Ady Wright is a climbing instructor and routesetter based in New York. We met up in Red Rock and recorded a nice long chat in the van, covering her introduction to climbing and routesetting, why she pivoted from veterinary science, being raised by a cautious father, analyzing risk, the benefits of meal prepping, losing her grandmother to cancer, the pressure that comes with opportunity, the rebellious act of existing, and much more!

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Show Notes:  

thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/ady-wright

Nuggets:

0:03:56 – Ady’s breakfast, and serendipitous timing

0:05:56 – Ady’s first vacation, and how an outdoor climbing trip fuels routesetting

0:13:04 – Her head setter Ryan, and earning her stripes

0:18:16 – Learning to set above her level, the complexity of grades, and setting boulders vs. routes

0:24:32 – Studying veterinary science, wanting to be a zoo veterinarian, and pivoting to be a full-time climber

0:33:03 – Being the first in her family to do many things

0:36:58 – Going camping for the first time, and a reminder of how recent slavery was in this country

0:40:56 – Going with the flow, and everything in moderation

0:44:45 – The benefits of meal prepping

0:46:02 – Being hard on herself, and sharing experiences with people that look like her

0:49:53 – My conversation with Brittany Leavitt, travel safety, and where the feeling of not doing enough comes from

0:54:24 – The pressure that comes with opportunity

0:59:22 – Losing her grandmother to cancer, and crying for the things she didn’t get to have

1:01:01 – The influence Ady hopes to have on the routesetting industry, and how being cautious has saved her

1:06:06 – Privilege layers, and needing to talk with people to actually know them

1:09:29 – Writing novels and producing music

1:10:57 – Mom

1:19:00 – A question from Marie-Louise: When Ady climbs, is she in her body or is it more of an out-of-body experience?

1:24:11 – Who inspires Ady in climbing and routesetting

1:28:17 – Ady’s goal to make routsetting more accessible

1:31:20 – Ady’s climbing goals, and her style

1:34:32 – Being intimidated by overhangs

1:35:57 – Immersing in a specific style

1:37:40 – Lifting weights, and the 3 pieces of advice Ady got from Tyson Schoene

1:41:15 – The exercise that helped Ady with her elbow tendonitis

1:46:50 – Gymnast tension, and the yin and yang of climbing

1:48:26 – PT Day, splits, and recovery

1:52:06 – “It’s really expensive to be a great athlete”, and running from coyotes

1:54:23 – Thoughts on sponsorship

1:58:08 – Stories of walking in New York City

2:01:00 – Being in the shelter system for a year

2:06:38 – Loving most of New York

2:09:18 – What frustrates Ady

2:13:39 – Feeling hopeful and falling in love with people

2:17:07 – Skateboarding

2:19:50 – Getting mentorship from Sam Elias, and learning from each climb

2:24:47 – Practice makes better

2:29:38 – Believe and validate

2:32:58 – The clubhouse