Kirsty Pardede
KIRSTY PARDEDE is a climber.
Originally from Scotland, she now lives nomadically with her partner and two kiddos, all the while capturing their adventures as they travel.
You can check out more about her business, Wild Adventure Film, and her adventurous travels here:
Website: Wild Adventure Film
Instagram: @kirstypardede
YouTube: Wild Adventure Film
Pronouns: she/her/hers
ATHLETE OF THE MONTH - JULY 2024
Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got into climbing?
I've been climbing for nearly 20 years and it's punctuated almost my entire adult life :-) When I was 17 I went on my first "solo" backpacking trip to Canada - I basically couch surfed through houses of friends and family around Vancouver Island and BC - and during that time my cousin took me out climbing one day and something clicked. When I returned to Scotland, I found the closest climbing gym, took a course to learn the basics, and the rest is history. Climbing changed my life.
What motivates you to stay active and adventurous?
I don't really feel "motivation" to be adventurous, it seems to be woven into me. As for being active... I've never been able to sit still. And I don't like to feel unfit or weak (but I hate the gym so it's a paradox haha) . I love the empowering feeling I get of being strong in my body and mind climbing and from living life outdoors. It’s addictive. Does that count as motivation? :-)
Can you share a memorable experience or achievement from your climbing career?
I finished the other questions and came back to this cause I thought I'd have a better answer after thinking about it, but no single experience or achievement stands out. A lot of climbers meticulously tick off their guidebooks and track goals and routes and there's routes I've done in the past that stayed with me - usually for the grade - but mostly when I try to think of the most memorable experiences I've had, it’s the feeling that stands out. I'm not sure how to quantify that. It's the moments I've pushed through my fear, that I've been so focused on climbing everything else has fallen away. The moments I've accessed what I now know to be called some kind of state of "flow". And they've not all resulted in achieving the goal of getting the route. Sometimes it's just been committing to a hard or scary crux section and taking the fall. That feels like an achievement and an experience I'm constantly working on having.
What's the most fun part about climbing to you?
The beautiful wild places it takes us, especially the more remote places. The community of like-minded people. And lately, bizarrely it's the thing I'm often most afraid of... falling, haha. It's scary to take falls, but it’s also a high when you get so in-the-moment you're committed to it - I'm either gonna stick this move or I'm gonna fall trying - and it doesn't happen every time, but I've found myself hanging on the end of the rope lately enjoying the high more from taking the fall after the fear has passed and going again. Immediate type 2 fun haha.
What's your least favorite part about climbing?
Can I say falling again :-) on routes outside of my comfort zone. But also, long, steep approaches. My official party line is I love them for beautiful hikes to usually more remote climbing areas but also my backpack is heavy and my shoulders and legs die a slow painful death every time haha.
How do you balance training, work, and personal life?
Honestly? I don't do much training nowadays since becoming a mum. I chuck the finger board up in the van now and again to keep my fingers strong. I fit in a bit of yoga in the mornings when I can and when I feel like it (or my hips are tight!). If Hardin/s doing a "big muscle" workout on his arms, back and core on a rest day, I jump in and join him, but I don't have any kind of training plan like I used to when I was younger. I love climbing outdoors for climbing outdoors. I wanna push my grade and achieve my goals but I also wanna spend down time with my kids and hubby, homeschool, and binge read the books I love. I don't have the time or energy for proper training now unless it's opportunistic hehe. As for work, since I work for myself, I have a few days in the week I set aside to get stuff done when Hardin has the kids and all the life stuff solo, plus I also take little moments when the opportunity presents itself throughout the week if we're not climbing or in the evenings if I have energy. It can be quite chaotic to be honest, but we seem to make it work :-)
What does a typical training session look like for you, if you have them?
Life is my training right now :-) If I make time to train, mostly fingerboarding, etc while we're on the road. It usually involves getting warmed up, then stopping cause the kids wanna join in and try to hang or do a pull up. Then I do a few hangs. Then they wanna see how many pull ups I can do with one of them around my waist like when they were little. They weigh 17kg now. The answer is barely a single one haha. I do a few more hangs. They wanna hang again and have me count how long they can hang for. I do some pull ups and shoulder and back stuff, maybe try some core stuff, but it kills me quickly and then the kids want a snack and we're done! :-)
How do you stay mentally focused and motivated during challenging times?
I take breaks. Since becoming a mum I feel I have a finite amount of mental strength and I'm less disciplined on pushing through when motivation is lacking cause it uses up too much of me. So now, I take a break - a couple hours, a day or a couple days (once, a couple of years!) and when I'm feeling I can focus again, I come back to it.
When you're spending a day engaging in your favorite adventure passions, what kind of snacks or favorite meals do you have that keep you fueled throughout?
I LOVE FOOD. I love a picnic style spread at the crag. I always bring a feast, especially climbing with the kids. Usual things are avocados, cured meat, bread, crackers, tuna, pickles, fruit (stuff that doesn't get bashed easily like apples or melon - not bananas), nuts and raisins, dried apple slices, dried figs and dried apricots are a big favourite...oh and peanut m&ms. A family sharing bag :-)
Do you have any go-to recovery practices after a tough workout or adventure?
If I can swing it with the kids, I squeeze in a quick stretch after climbing. We're travelling full-time in the van at the moment and if we're lucky enough to be near a river or lake, I love a cold water dip to help recover and feel fresh again. If we're going out to do hard routes, I have a chocolate protein shake before we leave. I don't have one after cause I like a good, tasty dinner when we get back. And a glass of wine, if we have any ;-)
Do you have any tips for beginners who want to get started in climbing?
Find your closest climbing gym and sign up for a beginner course to learn the basics of how to tie in, belay, etc. And if you wanna climb outdoors, either sign up for a course (some walls run them!) or find an experienced climber friend who can take you and teach you all the extra things you need to know and be aware of for climbing outdoors. Climbing gets dangerous fast for yourself and others if you don't know what you're doing and the best way to learn is from another experienced human being.
Are there any ways you incorporate mindfulness or mental wellbeing practices into your routine?
I'm not very good at this to be honest. I have moments when I journal and do yoga and try to be mindful, and then I have long periods where I just act and react and don't think too much about anything. Working on my head game with climbing is making me focus more on mindfulness, but again it's a bit hit or miss as to when I remember. I need to be more mindful to be mindful!
Who are your biggest inspirations or role models in the adventure and sports world?
Lynn Hill, Beth Rodden, Hazel Findlay, Sasha Diguilian, Tommy Caldwell, Leo Houlding, and Jess Houlding. And this is gonna sound cringe :-) but my kids inspire me. We got them into climbing and outdoor adventure and watching them try hard, handle their fears, be honest about their fears and embrace the fun in simple stuff inspires me to try hard physically and mentally and not lose track of the point of all this. The joy of just climbing even if you're not sending.
Any other favorite outdoor adventure type or sport, and why do you love it?
I accidentally took 5 years off climbing when we lived in Indonesia (that’s a whole other story haha) and we got into surfing. I suck at it right enough. But I enjoy it! I love the ocean and the feeling of riding waves and having them wash over you when you duck dive under one. Another thing my 6-year-old loves, so it's fun to share surfing with him too!
When you're not climbing, how do you like to spend your time?
Reading. Playing with my camera and editing. I love baking, but we live in the van currently so it's mostly just pancakes nowadays! But when we finally build our home, I'm gonna bake again...bread, muffins, pizzas. Can't wait!
What future goals or adventures do you have planned, and how are you preparing for them?
We'd love to do multi-pitch with the kids at some point - maybe next year, so the prep is mostly just getting them to do lots of mileage and enjoy climbing and exposure and keeping it on the back burner for when they're ready. As for me, I have a grade in mind I'd like to climb this year. We've already established I suck at training, but my main weakness is mental not physical so I'm trying to work on it - probably not as consistently as I should - reading the theory on mental training, trying to enforce it on the wall. It's a process :-)
As for adventures, we're continuing to travel Europe in our van climbing as a family for now. We wanna hit the Dolomites at some point before heading back to Spain for the cooler climbing season later this year. Morocco is being tossed around for the winter. I'm still trying to convince Hardin to ship the van to Canada to do a pan American road trip from Canada to Patagonia a la Charlie and Dale from Climbing Van :-) we'll see.....
