Injured, Broken, but Back Again — An Imperfect Tale of Recovery
Stepping away from climbing was the biggest shift I’ve faced in over ten years. Last year, an accident on Moonlight Buttress left me with a torn meniscus and MCL strain. What I thought would be a temporary pause became nearly a year off the rock, forcing me to confront who I was without climbing and without guiding.
Those 11 months were humbling. My days shifted from chasing pitches to sitting in physio waiting rooms, from guiding clients to leaning on friends for rides, and from tying in with community to feeling invisible in it. Depression followed, and I wondered if I’d ever return to the profession and lifestyle I’d built my life around.
But recovery is rarely linear, and in the quiet I found new outlets. Pottery, journaling, and photography gave me a way to keep creating. A motorcycle project gave me time with my dad and brother, even when I couldn’t climb. Slowly, I learned that healing wasn’t just about my knee — it was about rewiring the mental loops that held me down.
When I finally tied back in this season, it wasn’t at the same grade or intensity. I stumbled up 5.8s, felt clumsy, even nervous. But something had shifted: urgency gave way to gratitude. Whether supporting a partner on their project, guiding clients through their first multipitch, or simply moving well over stone, each moment carried more presence.
Injury taught me patience. It taught me empathy. And it reminded me that climbing isn’t just about grades or speed — it’s about who we share the rope with, and how we show up for them. As a guide, I now carry that perspective into every day on the rock.
This year, I’m grateful to be guiding again. Sharing the stone with someone on their very first climb or helping an experienced climber take the next step feels like a privilege I don’t take lightly. I am here to help others unlock the doors that climbing can offer in their life.
If you’re curious about what tying in together could look like for you this fall, I’d love to hear your story.
