Becky Switzer is a Bozeman, Montana-based climber and strong advocate for education, both in climbing and in the world at large. She draws great strength from surrounding herself with like-minded females. Yet, in the end, she’s a climber, not a female climber. Becky has taken a pragmatic stance to building the climbing life, recognizing when relationships aren’t working, dream jobs don’t pay, and when vans make for a less-than-ideal daily driver, among other things.
In this interview, we discuss using training and climbing as an emotional outlet, the transition to becoming a sponsored athlete (and the reasons for doing so), a real-life and hard look at the van life movement, and even the nature of privilege in climbing. Relevant to the times, we discuss the vast shift in population, demographics, and way of life in small mountain towns like Bozeman. And of course, once and for all, we lay to rest the controversy of secret crags š .
Becky Switzer: An Introduction
I’m passing through southwest Montana area in early August. Knowing little about the region and struggling to find much onlineā¤a topic soon to be discussedā¤I start reaching out to some locals. Becky Switzer is an obvious choice. She appears to be well-ingrained to the local scene and might be willing to offer suggestions for some hot, mid-summer bouldering. We’ve traded the occasional digital high-five online, but we honestly don’t know each other at all.
An hour later after coffee, I know we have a great interview in the works. Becky has a somewhat no-nonsense and no-time-to-complain sort of life outlook. I think you’ll see what I mean.
Let’s begin with the story of how Becky discovers climbing.
The Roots of the Climbing Life
Becky’s journey into the climbing world begins like so many these days: in the gym. However, what begins as simple curiosity evolves into a productive and engaging escape from more difficult times in the future. First, it’s a deeply unsatisfying experience in collegiate soccer, and then it’s a divorce.
Becky harnesses the healing power of movement over stone (and plenty of polyurethane) to become a stand-out climber in Bozeman, Montana, eventually securing several sponsorship deals. All the while, she is juggling a career in education. That too changes, as we’ll see in this interview.
Becky: My freshman year I attended the University of Tampa on a soccer scholarship, as a goalkeeper. I wanted to become a marine biologist and play soccer, so UT fit the bill. I ended up winning the starting spot and played almost all the games (even through part of the season with a broken hand).
While at UT I had some free time, so one day I took myself to the local climbing gym. I was a bit of a loner, so I had no problem going in there alone and bouldering in their dank, dirty bouldering cave. I found myself attracted to the movement of climbing. Moreover, I enjoyed the solitary aspect of solving three dimensional boulder problems.
Becoming an Outsider
Becky: Fast forward a few months: one of my other aspirations at the time was to play Division I soccer. I transferred after my freshman year to play at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
In my high school years, my team was a national contender (ending up third in the nation). I was accustomed to pushing as far as I could competitively in soccer.
At UNCW, I felt like the black sheep. The team liked to party a lot, and I found the coach to be similar to a used car salesman. He said all the right things but didnāt necessarily follow through on commitments or promises.
I also ended up riding the bench. This was not a place I was accustomed to and it destroyed me internally. My playing reflected my internal state of disarray, which led to frustration and disappointment. Iām still competitive, but during my soccer career, I was 200% more competitive than I am now. Despite this inner turmoil, I wasnāt a quitter. I finished both the fall season as well as the spring season, and then I walked away from soccer.
Moving from Soccer to Climbing
Becky: I landed at the campus outdoor center. It offered a small climbing gym, intercoastal kayaking and Appalachian backpacking trips, as well as some top roping trips to western North Carolina.
Itās a little dramatic to say these activities saved my life, but they definitely pulled me out of a hole. Iād say this was the first time climbing provided me with a community and physical outlet that shaped my outlook on life.
Until this point, climbing was just another activity. But due to the welcoming nature of the universityās outdoor center, I began to see climbing as a lifelong relationship. After all of this, I ended up dropping the āmarineā part of my biology degree and added āconservationā instead. I realized the mountains held my attention for the long-term. I started dreaming of moving west.
My failing personal life drove me into the gym in an almost fiend-like manner.
Becky Switzer
Becky Switzer on Climbing as an Emotional Outlet
CC: How has climbing been a reprieve from difficult life events (and can you describe some of those events)? Do you think you maintain climbing as a āhealthyā outlet, or do you have a propensity to sometimes take it too far?
Becky: I moved to Bozeman, Montana in 2005 and finished my MS in Science Education in 2007.
Between then and now I got married and later divorced. While married, I thought I had met a partner who was going to fulfill the need of “adventure buddyā…since that was what much of our dating life was like. Long story short, this expectation didnāt turn out to be the case (which is totally ok, sometimes things donāt work out between two people).
Suddenly, I found myself in another existential crisis, and once again, I turned to climbing. My failing personal life drove me into the gym in an almost fiend-like manner. I would have epic training sessions because the focus needed for climbing took my mind off of the relationship issues at home. It was an incredible reprieve, but looking back, I certainly pushed things maybe a little too hard. I remember my forearms and elbows just screaming at me sometimes…but perhaps now this is why I can find rests on even the most unlikely of holds.
One of the unintended benefits of spending so much time in the gym at this point in my life was the community I gained. During the years my relationship was falling apart I felt like a bit of a recluse. However, seeing the same people at the gym over and over helped me make connections that I still have today. I will forever be thankful for this aspect of the climbing community. I entered that space initially as an introvert that had life things going on. Yet, over the years as Iāve grown and changed as an individual, many of the same people are still there, climbing and growing just as I have.
There are plenty of unhealthy outlets out in the world, so Iām ok with climbing being one of the more positive escapes available.
Becky Switzer
Using Training as an Emotional Outlet
Becky: Right now I feel like Iāve learned enough to temper (not dissolve) many of lifeās challenges. That said, Iāll cycle in and out of emotion-based training sessions. These last as short as a couple days or as long as a few weeks.Ā
Iāve had a couple friends die in the mountains over the past couple years. Iāll notice my training ramp up during times like those. I believe that with awareness and assistance of a coach (thanks Kris Hampton), I can harness that intensity and have the wherewithal to not overdo it.
To some degree I think itās nearly impossible to leave all emotions at the door when it comes to sport. That said, there are different ways of dealing with lifeās circumstances. For me, climbing has turned out to be a healthy coping mechanism. Thankfully, itās so much more than just that, but I do recognize it as a tool in dealing with life.Ā
Recently while watching Patagoniaās new film Stone Locals, Kathy Karlo mentioned the healing nature of climbing. The use of that word, healing, really resonated with me and I couldnāt agree more with Kathyās sentiment. There are plenty of unhealthy outlets out in the world, so Iām ok with climbing being one of the more positive escapes available. The same could be said for running or biking or playing pick-up basketball with friends.Ā
(Related Post: Welcome to Your Emotions, Your Guide Today)
In this day and age of insta-famous individuals, it has become increasingly obvious that many brands arenāt really looking for the most gifted athlete.
Becky Switzer
Becky Switzer: Three Reasons to Become a Sponsored Climber
CC: Tell me about the progression of becoming a sponsored climber. What are your obligations to the companies?
1. Easing the Financial Burden
Becky: The idea of being sponsored was really three-fold. As my climbing ramped up, the heavy use of certain products started to become financially taxing. Shoes, chalk, ropes and harnesses, nutrition–these items are not intended to last forever. I know some folks who make a single pair of shoes last for over a year; this isnāt me. I figured a little help in this area would go a long way, so this motivation was purely selfish.
2. A Rebellion Against a Shifting Industry
Tied closely to this initial motivation was my belief in certain brands. When I first started relationships with companies, I had been working in the outdoor industry for a handful of years. I was deeply interested in observing trends within and between outdoor brands. This was during a time when many brands were being acquired by parent companies. As such, the result was major variations in fit and quality from year to year.
I began to become inspired by companies who were of small to medium size and were staying true to their mission of creating quality products. Signing on with these brands was my small rebellion to a shifting industry. To this effect, the relationships I have with my sponsors feel personal and completely reciprocal. They believe in me and I in them.
I understand why athletes sign on with large conglomerates. Everyone has to pay the bills. But currently Iām enjoying working with the companies I do. They all reflect a variety of principles I support–ingenuity, authenticity, perseverance, empathy.Ā
3. A Community Connection
The third (and most important) reason I pursued sponsorships is because they work as a conduit to connect with people. I have a background in education and enjoy combining my love of climbing with teaching. Traveling to various climbing destinations to teach clinics is one of the best perks to partnering with brands. Giving back to the climbing community can sometimes feel like a daunting endeavor. However, teaching allows me to meet people where theyāre at, and we can work towards a common goal together. Mentorship in climbing has changed dramatically in the last 30 years. However, through teaching clinics and connecting with folks, I feel like I can make a small contribution to peopleās development as climbers.
I never really doubted whether my skills could be of use to various companies, it was just a matter of finding the right fit. In this day and age of insta-famous individuals, it has become increasingly obvious that many brands arenāt really looking for the most gifted athlete. What has become more important is how one markets themselves.
Becky Switzer: “If they are doing it, I can do it.”
3. You told me that you have a belief along the lines of āif they are doing it, I can do it.ā What do you mean by that statement?
Becky: This has been one of the most eye-opening aspects of working with brands these days. Sometimes itās more about “the look,ā or how eloquent you are sharing the most private details of your life. I tend to be very atypical in that sense. I donāt travel around with professional photographers often, my hair is up in a messy bun when I climb versus long and flowing, and I tend to wear lots of clothes (I get cold easily, itās Montana) versus short shorts and a sports bra. Many women out there will react to that last statement saying we can wear whatever we want. You know what ladies? You can and you should. Iām simply saying I donāt normally fit the aforementioned mold that is exceedingly common. And thatās ok.
Luckily Iāve found some brands that believe thatās ok as well. In this vein, I saw many sponsored climbers and thought I could offer the outdoor world something similar yet different. Something relatable with my own intentional and genuine style…thatās where the phrase āif theyāre doing it, I can tooā came from.
A Career in Education
CC: You originally started your career in education. Tell me about the evolution of those early-career jobs, and why youāve pivoted to a completely different line of work now.
Becky: Plainly put, being in the education field without a teaching certificate can be tricky in some areas of the country. It turns out having a Master’s degree without a certificate doesnāt get you anywhere in the public education realm.
For many years, both before and after I got my Master’s degree, I worked in outdoor education. I pieced together many jobs throughout the course of the year. One year I believe I had six or seven W-2s come tax time. It was then I realized that teaching for nonprofits wasnāt going to be sustainable for me in the long term. I knew that I didn’t want to be stuck in a public school classroom, so I never pursued obtaining a teacher certificate.
I believe with all my heart that every child should spend some of their life having some sort of experiential education. There are many pockets of the country that have nontraditional school models, charter schools, etc., but Montana isnāt one of them. In the end, the type of education I wanted to provide wasnāt able to provide a year-round sustainable paycheck in the place I wanted to live.
(Related Post: The Fallacy of Happiness and Meaningful Work)
Moving from Education to Outdoor Retail
Becky: One year as I was transitioning between teaching jobs, a large outdoor retailer opened in Bozeman. I found myself (along with 500 other people), applying for a job there. I ended up working for said retailer for nearly a decade.
Iāve chosen to stay in the outdoor industry because each day I get to hear from customers. Many of these people have powerful, transformative experiences in the outdoors. I work for a small local shop now as a buyer (support local business!) and get to interact with the community daily. One of the main focuses of the shop is making sure there are plenty of womenās gear options available (in styles and sizes). That makes me really happy.
I will admit I bought into the illusion of #vanlife.
Becky Switzer
Becky Switzer and the Curse of the Van
CC: You bought a van. And then you regretted that decision. Can you elaborate on that process and what others should know about the Van Life experience?
Becky: I will admit I bought into the illusion of #vanlife. As with many questionable decisions, you start justifying all the red flags. Four wheel drive in Montana? Pssshhh who needs it! I developed a budget, sold my Tacoma (bad decision), took out a small loan, and went for it.
From the beginning I had issues with the van build, and not in a trivial sense. There were some problems that surfaced that did not equate with the amount of money invested in the van.
If you get an inexpensive pair of climbing shoes, you arenāt totally surprised when they develop a delamination issue, but you get frustrated when your fancy pair of trad shoes start peeling at the toe box.
Regardless of the perpetual issues, I came to realize that the concept of having an underpowered non-four-wheel-drive van in Montana was not all it was cracked up to be. Aside from having difficulty on gravel roads when traveling to the crag, driving in winter wasnāt exactly a pleasurable experience.
Yes, sleeping inside and drinking coffee in bed was glorious, but when you look at the ratio of coffee-in-bed-days versus days you just drive to work, the work days were far more numerous.
(Related Post: Van Life: The Economics and Trade-Offs)
Getting Rid of the Van
So, itās back to truck life and I couldnāt be more thrilled. Practicality always seems to win out with me, and this situation was no different.
The Influence of Social Media on FOMO Spending
When I see all the van life photos on social media, everything is usually incredibly staged and unrealistic. Plants on the countertop and little spice jars next to the sink? Yeah, I can guarantee that those shots were carefully curated. Most vans Iāve been inā¤and mine was no exceptionā¤look like a gear bomb exploded about 60 seconds after entering. Things wobble, items shake and fall, there are continuous creaks and groans, and dealing with breakdowns in refrigeration and water systems can be a real buzzkill. My motto going forward is the simpler the better, and Iām looking forward to not getting stuck in the snow this year.
(Related Post: In Contrast: The Reality of Life on the Road)
The Small Mountain Town: The Times They Are A-Changin’
CC: You live in Bozeman, Montana, which has become a hotly sought-after mountain town. How has Bozeman evolved in recent years? What are the pros and cons of these changes?
Becky: Bozeman has changed since the mid-2000s. As with many mountain towns, there is a certain allure to being close to outdoor activities. I believe most people moved here to to be close to the mountains and escape people.
As dissonant as that may sound, folks who were drawn to Montana in the 90s and part of the 2000s moved here for the open space and the lack of people. Bozeman doesnāt have a Whole Foods or Trader Joes, doesnāt have a large dedicated concert venue, there are no professional sports teams, and it lacks much of the cultural diversity folks expect from a mid-sized town. If it werenāt for the University, jobs and innovation would potentially be way behind the national norm.Ā
Currently, I donāt think people move here solely to get away from people. Based on my interactions in the retail world, Iām left to wonder if moving to mountain towns has just become a fad. And who would blame these folks? I believe many of them are second and third home owners. They can just escape to warmer weather when the going gets tough in the middle of February. Additionally with the pandemic still happening, there is a certain appeal to moving to the ninth least populated (and fourth largest) state in America.
The Pros and Cons of Growing Mountain Towns
Bozemanās evolution brings pros and cons. Of course traffic and real estate prices have skyrocketed. Thankfully the cost of goods and services hasnāt seen a huge uptick, and there still seems to be a hometown feel in many places. A handshake can still seal a deal. Additionally, the city now supports a wider variety of businesses and entrepreneurial efforts. In contrast, many smaller Montana towns are struggling to maintain a viable economy.
Where other people choose to live is out of my control. I can only try and adapt to the new Bozeman. The local climbing community to me still feels very much the same, despite the growth in climbingās popularity. Iāve had some really wonderful female partners move to town and then leave after a couple years. Thatās been a bit of a bummer. But conversely, some of my longest and most cherished friendships have come from climbing. I see these individuals on a weekly basis.
(Related Post: This Just In: The Real Cost of Home Ownership)
I wasnāt a female soccer player, I was a goalkeeper.
Becky Switzer
Privilege in Climbing
Becky: To say climbing is a privilege is a bit of a misnomer to me. The literal act of climbing, in a bubble, does not discriminate. Kids climb trees or one can go kick off their shoes and boulder barefooted. Climbing, like all other sports, is an expression of the individual participating in that sport.
But of course, we donāt exist in a bubble. Where privilege rears its head is when external human factors are applied to climbing. When I visit the climbing gym, I wonder about how welcoming the environment is. I wonder what it would feel like to enter that space without knowing anyone.
Growing up, I categorized myself by my role in sport. I wasnāt a female soccer player, I was a goalkeeper. Likewise when I first entered the gym in Tampa, Florida. I wasnāt a single female, I was an aspiring rock climber. In my head, I was able to categorize myself in relation to the sport rather than categorizing myself in relation to other individuals participating in the sport.
Again (hereās my disclaimer), this is just my experience. Not everyone is afforded the liberty of visiting unfamiliar locations without experiencing some level of discomfort.
Even with all that is going on in America today, I choose to believe the majority of people are trying their best. We are all flawed creatures. Even our best intentions can sometimes go incredibly awry.
With the climbing community specifically, we certainly have our challenges when it comes to making our sport accessible for all. However, I believe we are a welcoming and accepting bunch. Certainly that last statement will touch a nerve and people will come back with “but what about all the nasty comments on climbing social media?ā Yep, crappy individuals still exist. Itās a fact of life. And when we come across those individuals in real life, we need to make it a point to approach with the intention of kindness, even if your words and actions fall on deaf ears.
Becky Switzer on the Controversy of Secret Crags
CC: What are your opinions on the nature of secret crags and the controversy surrounding them?
Becky: We live in a day and age where hardly anything is secret anymore. It’s a nasty side effect of having this thing called the internet. Montana has been accused of being quite secretive about climbing locations, which may be partially true. However, the secretive nature is also reflective of the low population of climbers in the state.
There was a time when there was no Mountain Project to reference whenever you wanted to visit a new crag. There was a time where you actually had to look at books and maps, make friends with local climbers, and visit the mom and pop gear shops to talk to employees who are actually rock climbers.
Mountain Project is an incredible resource, but it certainly can breed laziness. Folks become conditioned to expect things to be easy. Sometimes climbers, especially the older developer types, lag behind in accepting the convenience of just looking something up on the internet.
Many times though, making friends with a local is your best bet to learn the ins and outs of an area. Isnāt that type of human connection one of the best things climbing can offer us?
Summary
I appreciate Becky for keeping it real here for us.
To get in touch, reach out to Becky Switzer on Instagram.
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