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The mountains themselves might be unbiased, but the systems we live in are not.

Kelly Fields is a rock climber, certified climbing guide, and owner of Athena Rock Climbing, a nationwide guide service with a specialty in multi-pitch trad climbing and a primarily all female guide staff.

Kelly’s been building a career around climbing since 2004 and took part in a historic Baffin Island expedition with a team of all women in 2025.

Angie and Kelly talk about:

• Why Kelly left college to pursue big-wall climbing
• The sexism she faced (and still faces) as a guide
• How she built Athena Rock Climbing from a desire for ownership and community
• Why women make excellent climbers
• The physical and emotional dynamics of a 42-day all-women expedition in the Canadian Arctic
• Internalized misogyny and how we unknowingly carry it into the outdoors
• Inviting men into conversations about gender equity outdoors

Join Trailtober for a chance to win trail prizes and to help close the gender gap outdoors: https://cairnproject.org/trailtober-2025-challenge

Check out these resources:

• 🔗Athena Rock Climbing

• 🧗‍♀️ Athena on IG

• 📱 Kelly on IG

• 🥾 Become a Trailblazer
• 📅 Women of Mountaineering Calendar

• 🎙️ Share your story on this podcast! Submit for Field Notes here.

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Brought to you by the Alliance for Gender Equity in Outdoor Adventure (GEA Alliance).

Hosted by Angie Marie Lake and edited by Alyson Castonguay.