Welcome to another empowering episode of the Female Guides Requested Podcast! This is your host Ting Ting from Las Vegas. Today we sit down with the incredibly inspiring Carol Simpson, a trailblazing climber and guide who is proving that age and societal expectations are meant to be challenged. Raised in the 1950s South where athleticism in women was heavily discouraged, Carol didn’t embrace her inner athlete until her late 20s. But once she did, there was no looking back.

At age 42, she found her life’s true passion in rock climbing, a discovery she describes as a profound moment of empowerment. Following her newfound calling, Carol moved out West and founded First Ascent at Smith Rock, which became the first-ever women owned guide service in the U.S. Now at 80 years old, she is still climbing, lifting heavy, running a yoga practice, and even actively training to break the world record for dead hangs for women over 80!

In this episode, we dive into Carol’s rebellious journey of defying gender norms, pioneering spaces for women in the outdoors, the absolute necessity of strength training as we age, and why it’s never too late to ignite your inner fire.

Carol's Bio:

Carol Simpson’s journey is a testament to resilience, reinvention, and the relentless pursuit of passion. Raised in the 1950s South, she broke away from traditional expectations, leaving an early marriage to earn her degree and launch a successful commercial interior design firm in Washington, D.C. After embracing a fiercely athletic lifestyle in her 30s—eventually becoming an ACE-certifiedpersonal trainer and yoga instructor—she discovered rock climbing at age 42, igniting her life's true passion.

Relocating to Bend, Oregon, in 1992, Carol pioneered new spaces for women in the outdoor industry. She founded First Ascent Climbing Services at Smith Rock, establishing the first female-owned, AMGA-accredited guide service. Long before it was an industry norm, she led all-female expeditionsacross the U.S. and created the weekly “Climb Like A Girl” group to help women discover personal empowerment on the wall.

Her own climbing achievements are equally remarkable. Her proudest ascents at Smith Rock include sending Latin Lover (5.12a) at age 53, and becoming the first woman over 50—at age 60—to lead the notoriously difficult overhanging crack, Whartley’s Revenge (5.11b). Now approaching 81, Carol still climbs three days a week, continuing to defy expectations and inspire climbers of all ages.

Carol’s Links:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: carolsimpsonclimbing

Quotes:

• “The first climb I did, it changed my life entirely. It gave me a message of empowerment. I think that’s the best word for it. Just ‘I can do this’ and it’s amazing.”
• “I was sort of corralled into what now has become the new thing, the trad wife. That’s what you did. But I’ve always been the rebellious one, and I went against a lot of things I was raised to believe.”
• “So I went big time in the opposite direction. It’s an inner fire. And I know that you know what I’m talking about. And the women listening to this know what that inner fire is because you have it.”
• “Today, women have muscles and it’s considered beautiful, and it was not… I absolutely think the women with the muscles look the best. It’s just beautiful.”
• “I still lift and I lift heavy. And that’s a very important thing for women who are getting older, because the single best example of strength is your grip strength beyond any other.”
• “I’m working now on my dead hangs and I’m up to a minute and a half… The world record is 2 minutes and 1 second for a woman over 80. So, I’m going for it.”
• “Climbing was me competing against myself and it still is. And I will never think about competing against someone your age, but I’ll sure compete with somebody who’s in their 80s.”