EP 104: Amity Warme
January 31, 2022
Amity Warme is one of the most badass trad climbers you’ve never heard of. She also has a master’s in nutrition. We talked about her incredible season in Yosemite including ground-up free ascents of ‘Freerider’ and ‘Golden Gate’, the importance of logistics in big wall free climbing, what she learned growing up in gymnastics, training plans, and eating more to do more.
Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts
Check out other episodes with Amity:
Follow-Up: Amity Warme (Nov 28, 2022)
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Bryan Fast, Leo Franchi, Michael Roy, David Lahaie, Robert Freehill, Jeremiah Johnson, and Scott Donahue
Show Notes:
Amity’s Links:
Amity’s Yosemite Season Tick List (plus cool photo)
Under-fueling: The Ultimate Sandbag
Books Mentioned:
Logical Progression: Second Edition by Steve Bechtel
Other Podcasts Mentioned:
ClimbSci (climbingnutrition.com)
Route’s Mentioned:
‘Enter the Dragon’ 5.13+ (R), The Fins, ID
‘The Nose’ 5.14a, El Cap, Yosemite, CA
‘El Corazon’ 5.13b, El Cap, Yosemite, CA
‘Book of Fate’ 5.13d, Yosemite, CA
Nuggets:
0:06:14 – Winter weather in the PNW
0:11:19 – My first impression of Amity, and her Yosemite season tick list
0:13:11 – How to get good climbing photos (of yourself)
0:18:05 – The prerequisite skills required to have a successful season free climbing in Yosemite, and being willing to suffer
0:22:27 – Some of Amity’s background in climbing before showing up to Yosemite
0:25:33 – Meeting Hans Florine, deciding to go to Yosemite, and a surprise ground-up free ascent of ‘Freerider’
0:30:00 – Sending ‘Golden Gate’ ground up
0:31:56 – Learning how to haul on the side of Will’s van
0:33:44 – Patron question from Cody: What is the best way to acquire the hard skills of multi-pitch and big wall climbing?
0:34:55 – “It’s always worth being willing to go for it”, and redefining what success is to you
0:36:49 – How to care a lot about something while being detached from the outcome
0:38:03 – The importance of technical climbing vs. logistical skills when it comes to big wall free climbing
0:41:42 – What Amity taught Tyler about free climbing efficiency up on ‘Golden Gate’, and what she learned from Tyler about logistics, rope systems, and living on the wall
0:45:53 – Patron question from Nolan: Where does Amity’s ground-up ethic come from?
0:49:04 – Patron question from Rob: How do you prepare for a ground-up ascent?
0:51:02 – Patron question from Savva about what it was like climbing ‘Golden Gate’, and Amity’s first time climbing the Monster Offwidth
0:57:10 – How Amity plans to prepare for her next Yosemite season, and planning to train for the first time
1:01:07 – Amity’s background in gymnastics, and sending a 5.10 her very first time climbing
1:07:36 – Climbing as a lifetime sport
1:10:52 – Residual injuries from gymnastics
1:13:46 – Patron questions from Martin and Ainsley: What from gymnastics has served you most in climbing?
1:15:33 – Oppositional exercises from gymnastics that Amity still does, and doing ring exercises on the road
1:17:11 – Amity’s weaknesses and plans for training this winter
1:22:05 – Rest nights vs. rest days, and getting energy out vs. recovering to try a hard project
1:25:18 – Studying nutrition and helping climbers eat more to support their climbing
1:28:32 – The prevalence of under-fueling in climbers, and eating more without gaining weight
1:33:29 – The complexity of the energy-in-energy-out equation, and why losing weight is a bad long-term strategy
1:37:48 – Thoughts on protein amounts, timing, and sources, targeting carbohydrates around activity, and eating a variety of different foods
1:42:46 – Replacing weight goal with performance goals
1:45:19 – My experience with elevated blood sugar from a food sensitivity
1:50:07 – How to connect with Amity, and her vision for future work and nutrition coaching
1:51:51 – Patron question from Rob: How does Amity plan her nutrition for big wall projects?
1:57:07 – Amity’s next climbing goal, and the next step in her registered dietitian journey
1:59:36 – What inspires Amity
2:03:09 – How Amity hopes to empower others
2:07:26 – Wrap up