Speed climbing the Yosemite Triple Crown, El Capitan, Half Dome, and Mount Watkins in under 24 hours, has always lived in the realm of legendary, and until recently, it was something dominated entirely by men. In this episode, I sit down with speed climber and designer Kate Kelleghan, who, along with her partner Laura Pineau, became the first women to complete the Yosemite Triple Crown in under 24 hours.

We talk about how Kate was once an emo art kid who walked the mile on purpose who became an obsessive trail runner and then a climber. She shares how joining the Colorado Mountain Club and Yosemite Search and Rescue (YoSAR) gave her mentors, partners, and friends who took her big goals seriously. We dig into the nerdy side of speed climbing like spreadsheets, Coros data, gear notes in erasable pen and what it feels like to climb El Cap through the night with only a headlamp bubble around you.

We also explore what it means to be a “competitive feminist,” to chase an audacious, history-making goal in a male-dominated space, and how Kate is thinking about mentoring the next wave of women climbers. This one is about big walls, big math, and even bigger belief.

She shares updates about the Triple Crown documentary, guiding trips, and plenty of behind-the-scenes moments here:

• Instagram: @katekelleghan

• Join her Greece climbing + adventure trip: https://www.sunrise-mindset.com/greece

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• Instagram: @womeninwildplaces

• Host: @outsidegabs

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