We sat down with Movement Colorado member and Golden Meet-Up Group leader Jacqui to chat about all things climbing. Check out our conversation below!
Where are you from and what brought you to Colorado?
I grew up in and around the Chicago area. I decided after skiing Crested Butte in 1982 that I had to move there. After a few false starts, I finally moved to the Gunnison/Crested Butte area in 1990. My family had always been involved in outdoor activities, and we traveled all over the Midwest and the East but I had never been west of Minnesota.
How did you get started climbing?
My family took a lot of camping trips growing up and we ended up at Devils Lake, Wisconsin in the summer of 1967. It was there that I saw climbing for the first time. Rock climbing was considered a "fringe" sport at the time, especially in the Midwest.
I started to climb everything I could find—trees, small rock outcroppings, etc. I met some friends in junior high school that were also interested in climbing. I bought a short piece of dock-line for a boat (similar to Goldline laid climbing rope). We started to rappel out of trees and off our houses. Somehow, we survived.
After many trips to Devils Lake during high school, I started to get serious about climbing. I bought a pair of EB climbing shoes, a 150' rope, webbing to make a harness (a sling seat), and a handful of oval carabiners and a brake bar for rappelling. On a particular trip to "the lake," we met an experienced climber, started climbing with him, and he introduced us to the D.L.F.A., who were some of the best climbers in the area and beyond. They were incredibly supportive and showed us how to climb. They later made a documentary about the D.L.F.A.
We climbed ice at Starved Rock State Park, southwest of Chicago (rock climbing was not allowed) and we would go to the water filtration plant on the beach in Glencoe, north of Chicago, and climb the limestone blocks of the building.
What's your favorite thing about introducing people to climbing?
Their excitement.
Some are hesitant to climb for the first time, some have a fear of heights, others have seemed intimated to meet experienced climbers, and a few have thought they were not physically able to climb.
A few moments stand out...one was the Sunday morning I had 24 people. The other was a person that came to the meetup that had never climbed, and I was not sure she would come back. She ended up becoming a regular and doing an 11- when the gym re-opened after covid.
Everyone is welcome in my meetups. I am fortunate to have a group that covers a wide range of abilities and ages, from the never-ever climbed before, to 5-13+ leaders. The regular attendees are always welcoming and helpful to the new people joining us for the first time, making sure everyone is safe and feeling like they belong.
I am excited for them as they learn to climb safely and push their limits getting a hard move, upping their grade, or learning to lead. Having them become a part of the community and watching them progress and have fun is what climbing is all about.
What do you love most about the climbing community?
I was lucky to find a group of experienced climbers that took me in, taught me, and encouraged me to push my personal limits. I want to pass that on. I have found the support climbers have for each other goes beyond being a safe belay or passing on knowledge. I have been on both sides of that experience, from helping new climbers to being there to support someone going through a tough time.
I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer a few years ago. The love and support I received from the community and the Movement staff was overwhelming and made a dramatic difference in the success of my treatment. Thank you all!
How does one get involved in your meetup group?
We meet at Movement Golden Sunday mornings at 9 AM and Wednesday evenings at 5:30 PM. No prior registration is necessary; just show up!