known as the ultimate traditional climbing areas, where local ethics prohibit the use of metal protection (creating the towers' notorious and dangerous runouts), chalk can not be used (making every climb a quasi-first ascent with no chalk trail to follow), and where purists climb barefoot. Previous visitors have described the towers as "the most unique, terrifying, and exceptional cragging destination on earth."

Follow the team's journey right here.