KAYA Climber Stories
Meet the Climber: Vikki Weldon
Vikki Weldon is a former member of Team Canada, a prolific all-around climber, an ER nurse, and most recently, a rock guide. In this interview, we discuss the impact the pandemic had on her both as a climber and health care worker, how she navigates the ebbs and flows in her climbing, and the story behind her take-down of a 10-year project in Hueco Tanks, Texas.
KAYA:
Hey Vikki, thanks for joining us! How’d you get into climbing?
Vikki:
I started climbing when I was eight or nine years old, over 20 years ago. My older two siblings were on a youth climbing team in Calgary so I was always playing around in the gym. My younger brother and I would actually just wear our water shoes to climb at first. It was a very organic and natural introduction to the sport.
KAYA:
Were you a youth competitor?
Vikki:
I was! I remember being at competitions just hanging on the wall forever. I’d always timeout because instead of letting go I would just stay in one spot. That’s my style, it really hasn’t changed much except now I actually get pumped and fall. I’m very slow, smooth, and methodical. I love the feeling of moving on rock precisely and thoughtfully.
I started competing more seriously when I was in my early teens, and that’s also when I started climbing outside. There were no professional coaches back then. They were all just climbers who were psyched about climbing and the community. I was really lucky to be taken limestone sport climbing in the Canadian Rockies by my coaches all the time. That intro set me up for many amazing opportunities and has really influenced the path my life has taken.
KAYA:
Most people typically start entirely indoors or out, do you think that having both in your formative climbing years was complimentary?
Vikki:
It was really good for me to see that climbing existed outside of the gym. A lot of young competitors just climb indoors and only indoors. When they are finished with competitions, many of them lose the sport if they don’t have outdoor climbing to fall back on. Having the outdoor component when I was really young helped me decide to pursue climbing over other sports I did like soccer or volleyball. I loved the idea of projecting and trying hard routes. As a young teenager, it was really special to see progression all the time. Competitions can be really challenging and frustrating. Climbing on rock made it less of a sport and more of a lifestyle.
KAYA:
How did you ultimately decide which aspect of climbing you wanted to pursue?
Vikki:
I competed in Youth World Cups throughout my adolescence. As an adult, I did a few World Cups too, but my motivation was quickly shifting towards climbing outdoors. There weren’t the same coaching opportunities for adults that are around today, so I was fairly directionless after finishing the youth team. I found it hard to train and have a clear path without a coach to help me. When I did compete, I was woefully underprepared because I wasn’t training steadily. I’d fallen into this gray zone with competing where I was doing it, but I wasn’t doing very well. I was finding enjoyment in outdoor climbing that I wasn’t anymore in competitions. When I stopped competing it brought me a lot more happiness and I’ve also found a lot of joy in other pursuits outside of climbing.
KAYA:
Outside of your success on rock, you’re a sponsored athlete, an ER nurse, and now a rock guide. How do you balance all of that?
Vikki:
Because I’ve chosen to do so many things, I never feel completely in balance. I chose to nurse almost 10 years ago for its flexibility. From that perspective, it’s been really good for me and my climbing. But it’s also very stressful.
I hate to mention the pandemic, but it really impacted my ability to find balance as I prioritized nursing the past few years. However, the pandemic did make me realize how vulnerable humanity is, and that life can be short. This pushed me to commit to my goals. Last summer, I qualified to be an apprentice rock guide with the Association of Canada’s Mountain Guides (ACMG), something I’ve wanted for a really long time.
Rock guiding alleviates some of the stress of nursing. It’s nice to step outside the sterile, windowless emergency room and do a different job that is more connected with nature.
I have a really hard time calling myself a professional climber, but technically, I am. I’m lucky to have the support of a lot of amazing sponsors, but that comes with responsibilities as well. My life is chaos, but it’s like, semi-organized chaos.
KAYA:
It’s nice to see that you’re a sponsored climber and can still push your limits while pursuing and enjoying other facets of life.
Vikki:
I have definitely focused purely on climbed for periods of time, but I find I need other things for my personality and mental health. If I put everything into climbing I can get burnt out and a little bit uninspired. I am also quite injury prone, and I have learned that injuries can be really lonely and sad if you don’t have anything outside of climbing.
If I am only climbing I feel like I am not contributing to this world. Nursing felt like a really natural fit for me and gave me a lot of self-fulfillment. However, climbing makes me feel whole and brings me the fulfillment that enables me to be a good nurse, rock guide, and athlete for the sponsors. These other responsibilities in turn give me completeness that motivates me to be the best climber I can be. They all compliment each other. I have also come to realize and embrace the fact that my motivation for climbing has ebbs and flows and that’s okay.
Vikki:
With social media these days it can be really challenging to not feel bad for not being motivated or crushing something all the time.
In these last few years with the pandemic, I’ve lost something and I’m having a hard time getting it back. I’ve lost my psyche for always putting climbing first. Even still, I get little timeframes when I’m super psyched and things are clicking, like in my most recent trip to Hueco over Christmas. I performed, I climbed well, and I was psyched.
KAYA:
And what was your big accomplishment from Hueco?
Vikki:
I climbed Full Service (V10)!! I’ve wanted to do that thing for a decade. The first time I went to Hueco was over 10 years ago, and I watched a bunch of friends smash it out quickly. I couldn’t touch it. It was always on my to-do list but it felt impossible. I was super psyched to be able to climb this boulder that felt so hard for me even up until the last day when I didn’t think it was going to do it.
It was really special to have that achievement despite a string of annoying injuries and being focused on nursing for the past few years.
KAYA:
What kind of injuries have you been dealing with?
Vikki:
I’ve been putting my body through abuse for many, many, many, many years. I’m in my 30s now, and it’s just starting to show a little bit. I’m constantly tweaking my fingers, knees, shoulders, etc. Last year my appendix decided to be a dick and explode… The past few years it feels like every time I start to gain momentum I hit a roadblock. This summer I had a very extreme walking accident (laughs) and suffered a lil’ MCL tear. It feels strange to admit, but it was almost a relief to have an excuse to take a break, have a little reset, and come back stronger.
In the past year especially, I’ve been getting FOMO seeing people smashing things out on social media. It makes me feel jealous and crappy like, “why am I not doing that?” Internally I feel like I should always be climbing. It’s exhausting. I think the way to get out of this cycle is to embrace others’ success and be more kind to myself.
KAYA:
Despite how social media often makes it seem, no one can be in performance mode year-round. Sometimes those breaks are the best thing for us. Do you have any upcoming trips or goals, in particular, you’re looking forward to?
Vikki:
You can’t always be crushing and performing your best. In the fall, I’ll be in the Rockies for a climbing film about Mt. Yamnuska. A few years ago I did an incredible route up there called Blue Jeans (5.13b). The film is about the history of the mountain and I’m excited to be involved in that. I’ll also be heading to Leavenworth, Washington to do some bouldering in October. I love it there.
Vikki:
Even though people come to Squamish in the summer, it’s not my time to perform here. It’s the perfect training season to be ready for the cool Fall temps.
KAYA:
How has living in Squamish influenced and shaped your climbing?
Vikki:
I’ve lived here for nine years and have always considered myself a Canadian Rockies climber. Squamish has allowed me to diversify my climbing. It’s known for its granite trad and bouldering, but it also has incredible sport climbing. Living here has diversified my portfolio and allowed me to capitalize on all the different types of climbing styles here in their respective seasons throughout the year. I even do some alpine climbing out here.
KAYA:
What tips do you have for someone bouldering in Squamish for the first time?
Vikki:
Bring lots of pads. The landings can be tricky to protect with lots of roots, rocks, and uneven surfaces. Having good spotters to direct your fall is so important. Blubber and slider pads are really helpful to cover little sharp bits.
Also recognize that you are not alone in the wilderness. Lots of other people recreate here too. Be sure to park appropriately, stay on the trails, respect the rockfall closures on The Chief, and pay attention to signage so as to not jeopardize future access. Also, plan your poops. It’s not ok to poop in the forest anymore. Go before you leave the parking lot or bring a WAG bag.
Keep your expectations low. Be more focused on movement and classic approachable problems than chasing grades.
The style in Squamish is complex and takes time to learn. It’s like the anti-gym. Lots of squeezing and figuring out body positioning rather than straight down pulling. Enjoy learning a new style!
KAYA:
Thanks for imparting your wisdom and sharing some of your story! Is there anything else you want to share?
Vikki:
Climbing is an individual pursuit that we all experience and express differently. We need to embrace and celebrate individuality more and all work together to create an inclusive and open community for everybody. If you want climbing to be in your life forever, you must find the joy within it for yourself. We all have ebbs and flows. Climbing can feel like the best and worst thing in the world, so embrace it and don’t get too stuck in your head.
Follow Vikki and her upcoming adventures on KAYA @VikkiW!
