Matty Kastellec grew up in New York City, attending high performing public schools, including the Fiorella H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts for trombone. In addition to school and music, Matty remembers enjoying climbing with his Uncle and gymnastics. At the University of Michigan, Matty eventually studied International Studies, which taught him about power and systems of oppression. Matty moved to Salt Lake City in November 2019 and quickly made a few queer friends before the pandemic lock-down. Matty discusses the impact of the pandemic on his life and relationships. Before moving to Salt Lake City, Matty attended the Salt Lake Climbers Alliance's Climbing Festival and became involved with the Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (JEDI) Committee, as a result of summer 2020 and a letter to the organization to take action. In 2021, Matty and Rue Zheng relaunch Salt Lake Area Queer Climbers' meet-up with great success. With Lea Hernandez, they continue to host SLAQC meet-ups, events, and collaborations with other queer groups. Matty hopes to secure non-profit status for the group and to continue to lay the foundation for a robust queer climbers community.

View Matty Kastellec's Oral History in the Marriott Digital Library

Jessica Powell grew up outside of Boise, Idaho. Her family spent weekends camping, riding dirt bikes, and snowmobiling. Jess moved to Salt Lake City to Utah county and got a job at a gear store and eventually progressed to a management role. In 2013 Jess started working at Black Diamond Equipment in Salt Lake City in sales and eventually became the Event and Partnership Manager. In this role, Jess discusses several initiatives that she's excited about, including creating Beladies, a women's climbing group and event series, and creating opportunities for marginalized communities to diversify the outdoor recreation industry. After George Floyd's murder in summer 2020, Black Diamond Equipment set aside $250,000 to diversify the outdoors, by creating programs and providing sponsorships for AMGA certification for people from marginalized communities. Jess also discusses her roles at the Salt Lake Climbers Alliance and goals as the new Chairperson of the Board of Directors. Jess sees mentorship as a huge need for the industry and climbing community.

 Garrett was born in Duluth, Minnesota, started skiing when he was around six or seven years old, and eventually moved to Montana, where he continued to pursue skiing. He moved to Switzerland, met his wife, Franziska, and discovered climbing under the influence of the Von Kämel brothers, Swiss mountain guides. James returned to the States in 1980 and worked as a ski patroller in Colorado before eventually settling in Salt Lake City with his wife in 1981. James draws frequent comparisons between the American and European climbing ethic, noting the support provided to climbing by government institutions in Europe. He is an accomplished first ascensionist, having developed new routes in the Wasatch and the West Desert, among other places. He discusses the development of climbing in Utah's West Desert, specifically an area called Ibex. James wrote a guidebook on climbing in the West Desert and responds to questions about the qualities that a good guidebook should have, alluding to the Ruckman guidebook on Wasatch climbing as a model text. He continues to climb actively, often traveling international to climb in new places and experience different cultures. Interview is part of the Outdoor Recreation Oral History Project. Interviewer: Matt Driscoll

 Emmeline Wang grew up in Fremont, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area, playing travel softball and running cross country. Emmeline was a student athlete at Menlo College studying marketing. After college, Emmeline started rock climbing before moving in Salt Lake City in 2020. She loves the vast landscapes, particularly Yosemite Valley in California and Indian Creek in Utah. Since moving to Salt Lake City, Emmeline has started modeling and storytelling for outdoor companies, including Gregory Packs, Patagonia, Title Nine, and Teva, in addition to her full-time job managing social media at AllTrails.

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Ryan Suen grew up mostly in Texas, before moving to San Jose, California, at about 11 years old. Ryan recounts the stark differences between Texas and California, importance of education to his family, and the impact on the 2008 recession on his extracurricular activities. While attending the University of California at Irvine, Ryan was introduced to climbing and spent time in Joshua Tree. After graduation, Ryan focused on work and traveling for the finance industry. In 2019, Ryan moved to Salt Lake City and eventually became involved with both Color the Wasatch (co-leader) and Salt Lake Climbers Alliance (treasurer and Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Committee member).

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Beloeil grew up in France and climbed for the first time when she was 12 years old. Although she was involved in many sports as a child and adolescent she did not consider herself very good at them. She did not like the rules and restrictions that were a part of organized sports. The natural rhythm of climbing and the freedom it offered over other sports were what attracted Cathy. The clarity required during climbing brings an almost meditative calm over her mind. This interview is part of the Everett L. Cooley Oral History Collection and the Utah Outdoor Recreation Oral History Project. Interviewer: Erik Solberg

View Cathy Beloeil's Oral History in the Marriott Digital Library 

Victor Copeland was born in Iowa and grew up in California. Victor was drawn to climbing at an early age after being completely enamored by Boreal Firé climbing shoes at an REI store. Victor's climbing quickly progressed and he travelled internationally to France at 13 years old, in addition to climbing in the western United States (Bishop, Yosemite, Rifle, Joe's Valley, Hueco Tanks). While in high school, he became a "weekend warrior" and started developing new boulders in Bishop, which evolved into a brief stint climbing fulltime. Victor went on a few sponsored climbing trips before making a pivotal decision to skip a North Face trip to focus on his studies and eventually attend law school. While a student, Victor recounts buildering on UC Davis' campus and multiple interactions with campus police. After a break from climbing, a poor competition performance motivated him to focus on climbing again with the goal of making finals at the Teva Mountain Games in Vail, CO (he didn't make finals, but managed to do an uncontrived figure four in the qualifying round and make a pilgrimage to a legendary John Gill boulder). During his last semester of law school, Victor broke his leg after being hit by a car while skateboarding. During his recovery, Victor focused intensely on free soloing in the Lake Tahoe area. Around 2009, Victor moved to Salt Lake City with his wife and began establishing new boulders in Little Cottonwood Canyon and Big Cottonwood Canyon, specifically in the backcountry and on taller, headpoint-style highball bouldering lines. Victor recounts a life-changing highball boulder fall where Wasatch Search & Rescue had to bring him out of the backcountry on a "big wheel" to get him to the hospital. Even after the injuries, Victor continues to share his excitement for bouldering and writing about climbing. In part two, Victor shares the materials he donated to the Marriott Library's Special Collections and the significance to him. Victor concludes with his dream of Little Cottonwood Canyon.

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Nancy Feagin was born in Washington, D.C., but spent her formative years in San Francisco, California, and Jackson, Wyoming. When she moved to Jackson, she competed as a ski racer for her high school, and around the same time, she learned to climb in the Tetons. After graduating from Duke University with a Bachelor's degree in Engineering, she returned to Jackson, worked briefly for a software company, and then decided to pursue her passion for climbing. She traveled for a number of years and began to climb big walls in Yosemite and other places. Nancy moved to Salt Lake City in 1991 to work at just-opening Rockreation. Since she has lived in Salt Lake, she has made numerous significant climbing trips, most notably a solo ascent of Aconcagua in South America and a 2001 ascent of Mount Everest. Nancy speaks about a number of her climbing partners, as well as the numerous transitions in her climbing career. Interview is part of the Outdoor Recreation Oral History Project. Interviewer: Matt Driscoll.

Read more about Nancy Feagin in this Vertical Files post. 

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Reese graduated from East High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, then joined the army reserve and served active duty in response to the Berlin crisis. He worked for the National Park Service as a climbing ranger at Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park. His first great climbing experience was Mount Rainier, where he was a part of the youngest unguided climb up to that date. He became a part of the Alpine Buck Climbing Club, and was very active in the Wasatch, which has some of the best climbing and backcountry skiing in the world. Reese talks about improvements in technology and rescue technique. His closest friends in life are climbers and he acknowledges that sometimes his family and climbing relations weren't always in balance. Interview is part of the Outdoor Recreation Oral History Project. Interviewer: John Worsencroft.

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Andrea Ramos Campos moved to south Florida from Peru when she was 6 years old. Her family moved due to racial challenges for her Black and White parents in Peru and for more opportunities for Andrea and her sibling. Andrea recounts growing up with a very loving family, a vibrant community, and a love for nature. Andrea enjoyed dance, including salsa, Afro-Peruvian music - festejo, color guard in high school, and eventually fire bending with a staff. Andrea discusses her first visit to the mountains and first climbing experience in Big Cottonwood Canyon. In 2016, Andrea moved to Salt Lake City and started climbing more with her roommates and overcoming financial barriers of the sport. Andrea then discusses her community organizing and leadership with Color the Wasatch, Salt Lake Area Queer Climbers, and Salt Lake Climbers Alliance. Andrea owns her own business, Lovin' Coven, a trauma-informed yoga practice and podcast.

View Andrea Ramos Campos' Oral History in the Marriott Digital Library