The Broad Beta Podcast

Tune in to meet Sarah Hueniken, one of the world's greatest ice and mixed climbers. She was the first North American female to climb M11, M12, M13, and M14 - grades most winter climbers only dream of climbing. She and her partner, Will Gadd, became the first to climb Niagara Falls in 2015. She is an ACMG alpine climbing guide and lives and works in Canmore, Alberta, Canada.

In this episode, Sarah recounts her mission to link three ice and mixed climbs in the Waiporous Cirque in Canada after losing her dear friend Sonja in an avalanche at one of her women's ice climbing camps. She paints a beautiful picture of her complicated relationship with the mountains in the wake of the accident. Sarah ultimately co-founded Mountain Muskox, an organization that supports those who have experienced tragedy in the mountains (www.mountainmuskox.com). To follow Sarah through this period of her life, check out the incredible documentary, Not Alone, by Heather Mosher - soon to be available for viewing online.

Read Sarah's story online at BroadBeta.com by clicking here. 

-

Hosted and produced by Cat Coe
Music by Holizna Radio and Rocky Marsiano

www.broadbeta.com

Lizzie Gill joins us today to share her story Skiing and Hunting: a reflection on growing up hunting, living in Paraguay, and the evolution of her relationship with eating animal protein. Lizzie grew up in Bozeman and nordic ski raced for the University of New Hampshire. She holds Bachelor of Science degrees in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems and International Affairs. After college she served two years as an Agriculture Extension Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay.

Lizzie currently works as the Local Foods Specialist at the National Center for Appropriate Technology. She has performed extensive research on squash diversity in Costa Rica and Peru and is fluent in Spanish and Guarani.

This is one of two stories released on the podcast this week from the January 2022 issue of BroadBeta.com. Don't miss Ruby Zitzer's story, Dance with the Mountains, about a ski traverse with Lizzie and Katie Gill, in episode 5 this week.

-

Hosted and produced by Cat Coe
Music by Holizna Radio and Rocky Marsiano

www.broadbeta.com

Today we have the pleasure of hearing from Ruby Zitzer - a Bozeman native and longtime mentee of our co-founder Jeannie Wall. Ruby grew up competing as a nordic skier, and she now lives in Sun Valley, Idaho. She spends her winters working for Sun Valley Heli Ski and teaching avalanche awareness courses through the Sawtooth Avalanche Center. In the summer she works as a road, mountain, and gravel bike guide. She has a degree in English Writing and Human Development from Montana State University.
 
Tune in to hear about Ruby's childhood introduction to skiing and adventuring. She'll also read her story, Dance with the Mountains: a beautiful recollection of a ski traverse in the Sawtooths with her lifelong friends and ski partners Lizzie and Katie Gill.

This is one of two stories released on the podcast this week from the January 2022 issue of BroadBeta.com. Don't miss Lizzie Gill's story, Skiing and Hunting, in episode 6 this week.

-

Hosted and produced by Cat Coe
Music by Holizna Radio and Rocky Marsiano

www.broadbeta.com

Tune in to meet Cat Coe, Broad Beta's audio content producer. Cat lives in Lander, Wyoming, where she works full-time as a flight nurse. In this episode, Cat reflects on the quote, "Lesson from a mountain: It's our birthright to take up space and look f**king majestic." She remembers her time working as an ICU nurse during Covid, the grief it brought, and how she rediscovered her grit while guiding a trip on Mt. Rainier.

Since 2003, climbing has taken Cat throughout the Rockies and abroad, though her favorite missions have been in the nearby mountains of Wyoming and Montana.  She picks adventure climbs over five-star climbing areas and loves to talk her partners into long walks and good old-fashioned choss fests. Cat brings experience as a mountain guide and climbing instructor to her roles working with Broad Beta.

Read the story and see photos on BroadBeta.com by clicking here.

~Quote from Emily McDowell's Em & Friends greeting cards

-

Hosted and produced by Cat Coe
Music by Holizna Radio and Rocky Marsiano

www.broadbeta.com

Tune in to meet Anju Samuelson. Originally from Germany, Anju found her passion for climbing when she was 19 years old and traveling in Chile. She continues to love combining travel with climbing, and she now works as a mountain guide based in Bozeman, Montana.

In this episode, Anju shares her unique perspective on climbing Lurking Fear, a route on El Cap, with Leslie Gains-Germain and Jeannie Wall (Broad Beta's co-founders). She takes us through the fears she experienced while climbing her first big wall and the nuances of partner dynamics and decision-making in high-stakes terrain.

This episode is part III of a three-part series, in which each of the three women share their versions of the adventure and its unexpected ending. Read these stories on BroadBeta.com by clicking here.

-

Hosted and produced by Cat Coe
Music by Holizna Radio and Rocky Marsiano

www.broadbeta.com

Leslie Gains-Germain is one of the co-founders of Broad Beta along with Jeannie Wall. An under-the-radar badass, Leslie is reserved, analytical, and humble while climbing at an impressively high level on both rock and ice. On the clock, she works for an environmental consulting agency modeling radioactive waste. In her spare time between that and recently sending her first 5.13, she works on finances, technical tips, and web design for Broad Beta. She splits her time between Bozeman and Santa Fe.

Complete with an intro from Jeannie Wall, Leslie's story walks us through the highs and lows that often accompany a big wall endeavor, the nuances of team dynamics, and lessons learned from an accident high on El Cap.

This episode is part two of a three-part series, in which each of the three women share their versions of the adventure and its unexpected ending. Read these stories on BroadBeta.com by clicking here.

-

Hosted and produced by Cat Coe
Music by Holizna Radio and Rocky Marsiano

www.broadbeta.com

Tune in to meet Jeannie Wall, co-founder of Broad Beta. Jeannie epitomizes the term mountain athlete, with high-level accomplishments in a mind-boggling array of disciplines from nordic racing to mixed climbing. She is the ultimate mentor, sharing her knowledge and stoke with climbers of all levels. In this episode, Jeannie shares a story about climbing Lurking Fear, a route on Yosemite's El Capitan, in a team of three women.

Complete with an introduction from Leslie Gains-Germain, her partner in all things Broad Beta and climbing, the story not only gives us a uniquely detailed perspective on big wall climbing, but also reminds us of the importance of trusting our instincts.

This episode is part one of a three-part series, in which each of the three women share their versions of the adventure and its unexpected ending. Read these stories on BroadBeta.com by clicking here.

-

Hosted and produced by Cat Coe
Music by Holizna Radio and Rocky Marsiano

www.broadbeta.com