9a – The Enormocast

On this Tweener Enormocast, we rebroadcast a live interview with Swedish climber Matilda Söderlund captured in front of a smart well-dressed audience at the Arc’teryx Academy in Squamish, BC. Matilda has become a bright star of Swedish climbing progressing from a tween competitor to hot shot sport climber, big route climber, trad climber, and gyn owner. She’s climbed 9a, complete the first all female ascent of Rayu 8c, and fearsome E8 in trad. Her gym Moumo was the first in Stockholm and is a hub for outreach to women climbers. Listeners may remember mentions of Matilda’s prowess on the rock in Episode 309 with Anna Hazlenutt.

Matilda’s Website

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On Episode 284 of the Enormocast, we connect across the pond to North Wales in the U.K. and into the living room of Emma Twyford. Emma is a pioneering woman in that rarified air of hard, desperate trad that only the old country can serve up. She is the first British woman to climb 9a with her ascent of Big Bang (3rd ascent overall), has established 8b+ with Deux Mauvais Melons – the hardest FA ever by a British woman, and was the second woman to climb E9 with an ascent of Rare Lichen. We talk about the mentorship from her dad, moving through the hot bed of Sheffield but ending up in North Wales, and we even try to figure out the E grades to almost no avail. Emma also shares her struggles with fear and motivation after a close friend nearly loses her life in a car accident. Emma has made it to her late 30s despite some close calls and finds time to reflect on her current motivations including the daunting idea of starting a family.

More Emma

Big Bang Doc

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Tag: 9a

Enormocast Tweener: Matilda Söderlund Live in Squamish

Enormocast 284: Emma Twyford – Getting on With It