remus

	Country	Contributions	Between	Climbers	Crags	Summits	Climbs	Ascents
1	United Kingdom	48536	14th November 2023 – 24th June 2026	1364	668	0	2951	4607
2	USA	22789	14th November 2023 – 24th June 2026	767	176	2	780	2180
3	France	11139	14th November 2023 – 23rd June 2026	252	122	1	509	959
4	Switzerland	8053	14th November 2023 – 24th June 2026	72	39	1	274	966
5	Spain	7681	15th November 2023 – 24th June 2026	87	73	0	407	831
6	Italy	3815	16th November 2023 – 22nd June 2026	112	55	0	150	288
7	South Africa	2927	16th November 2023 – 17th June 2026	12	34	0	103	327
8	Canada	2846	16th November 2023 – 20th June 2026	61	21	3	102	240
9	Germany	2385	16th November 2023 – 12th June 2026	110	37	0	71	172
10	Japan	2327	16th November 2023 – 11th June 2026	74	11	0	89	222

	Date	Time	User	Type	Name	Attribute
1	24th June 2026	07:54:48 UTC	remus	ascent	Cailean Harker's ascent of Olympiad	notes_pretty
Before `<p>After a decade of attempts</p> <h3>References</h3> <p>[1] <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ3NHeXDl0L/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ3NHeXDl0L/</a></p> <p>[2] <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ4O_twMsUw/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ4O_twMsUw/</a></p>` After `<p>After a decade of attempts.</p> <h3>References</h3> <p>[1] <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ3NHeXDl0L/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ3NHeXDl0L/</a></p> <p>[2] <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ4O_twMsUw/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ4O_twMsUw/</a></p>`
2	24th June 2026	07:54:48 UTC	remus	ascent	Cailean Harker's ascent of Olympiad	notes
Before `After a decade of attempts ### References [1] [https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ3NHeXDl0L/](https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ3NHeXDl0L/) [2] [https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ4O_twMsUw/](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ4O_twMsUw/)` After `After a decade of attempts. ### References [1] [https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ3NHeXDl0L/](https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ3NHeXDl0L/) [2] [https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ4O_twMsUw/](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ4O_twMsUw/)` Diff `--- before +++ after @@ -1,4 +1,4 @@ -After a decade of attempts +After a decade of attempts. ### References`
3	24th June 2026	06:27:48 UTC	remus	climber	Beth Rodden	featurable
Before `false` After `true`
4	24th June 2026	06:27:31 UTC	remus	media	/file/d4b8b11e-55e8-1b43-1282-57691e6a00c8/beth_rodden_portrait_h.webp	missing_right_to_reproduce
Before `None` After `false`
5	24th June 2026	06:27:31 UTC	remus	media	/file/d4b8b11e-55e8-1b43-1282-57691e6a00c8/beth_rodden_portrait_h.webp	url
Before `None` After `/file/d4b8b11e-55e8-1b43-1282-57691e6a00c8/beth_rodden_portrait_h.webp`
6	24th June 2026	06:27:31 UTC	remus	media	/file/d4b8b11e-55e8-1b43-1282-57691e6a00c8/beth_rodden_portrait_h.webp	src
Before `None` After `https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/`
7	24th June 2026	06:27:31 UTC	remus	media	/file/d4b8b11e-55e8-1b43-1282-57691e6a00c8/beth_rodden_portrait_h.webp	url_optimised
Before `None` After `/file/8199fcd2-78dc-1b40-eda4-5b851edbc073/beth_rodden_portrait_h.webp.webp`
8	24th June 2026	06:27:31 UTC	remus	media	/file/d4b8b11e-55e8-1b43-1282-57691e6a00c8/beth_rodden_portrait_h.webp	attribution_climber_id
Before `None` After `1024`
9	24th June 2026	06:26:36 UTC	remus	climber	Beth Rodden	notes
Before Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of [To Bolt or Not to Be](/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be) (8b+) at [Smith Rock](/crag/3025/smith-rock) at age 18. In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend [Tommy Caldwell](/climber/551/tommy-caldwell) and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dickey, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the [Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan). [1] The team were marched over remote terrain with little food or water for 6 days. At one point they were left alone with a single captor acting as a guard, and while walking along a narrow path Tommy was able to push the remaining captor over a cliff allowing the team to escape. It was presumed that the person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall. Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [2] Back in the US, Beth and then-husband Tommy Caldwell became well established as extremely capable trad and big wall climbers. Beth climbed many hard testpieces, including ascents of [Sphinx Crack](/climb/3450/sphinx-crack) (E8), [Grand Illusion](/climb/1430/grand-illusion) (E8) and [The Phoenix](/climb/523/the-phoenix) (E7), the latter of which she onsighted. In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of [The Nose](/climb/6215/the-nose) (E9) on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan), leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners. In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed [Meltdown](/climb/1424/meltdown) (E11) to give one of the hardest traditional pitches in the world at the time featuring super-technical 8c+ climbing with small, fiddly gear. Incredibly, the route waited 10 years for a repeat despite attention from many strong climbers. In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married [Randy Puro](/climber/2159/randy-puro). In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book A Light Through the Cracks she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping. More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with eating disorders and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing. [3] ### References [1] [https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html](https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html) [2] Rodden, Beth. A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story. United States: Amazon Publishing, 2024. [3] [https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/](https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/) After Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of [To Bolt or Not to Be](/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be) (8b+) at [Smith Rock](/crag/3025/smith-rock) at age 18. In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend [Tommy Caldwell](/climber/551/tommy-caldwell) and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dickey, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the [Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan). [1] The team were marched over remote terrain with little food or water for 6 days. At one point they were left alone with a single captor acting as a guard, and while walking along a narrow path Tommy was able to push the remaining captor over a cliff allowing the team to escape. It was presumed that the person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall. Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [2] Back in the US, Beth and then-husband Tommy Caldwell became well established as extremely capable trad and big wall climbers. Beth climbed many hard testpieces, including ascents of [Sphinx Crack](/climb/3450/sphinx-crack) (E8), [Grand Illusion](/climb/1430/grand-illusion) (E8) and [The Phoenix](/climb/523/the-phoenix) (E7), the latter of which she onsighted. In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of [The Nose](/climb/6215/the-nose) (E9) on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan), leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners. In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed [Meltdown](/climb/1424/meltdown) (E11) to give one of the hardest traditional pitches in the world at the time featuring super-technical 8c+ climbing with small, fiddly gear. Incredibly, the route waited 10 years for a repeat despite attention from many strong climbers. In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married [Randy Puro](/climber/2159/randy-puro). In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book A Light Through the Cracks she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping. More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with disordered and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing. [3] ### References [1] [https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html](https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html) [2] Rodden, Beth. A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story. United States: Amazon Publishing, 2024. [3] [https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/](https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/) Diff --- before +++ after @@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married [Randy Puro](/climber/2159/randy-puro). In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book A Light Through the Cracks she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping. -More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with eating disorders and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing. [3] +More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with disordered and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing. [3] ### References
10	24th June 2026	06:26:36 UTC	remus	climber	Beth Rodden	notes_pretty
Before <p>Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of <a href="/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be" rel="noopener noreferrer">To Bolt or Not to Be</a> (8b+) at <a href="/crag/3025/smith-rock" rel="noopener noreferrer">Smith Rock</a> at age 18.</p> <p>In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend <a href="/climber/551/tommy-caldwell" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tommy Caldwell</a> and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dickey, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan" rel="noopener noreferrer">Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan</a>. [1]</p> <p>The team were marched over remote terrain with little food or water for 6 days. At one point they were left alone with a single captor acting as a guard, and while walking along a narrow path Tommy was able to push the remaining captor over a cliff allowing the team to escape. It was presumed that the person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall.</p> <p>Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [2]</p> <p>Back in the US, Beth and then-husband Tommy Caldwell became well established as extremely capable trad and big wall climbers. Beth climbed many hard testpieces, including ascents of <a href="/climb/3450/sphinx-crack" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sphinx Crack</a> (E8), <a href="/climb/1430/grand-illusion" rel="noopener noreferrer">Grand Illusion</a> (E8) and <a href="/climb/523/the-phoenix" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Phoenix</a> (E7), the latter of which she onsighted.</p> <p>In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of <a href="/climb/6215/the-nose" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Nose</a> (E9) on <a href="/crag/8023/el-capitan" rel="noopener noreferrer">El Capitan</a>, leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners.</p> <p>In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed <a href="/climb/1424/meltdown" rel="noopener noreferrer">Meltdown</a> (E11) to give one of the hardest traditional pitches in the world at the time featuring super-technical 8c+ climbing with small, fiddly gear. Incredibly, the route waited 10 years for a repeat despite attention from many strong climbers.</p> <p>In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married <a href="/climber/2159/randy-puro" rel="noopener noreferrer">Randy Puro</a>. In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book <em>A Light Through the Cracks</em> she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping.</p> <p>More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with eating disorders and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing. [3]</p> <h3>References</h3> <p>[1] <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html</a></p> <p>[2] Rodden, Beth. A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story. United States: Amazon Publishing, 2024.</p> <p>[3] <a href="https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/</a></p> After <p>Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of <a href="/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be" rel="noopener noreferrer">To Bolt or Not to Be</a> (8b+) at <a href="/crag/3025/smith-rock" rel="noopener noreferrer">Smith Rock</a> at age 18.</p> <p>In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend <a href="/climber/551/tommy-caldwell" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tommy Caldwell</a> and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dickey, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan" rel="noopener noreferrer">Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan</a>. [1]</p> <p>The team were marched over remote terrain with little food or water for 6 days. At one point they were left alone with a single captor acting as a guard, and while walking along a narrow path Tommy was able to push the remaining captor over a cliff allowing the team to escape. It was presumed that the person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall.</p> <p>Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [2]</p> <p>Back in the US, Beth and then-husband Tommy Caldwell became well established as extremely capable trad and big wall climbers. Beth climbed many hard testpieces, including ascents of <a href="/climb/3450/sphinx-crack" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sphinx Crack</a> (E8), <a href="/climb/1430/grand-illusion" rel="noopener noreferrer">Grand Illusion</a> (E8) and <a href="/climb/523/the-phoenix" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Phoenix</a> (E7), the latter of which she onsighted.</p> <p>In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of <a href="/climb/6215/the-nose" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Nose</a> (E9) on <a href="/crag/8023/el-capitan" rel="noopener noreferrer">El Capitan</a>, leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners.</p> <p>In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed <a href="/climb/1424/meltdown" rel="noopener noreferrer">Meltdown</a> (E11) to give one of the hardest traditional pitches in the world at the time featuring super-technical 8c+ climbing with small, fiddly gear. Incredibly, the route waited 10 years for a repeat despite attention from many strong climbers.</p> <p>In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married <a href="/climber/2159/randy-puro" rel="noopener noreferrer">Randy Puro</a>. In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book <em>A Light Through the Cracks</em> she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping.</p> <p>More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with disordered and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing. [3]</p> <h3>References</h3> <p>[1] <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html</a></p> <p>[2] Rodden, Beth. A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story. United States: Amazon Publishing, 2024.</p> <p>[3] <a href="https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/</a></p>
11	24th June 2026	06:26:20 UTC	remus	climber	Beth Rodden	notes
Before Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of [To Bolt or Not to Be](/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be) (8b+) at [Smith Rock](/crag/3025/smith-rock) at age 18. In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend [Tommy Caldwell](/climber/551/tommy-caldwell) and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dickey, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the [Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan). [1] The team were marched over remote terrain with little food or water for 6 days. At one point they were left alone with a single captor acting as a guard, and while walking along a narrow path Tommy was able to push the remaining captor over a cliff allowing the team to escape. It was presumed that the person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall. Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [2] Back in the US, Beth and then-husband Tommy Caldwell became well established as extremely capable trad and big wall climbers. Beth climbed many hard testpieces, including ascents of [Sphinx Crack](/climb/3450/sphinx-crack) (E8), [Grand Illusion](/climb/1430/grand-illusion) (E8) and [The Phoenix](/climb/523/the-phoenix) (E7), the latter of which she onsighted. In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of [The Nose](/climb/6215/the-nose) (E9) on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan), leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners. In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed [Meltdown](/climb/1424/meltdown) (E11) to give one of the hardest traditional pitches in the world at the time featuring super-technical 8c+ climbing with small, fiddly gear. Incredibly, the route waited 10 years for a repeat despite attention from many strong climbers. In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married [Randy Puro](/climber/2159/randy-puro). In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book A Light Through the Cracks she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping. More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with eating disorders and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing. ### References [1] [https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html](https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html) [2] Rodden, Beth. A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story. United States: Amazon Publishing, 2024. After Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of [To Bolt or Not to Be](/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be) (8b+) at [Smith Rock](/crag/3025/smith-rock) at age 18. In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend [Tommy Caldwell](/climber/551/tommy-caldwell) and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dickey, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the [Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan). [1] The team were marched over remote terrain with little food or water for 6 days. At one point they were left alone with a single captor acting as a guard, and while walking along a narrow path Tommy was able to push the remaining captor over a cliff allowing the team to escape. It was presumed that the person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall. Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [2] Back in the US, Beth and then-husband Tommy Caldwell became well established as extremely capable trad and big wall climbers. Beth climbed many hard testpieces, including ascents of [Sphinx Crack](/climb/3450/sphinx-crack) (E8), [Grand Illusion](/climb/1430/grand-illusion) (E8) and [The Phoenix](/climb/523/the-phoenix) (E7), the latter of which she onsighted. In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of [The Nose](/climb/6215/the-nose) (E9) on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan), leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners. In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed [Meltdown](/climb/1424/meltdown) (E11) to give one of the hardest traditional pitches in the world at the time featuring super-technical 8c+ climbing with small, fiddly gear. Incredibly, the route waited 10 years for a repeat despite attention from many strong climbers. In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married [Randy Puro](/climber/2159/randy-puro). In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book A Light Through the Cracks she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping. More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with eating disorders and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing. [3] ### References [1] [https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html](https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html) [2] Rodden, Beth. A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story. United States: Amazon Publishing, 2024. [3] [https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/](https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/) Diff --- before +++ after @@ -14,10 +14,12 @@ In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married [Randy Puro](/climber/2159/randy-puro). In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book A Light Through the Cracks she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping. -More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with eating disorders and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing. +More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with eating disorders and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing. [3] ### References [1] [https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html](https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html) -[2] Rodden, Beth. A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story. United States: Amazon Publishing, 2024. +[2] Rodden, Beth. A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story. United States: Amazon Publishing, 2024. + +[3] [https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/](https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/)
12	24th June 2026	06:26:20 UTC	remus	climber	Beth Rodden	notes_pretty
Before <p>Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of <a href="/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be" rel="noopener noreferrer">To Bolt or Not to Be</a> (8b+) at <a href="/crag/3025/smith-rock" rel="noopener noreferrer">Smith Rock</a> at age 18.</p> <p>In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend <a href="/climber/551/tommy-caldwell" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tommy Caldwell</a> and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dickey, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan" rel="noopener noreferrer">Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan</a>. [1]</p> <p>The team were marched over remote terrain with little food or water for 6 days. At one point they were left alone with a single captor acting as a guard, and while walking along a narrow path Tommy was able to push the remaining captor over a cliff allowing the team to escape. It was presumed that the person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall.</p> <p>Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [2]</p> <p>Back in the US, Beth and then-husband Tommy Caldwell became well established as extremely capable trad and big wall climbers. Beth climbed many hard testpieces, including ascents of <a href="/climb/3450/sphinx-crack" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sphinx Crack</a> (E8), <a href="/climb/1430/grand-illusion" rel="noopener noreferrer">Grand Illusion</a> (E8) and <a href="/climb/523/the-phoenix" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Phoenix</a> (E7), the latter of which she onsighted.</p> <p>In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of <a href="/climb/6215/the-nose" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Nose</a> (E9) on <a href="/crag/8023/el-capitan" rel="noopener noreferrer">El Capitan</a>, leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners.</p> <p>In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed <a href="/climb/1424/meltdown" rel="noopener noreferrer">Meltdown</a> (E11) to give one of the hardest traditional pitches in the world at the time featuring super-technical 8c+ climbing with small, fiddly gear. Incredibly, the route waited 10 years for a repeat despite attention from many strong climbers.</p> <p>In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married <a href="/climber/2159/randy-puro" rel="noopener noreferrer">Randy Puro</a>. In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book <em>A Light Through the Cracks</em> she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping.</p> <p>More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with eating disorders and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing.</p> <h3>References</h3> <p>[1] <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html</a></p> <p>[2] Rodden, Beth. A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story. United States: Amazon Publishing, 2024.</p> After <p>Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of <a href="/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be" rel="noopener noreferrer">To Bolt or Not to Be</a> (8b+) at <a href="/crag/3025/smith-rock" rel="noopener noreferrer">Smith Rock</a> at age 18.</p> <p>In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend <a href="/climber/551/tommy-caldwell" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tommy Caldwell</a> and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dickey, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan" rel="noopener noreferrer">Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan</a>. [1]</p> <p>The team were marched over remote terrain with little food or water for 6 days. At one point they were left alone with a single captor acting as a guard, and while walking along a narrow path Tommy was able to push the remaining captor over a cliff allowing the team to escape. It was presumed that the person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall.</p> <p>Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [2]</p> <p>Back in the US, Beth and then-husband Tommy Caldwell became well established as extremely capable trad and big wall climbers. Beth climbed many hard testpieces, including ascents of <a href="/climb/3450/sphinx-crack" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sphinx Crack</a> (E8), <a href="/climb/1430/grand-illusion" rel="noopener noreferrer">Grand Illusion</a> (E8) and <a href="/climb/523/the-phoenix" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Phoenix</a> (E7), the latter of which she onsighted.</p> <p>In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of <a href="/climb/6215/the-nose" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Nose</a> (E9) on <a href="/crag/8023/el-capitan" rel="noopener noreferrer">El Capitan</a>, leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners.</p> <p>In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed <a href="/climb/1424/meltdown" rel="noopener noreferrer">Meltdown</a> (E11) to give one of the hardest traditional pitches in the world at the time featuring super-technical 8c+ climbing with small, fiddly gear. Incredibly, the route waited 10 years for a repeat despite attention from many strong climbers.</p> <p>In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married <a href="/climber/2159/randy-puro" rel="noopener noreferrer">Randy Puro</a>. In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book <em>A Light Through the Cracks</em> she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping.</p> <p>More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with eating disorders and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing. [3]</p> <h3>References</h3> <p>[1] <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html</a></p> <p>[2] Rodden, Beth. A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story. United States: Amazon Publishing, 2024.</p> <p>[3] <a href="https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/</a></p>
13	24th June 2026	06:25:26 UTC	remus	climber	Beth Rodden	notes
Before Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of [To Bolt or Not to Be](/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be) (8b+) at [Smith Rock](/crag/3025/smith-rock) at age 18. In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend [Tommy Caldwell](/climber/551/tommy-caldwell) and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dicky, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the [Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan). [1] The team were marched over remote terrain with little food or water for 6 days. At one point they were left alone with a single captor acting as a guard, and while walking along a narrow path Tommy was able to push the remaining captor over a cliff allowing the team to escape. It was presumed that the person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall. Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [2] Back in the US, Beth and then-husband Tommy Caldwell became well established as extremely capable trad and big wall climbers. Beth climbed many hard testpieces, including ascents of [Sphinx Crack](/climb/3450/sphinx-crack) (E8), [Grand Illusion](/climb/1430/grand-illusion) (E8) and [The Phoenix](/climb/523/the-phoenix) (E7), the latter of which she onsighted. In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of [The Nose](/climb/6215/the-nose) (E9) on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan), leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners. In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed [Meltdown](/climb/1424/meltdown) (E11) to give one of the hardest traditional pitches in the world at the time featuring super-technical 8c+ climbing with small, fiddly gear. Incredibly, the route waited 10 years for a repeat despite attention from many strong climbers. In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married [Randy Puro](/climber/2159/randy-puro). In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book A Light Through the Cracks she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping. More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with eating disorders and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing. ### References [1] [https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html](https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html) [2] Rodden, Beth. A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story. United States: Amazon Publishing, 2024. After Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of [To Bolt or Not to Be](/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be) (8b+) at [Smith Rock](/crag/3025/smith-rock) at age 18. In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend [Tommy Caldwell](/climber/551/tommy-caldwell) and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dickey, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the [Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan). [1] The team were marched over remote terrain with little food or water for 6 days. At one point they were left alone with a single captor acting as a guard, and while walking along a narrow path Tommy was able to push the remaining captor over a cliff allowing the team to escape. It was presumed that the person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall. Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [2] Back in the US, Beth and then-husband Tommy Caldwell became well established as extremely capable trad and big wall climbers. Beth climbed many hard testpieces, including ascents of [Sphinx Crack](/climb/3450/sphinx-crack) (E8), [Grand Illusion](/climb/1430/grand-illusion) (E8) and [The Phoenix](/climb/523/the-phoenix) (E7), the latter of which she onsighted. In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of [The Nose](/climb/6215/the-nose) (E9) on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan), leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners. In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed [Meltdown](/climb/1424/meltdown) (E11) to give one of the hardest traditional pitches in the world at the time featuring super-technical 8c+ climbing with small, fiddly gear. Incredibly, the route waited 10 years for a repeat despite attention from many strong climbers. In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married [Randy Puro](/climber/2159/randy-puro). In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book A Light Through the Cracks she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping. More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with eating disorders and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing. ### References [1] [https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html](https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html) [2] Rodden, Beth. A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story. United States: Amazon Publishing, 2024. Diff --- before +++ after @@ -1,6 +1,6 @@ Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of [To Bolt or Not to Be](/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be) (8b+) at [Smith Rock](/crag/3025/smith-rock) at age 18. -In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend [Tommy Caldwell](/climber/551/tommy-caldwell) and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dicky, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the [Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan). [1] +In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend [Tommy Caldwell](/climber/551/tommy-caldwell) and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dickey, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the [Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan). [1] The team were marched over remote terrain with little food or water for 6 days. At one point they were left alone with a single captor acting as a guard, and while walking along a narrow path Tommy was able to push the remaining captor over a cliff allowing the team to escape. It was presumed that the person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall.
14	24th June 2026	06:25:26 UTC	remus	climber	Beth Rodden	notes_pretty
Before <p>Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of <a href="/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be" rel="noopener noreferrer">To Bolt or Not to Be</a> (8b+) at <a href="/crag/3025/smith-rock" rel="noopener noreferrer">Smith Rock</a> at age 18.</p> <p>In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend <a href="/climber/551/tommy-caldwell" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tommy Caldwell</a> and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dicky, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan" rel="noopener noreferrer">Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan</a>. [1]</p> <p>The team were marched over remote terrain with little food or water for 6 days. At one point they were left alone with a single captor acting as a guard, and while walking along a narrow path Tommy was able to push the remaining captor over a cliff allowing the team to escape. It was presumed that the person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall.</p> <p>Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [2]</p> <p>Back in the US, Beth and then-husband Tommy Caldwell became well established as extremely capable trad and big wall climbers. Beth climbed many hard testpieces, including ascents of <a href="/climb/3450/sphinx-crack" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sphinx Crack</a> (E8), <a href="/climb/1430/grand-illusion" rel="noopener noreferrer">Grand Illusion</a> (E8) and <a href="/climb/523/the-phoenix" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Phoenix</a> (E7), the latter of which she onsighted.</p> <p>In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of <a href="/climb/6215/the-nose" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Nose</a> (E9) on <a href="/crag/8023/el-capitan" rel="noopener noreferrer">El Capitan</a>, leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners.</p> <p>In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed <a href="/climb/1424/meltdown" rel="noopener noreferrer">Meltdown</a> (E11) to give one of the hardest traditional pitches in the world at the time featuring super-technical 8c+ climbing with small, fiddly gear. Incredibly, the route waited 10 years for a repeat despite attention from many strong climbers.</p> <p>In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married <a href="/climber/2159/randy-puro" rel="noopener noreferrer">Randy Puro</a>. In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book <em>A Light Through the Cracks</em> she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping.</p> <p>More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with eating disorders and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing.</p> <h3>References</h3> <p>[1] <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html</a></p> <p>[2] Rodden, Beth. A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story. United States: Amazon Publishing, 2024.</p> After <p>Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of <a href="/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be" rel="noopener noreferrer">To Bolt or Not to Be</a> (8b+) at <a href="/crag/3025/smith-rock" rel="noopener noreferrer">Smith Rock</a> at age 18.</p> <p>In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend <a href="/climber/551/tommy-caldwell" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tommy Caldwell</a> and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dickey, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan" rel="noopener noreferrer">Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan</a>. [1]</p> <p>The team were marched over remote terrain with little food or water for 6 days. At one point they were left alone with a single captor acting as a guard, and while walking along a narrow path Tommy was able to push the remaining captor over a cliff allowing the team to escape. It was presumed that the person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall.</p> <p>Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [2]</p> <p>Back in the US, Beth and then-husband Tommy Caldwell became well established as extremely capable trad and big wall climbers. Beth climbed many hard testpieces, including ascents of <a href="/climb/3450/sphinx-crack" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sphinx Crack</a> (E8), <a href="/climb/1430/grand-illusion" rel="noopener noreferrer">Grand Illusion</a> (E8) and <a href="/climb/523/the-phoenix" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Phoenix</a> (E7), the latter of which she onsighted.</p> <p>In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of <a href="/climb/6215/the-nose" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Nose</a> (E9) on <a href="/crag/8023/el-capitan" rel="noopener noreferrer">El Capitan</a>, leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners.</p> <p>In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed <a href="/climb/1424/meltdown" rel="noopener noreferrer">Meltdown</a> (E11) to give one of the hardest traditional pitches in the world at the time featuring super-technical 8c+ climbing with small, fiddly gear. Incredibly, the route waited 10 years for a repeat despite attention from many strong climbers.</p> <p>In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married <a href="/climber/2159/randy-puro" rel="noopener noreferrer">Randy Puro</a>. In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book <em>A Light Through the Cracks</em> she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping.</p> <p>More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with eating disorders and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing.</p> <h3>References</h3> <p>[1] <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html</a></p> <p>[2] Rodden, Beth. A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story. United States: Amazon Publishing, 2024.</p>
15	24th June 2026	06:24:59 UTC	remus	climber	Beth Rodden	notes
Before `None` After Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of [To Bolt or Not to Be](/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be) (8b+) at [Smith Rock](/crag/3025/smith-rock) at age 18. In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend [Tommy Caldwell](/climber/551/tommy-caldwell) and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dicky, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the [Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan). [1] The team were marched over remote terrain with little food or water for 6 days. At one point they were left alone with a single captor acting as a guard, and while walking along a narrow path Tommy was able to push the remaining captor over a cliff allowing the team to escape. It was presumed that the person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall. Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [2] Back in the US, Beth and then-husband Tommy Caldwell became well established as extremely capable trad and big wall climbers. Beth climbed many hard testpieces, including ascents of [Sphinx Crack](/climb/3450/sphinx-crack) (E8), [Grand Illusion](/climb/1430/grand-illusion) (E8) and [The Phoenix](/climb/523/the-phoenix) (E7), the latter of which she onsighted. In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of [The Nose](/climb/6215/the-nose) (E9) on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan), leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners. In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed [Meltdown](/climb/1424/meltdown) (E11) to give one of the hardest traditional pitches in the world at the time featuring super-technical 8c+ climbing with small, fiddly gear. Incredibly, the route waited 10 years for a repeat despite attention from many strong climbers. In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married [Randy Puro](/climber/2159/randy-puro). In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book A Light Through the Cracks she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping. More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with eating disorders and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing. ### References [1] [https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html](https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html) [2] Rodden, Beth. A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story. United States: Amazon Publishing, 2024. Diff --- before +++ after @@ -1 +1,23 @@ - +Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of [To Bolt or Not to Be](/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be) (8b+) at [Smith Rock](/crag/3025/smith-rock) at age 18. + +In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend [Tommy Caldwell](/climber/551/tommy-caldwell) and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dicky, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the [Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan). [1] + +The team were marched over remote terrain with little food or water for 6 days. At one point they were left alone with a single captor acting as a guard, and while walking along a narrow path Tommy was able to push the remaining captor over a cliff allowing the team to escape. It was presumed that the person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall. + +Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [2] + +Back in the US, Beth and then-husband Tommy Caldwell became well established as extremely capable trad and big wall climbers. Beth climbed many hard testpieces, including ascents of [Sphinx Crack](/climb/3450/sphinx-crack) (E8), [Grand Illusion](/climb/1430/grand-illusion) (E8) and [The Phoenix](/climb/523/the-phoenix) (E7), the latter of which she onsighted. + +In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of [The Nose](/climb/6215/the-nose) (E9) on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan), leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners. + +In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed [Meltdown](/climb/1424/meltdown) (E11) to give one of the hardest traditional pitches in the world at the time featuring super-technical 8c+ climbing with small, fiddly gear. Incredibly, the route waited 10 years for a repeat despite attention from many strong climbers. + +In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married [Randy Puro](/climber/2159/randy-puro). In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book A Light Through the Cracks she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping. + +More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with eating disorders and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing. + +### References + +[1] [https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html](https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html) + +[2] Rodden, Beth. A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story. United States: Amazon Publishing, 2024.
16	24th June 2026	06:24:59 UTC	remus	climber	Beth Rodden	notes_pretty
Before `None` After <p>Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of <a href="/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be" rel="noopener noreferrer">To Bolt or Not to Be</a> (8b+) at <a href="/crag/3025/smith-rock" rel="noopener noreferrer">Smith Rock</a> at age 18.</p> <p>In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend <a href="/climber/551/tommy-caldwell" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tommy Caldwell</a> and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dicky, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan" rel="noopener noreferrer">Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan</a>. [1]</p> <p>The team were marched over remote terrain with little food or water for 6 days. At one point they were left alone with a single captor acting as a guard, and while walking along a narrow path Tommy was able to push the remaining captor over a cliff allowing the team to escape. It was presumed that the person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall.</p> <p>Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [2]</p> <p>Back in the US, Beth and then-husband Tommy Caldwell became well established as extremely capable trad and big wall climbers. Beth climbed many hard testpieces, including ascents of <a href="/climb/3450/sphinx-crack" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sphinx Crack</a> (E8), <a href="/climb/1430/grand-illusion" rel="noopener noreferrer">Grand Illusion</a> (E8) and <a href="/climb/523/the-phoenix" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Phoenix</a> (E7), the latter of which she onsighted.</p> <p>In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of <a href="/climb/6215/the-nose" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Nose</a> (E9) on <a href="/crag/8023/el-capitan" rel="noopener noreferrer">El Capitan</a>, leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners.</p> <p>In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed <a href="/climb/1424/meltdown" rel="noopener noreferrer">Meltdown</a> (E11) to give one of the hardest traditional pitches in the world at the time featuring super-technical 8c+ climbing with small, fiddly gear. Incredibly, the route waited 10 years for a repeat despite attention from many strong climbers.</p> <p>In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married <a href="/climber/2159/randy-puro" rel="noopener noreferrer">Randy Puro</a>. In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book <em>A Light Through the Cracks</em> she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping.</p> <p>More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with eating disorders and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing.</p> <h3>References</h3> <p>[1] <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html</a></p> <p>[2] Rodden, Beth. A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story. United States: Amazon Publishing, 2024.</p>
17	24th June 2026	05:58:18 UTC	remus	climber	Beth Rodden	Bibliography
Before `None` After `9781503903814`
18	24th June 2026	04:58:39 UTC	remus	media	https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ8GOv5RPVx/	url
Before `None` After `https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ8GOv5RPVx/`
19	24th June 2026	04:58:39 UTC	remus	media	https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ8GOv5RPVx/	missing_right_to_reproduce
Before `None` After `false`
20	24th June 2026	04:58:39 UTC	remus	ascent	Marine Thevenet's ascent of Fotofobia SDS	notes
Before `### References [1] [https://www.instagram.com/p/DXXCjkSjTp6/?img_index=1](https://www.instagram.com/p/DXXCjkSjTp6/?img_index=1)` After `### References [1] [https://www.instagram.com/p/DXXCjkSjTp6/?img_index=1](https://www.instagram.com/p/DXXCjkSjTp6/?img_index=1) [2] [https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ8GOv5RPVx/](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ8GOv5RPVx/)` Diff `--- before +++ after @@ -1,3 +1,5 @@ ### References -[1] [https://www.instagram.com/p/DXXCjkSjTp6/?img_index=1](https://www.instagram.com/p/DXXCjkSjTp6/?img_index=1) +[1] [https://www.instagram.com/p/DXXCjkSjTp6/?img_index=1](https://www.instagram.com/p/DXXCjkSjTp6/?img_index=1) + +[2] [https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ8GOv5RPVx/](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ8GOv5RPVx/)`

Before

<p>After a decade of attempts</p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ3NHeXDl0L/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ3NHeXDl0L/</a></p>
<p>[2] <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ4O_twMsUw/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ4O_twMsUw/</a></p>

After

<p>After a decade of attempts.</p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ3NHeXDl0L/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ3NHeXDl0L/</a></p>
<p>[2] <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ4O_twMsUw/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ4O_twMsUw/</a></p>

Before

After a decade of attempts

### References

[1] [https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ3NHeXDl0L/](https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ3NHeXDl0L/)

[2] [https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ4O_twMsUw/](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ4O_twMsUw/)

After

After a decade of attempts.

### References

[1] [https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ3NHeXDl0L/](https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ3NHeXDl0L/)

[2] [https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ4O_twMsUw/](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ4O_twMsUw/)

Diff

--- before

+++ after

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@

-After a decade of attempts

+After a decade of attempts.

 

 ### References

Before

false

After

true

Before

None

After

false

Before

None

After

/file/d4b8b11e-55e8-1b43-1282-57691e6a00c8/beth_rodden_portrait_h.webp

Before

None

After

https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/

Before

None

After

/file/8199fcd2-78dc-1b40-eda4-5b851edbc073/beth_rodden_portrait_h.webp.webp

Before

None

After

1024

Before

Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of [To Bolt or Not to Be](/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be) (8b+) at [Smith Rock](/crag/3025/smith-rock) at age 18.

In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend [Tommy Caldwell](/climber/551/tommy-caldwell) and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dickey, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the [Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan). [1]

The team were marched over remote terrain with little food or water for 6 days. At one point they were left alone with a single captor acting as a guard, and while walking along a narrow path Tommy was able to push the remaining captor over a cliff allowing the team to escape. It was presumed that the person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall.

Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [2]

Back in the US, Beth and then-husband Tommy Caldwell became well established as extremely capable trad and big wall climbers. Beth climbed many hard testpieces, including ascents of [Sphinx Crack](/climb/3450/sphinx-crack) (E8), [Grand Illusion](/climb/1430/grand-illusion) (E8) and [The Phoenix](/climb/523/the-phoenix) (E7), the latter of which she onsighted.

In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of [The Nose](/climb/6215/the-nose) (E9) on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan), leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners.

In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed [Meltdown](/climb/1424/meltdown) (E11) to give one of the hardest traditional pitches in the world at the time featuring super-technical 8c+ climbing with small, fiddly gear. Incredibly, the route waited 10 years for a repeat despite attention from many strong climbers.

In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married [Randy Puro](/climber/2159/randy-puro). In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book *A Light Through the Cracks* she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping.

More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with eating disorders and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing. [3]

### References

[1] [https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html](https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html)

[2] Rodden, Beth. A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story. United States: Amazon Publishing, 2024.

[3] [https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/](https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/)

After

Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of [To Bolt or Not to Be](/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be) (8b+) at [Smith Rock](/crag/3025/smith-rock) at age 18.

In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend [Tommy Caldwell](/climber/551/tommy-caldwell) and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dickey, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the [Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan). [1]

The team were marched over remote terrain with little food or water for 6 days. At one point they were left alone with a single captor acting as a guard, and while walking along a narrow path Tommy was able to push the remaining captor over a cliff allowing the team to escape. It was presumed that the person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall.

Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [2]

Back in the US, Beth and then-husband Tommy Caldwell became well established as extremely capable trad and big wall climbers. Beth climbed many hard testpieces, including ascents of [Sphinx Crack](/climb/3450/sphinx-crack) (E8), [Grand Illusion](/climb/1430/grand-illusion) (E8) and [The Phoenix](/climb/523/the-phoenix) (E7), the latter of which she onsighted.

In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of [The Nose](/climb/6215/the-nose) (E9) on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan), leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners.

In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed [Meltdown](/climb/1424/meltdown) (E11) to give one of the hardest traditional pitches in the world at the time featuring super-technical 8c+ climbing with small, fiddly gear. Incredibly, the route waited 10 years for a repeat despite attention from many strong climbers.

In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married [Randy Puro](/climber/2159/randy-puro). In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book *A Light Through the Cracks* she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping.

More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with disordered and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing. [3]

### References

[1] [https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html](https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html)

[2] Rodden, Beth. A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story. United States: Amazon Publishing, 2024.

[3] [https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/](https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/)

Diff

--- before

+++ after

@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@

 

 In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married [Randy Puro](/climber/2159/randy-puro). In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book *A Light Through the Cracks* she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping.

 

-More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with eating disorders and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing. [3]

+More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with disordered and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing. [3]

 

 ### References

Before

<p>Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of <a href="/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be" rel="noopener noreferrer">To Bolt or Not to Be</a> (8b+) at <a href="/crag/3025/smith-rock" rel="noopener noreferrer">Smith Rock</a> at age 18.</p>
<p>In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend <a href="/climber/551/tommy-caldwell" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tommy Caldwell</a> and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dickey, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan" rel="noopener noreferrer">Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan</a>. [1]</p>
<p>The team were marched over remote terrain with little food or water for 6 days. At one point they were left alone with a single captor acting as a guard, and while walking along a narrow path Tommy was able to push the remaining captor over a cliff allowing the team to escape. It was presumed that the person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall.</p>
<p>Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [2]</p>
<p>Back in the US, Beth and then-husband Tommy Caldwell became well established as extremely capable trad and big wall climbers. Beth climbed many hard testpieces, including ascents of <a href="/climb/3450/sphinx-crack" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sphinx Crack</a> (E8), <a href="/climb/1430/grand-illusion" rel="noopener noreferrer">Grand Illusion</a> (E8) and <a href="/climb/523/the-phoenix" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Phoenix</a> (E7), the latter of which she onsighted.</p>
<p>In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of <a href="/climb/6215/the-nose" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Nose</a> (E9) on <a href="/crag/8023/el-capitan" rel="noopener noreferrer">El Capitan</a>, leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners.</p>
<p>In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed <a href="/climb/1424/meltdown" rel="noopener noreferrer">Meltdown</a> (E11) to give one of the hardest traditional pitches in the world at the time featuring super-technical 8c+ climbing with small, fiddly gear. Incredibly, the route waited 10 years for a repeat despite attention from many strong climbers.</p>
<p>In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married <a href="/climber/2159/randy-puro" rel="noopener noreferrer">Randy Puro</a>. In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book <em>A Light Through the Cracks</em> she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping.</p>
<p>More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with eating disorders and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing. [3]</p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html</a></p>
<p>[2] Rodden,&nbsp;Beth.&nbsp;A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story.&nbsp;United States:&nbsp;Amazon Publishing,&nbsp;2024.</p>
<p>[3] <a href="https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/</a></p>

After

<p>Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of <a href="/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be" rel="noopener noreferrer">To Bolt or Not to Be</a> (8b+) at <a href="/crag/3025/smith-rock" rel="noopener noreferrer">Smith Rock</a> at age 18.</p>
<p>In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend <a href="/climber/551/tommy-caldwell" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tommy Caldwell</a> and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dickey, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan" rel="noopener noreferrer">Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan</a>. [1]</p>
<p>The team were marched over remote terrain with little food or water for 6 days. At one point they were left alone with a single captor acting as a guard, and while walking along a narrow path Tommy was able to push the remaining captor over a cliff allowing the team to escape. It was presumed that the person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall.</p>
<p>Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [2]</p>
<p>Back in the US, Beth and then-husband Tommy Caldwell became well established as extremely capable trad and big wall climbers. Beth climbed many hard testpieces, including ascents of <a href="/climb/3450/sphinx-crack" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sphinx Crack</a> (E8), <a href="/climb/1430/grand-illusion" rel="noopener noreferrer">Grand Illusion</a> (E8) and <a href="/climb/523/the-phoenix" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Phoenix</a> (E7), the latter of which she onsighted.</p>
<p>In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of <a href="/climb/6215/the-nose" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Nose</a> (E9) on <a href="/crag/8023/el-capitan" rel="noopener noreferrer">El Capitan</a>, leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners.</p>
<p>In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed <a href="/climb/1424/meltdown" rel="noopener noreferrer">Meltdown</a> (E11) to give one of the hardest traditional pitches in the world at the time featuring super-technical 8c+ climbing with small, fiddly gear. Incredibly, the route waited 10 years for a repeat despite attention from many strong climbers.</p>
<p>In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married <a href="/climber/2159/randy-puro" rel="noopener noreferrer">Randy Puro</a>. In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book <em>A Light Through the Cracks</em> she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping.</p>
<p>More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with disordered and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing. [3]</p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html</a></p>
<p>[2] Rodden,&nbsp;Beth.&nbsp;A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story.&nbsp;United States:&nbsp;Amazon Publishing,&nbsp;2024.</p>
<p>[3] <a href="https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/</a></p>

Before

Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of [To Bolt or Not to Be](/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be) (8b+) at [Smith Rock](/crag/3025/smith-rock) at age 18.

In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend [Tommy Caldwell](/climber/551/tommy-caldwell) and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dickey, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the [Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan). [1]

The team were marched over remote terrain with little food or water for 6 days. At one point they were left alone with a single captor acting as a guard, and while walking along a narrow path Tommy was able to push the remaining captor over a cliff allowing the team to escape. It was presumed that the person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall.

Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [2]

Back in the US, Beth and then-husband Tommy Caldwell became well established as extremely capable trad and big wall climbers. Beth climbed many hard testpieces, including ascents of [Sphinx Crack](/climb/3450/sphinx-crack) (E8), [Grand Illusion](/climb/1430/grand-illusion) (E8) and [The Phoenix](/climb/523/the-phoenix) (E7), the latter of which she onsighted.

In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of [The Nose](/climb/6215/the-nose) (E9) on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan), leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners.

In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed [Meltdown](/climb/1424/meltdown) (E11) to give one of the hardest traditional pitches in the world at the time featuring super-technical 8c+ climbing with small, fiddly gear. Incredibly, the route waited 10 years for a repeat despite attention from many strong climbers.

In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married [Randy Puro](/climber/2159/randy-puro). In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book *A Light Through the Cracks* she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping.

More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with eating disorders and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing.

### References

[1] [https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html](https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html)

[2] Rodden, Beth. A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story. United States: Amazon Publishing, 2024.

After

Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of [To Bolt or Not to Be](/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be) (8b+) at [Smith Rock](/crag/3025/smith-rock) at age 18.

In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend [Tommy Caldwell](/climber/551/tommy-caldwell) and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dickey, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the [Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan). [1]

The team were marched over remote terrain with little food or water for 6 days. At one point they were left alone with a single captor acting as a guard, and while walking along a narrow path Tommy was able to push the remaining captor over a cliff allowing the team to escape. It was presumed that the person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall.

Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [2]

Back in the US, Beth and then-husband Tommy Caldwell became well established as extremely capable trad and big wall climbers. Beth climbed many hard testpieces, including ascents of [Sphinx Crack](/climb/3450/sphinx-crack) (E8), [Grand Illusion](/climb/1430/grand-illusion) (E8) and [The Phoenix](/climb/523/the-phoenix) (E7), the latter of which she onsighted.

In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of [The Nose](/climb/6215/the-nose) (E9) on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan), leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners.

In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed [Meltdown](/climb/1424/meltdown) (E11) to give one of the hardest traditional pitches in the world at the time featuring super-technical 8c+ climbing with small, fiddly gear. Incredibly, the route waited 10 years for a repeat despite attention from many strong climbers.

In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married [Randy Puro](/climber/2159/randy-puro). In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book *A Light Through the Cracks* she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping.

More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with eating disorders and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing. [3]

### References

[1] [https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html](https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html)

[2] Rodden, Beth. A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story. United States: Amazon Publishing, 2024.

[3] [https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/](https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/)

Diff

--- before

+++ after

@@ -14,10 +14,12 @@

 

 In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married [Randy Puro](/climber/2159/randy-puro). In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book *A Light Through the Cracks* she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping.

 

-More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with eating disorders and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing.

+More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with eating disorders and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing. [3]

 

 ### References

 

 [1] [https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html](https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html)

 

-[2] Rodden, Beth. A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story. United States: Amazon Publishing, 2024.
+[2] Rodden, Beth. A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story. United States: Amazon Publishing, 2024.

+

+[3] [https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/](https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/)

Before

<p>Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of <a href="/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be" rel="noopener noreferrer">To Bolt or Not to Be</a> (8b+) at <a href="/crag/3025/smith-rock" rel="noopener noreferrer">Smith Rock</a> at age 18.</p>
<p>In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend <a href="/climber/551/tommy-caldwell" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tommy Caldwell</a> and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dickey, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan" rel="noopener noreferrer">Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan</a>. [1]</p>
<p>The team were marched over remote terrain with little food or water for 6 days. At one point they were left alone with a single captor acting as a guard, and while walking along a narrow path Tommy was able to push the remaining captor over a cliff allowing the team to escape. It was presumed that the person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall.</p>
<p>Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [2]</p>
<p>Back in the US, Beth and then-husband Tommy Caldwell became well established as extremely capable trad and big wall climbers. Beth climbed many hard testpieces, including ascents of <a href="/climb/3450/sphinx-crack" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sphinx Crack</a> (E8), <a href="/climb/1430/grand-illusion" rel="noopener noreferrer">Grand Illusion</a> (E8) and <a href="/climb/523/the-phoenix" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Phoenix</a> (E7), the latter of which she onsighted.</p>
<p>In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of <a href="/climb/6215/the-nose" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Nose</a> (E9) on <a href="/crag/8023/el-capitan" rel="noopener noreferrer">El Capitan</a>, leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners.</p>
<p>In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed <a href="/climb/1424/meltdown" rel="noopener noreferrer">Meltdown</a> (E11) to give one of the hardest traditional pitches in the world at the time featuring super-technical 8c+ climbing with small, fiddly gear. Incredibly, the route waited 10 years for a repeat despite attention from many strong climbers.</p>
<p>In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married <a href="/climber/2159/randy-puro" rel="noopener noreferrer">Randy Puro</a>. In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book <em>A Light Through the Cracks</em> she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping.</p>
<p>More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with eating disorders and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing.</p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html</a></p>
<p>[2] Rodden,&nbsp;Beth.&nbsp;A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story.&nbsp;United States:&nbsp;Amazon Publishing,&nbsp;2024.</p>

After

<p>Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of <a href="/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be" rel="noopener noreferrer">To Bolt or Not to Be</a> (8b+) at <a href="/crag/3025/smith-rock" rel="noopener noreferrer">Smith Rock</a> at age 18.</p>
<p>In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend <a href="/climber/551/tommy-caldwell" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tommy Caldwell</a> and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dickey, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan" rel="noopener noreferrer">Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan</a>. [1]</p>
<p>The team were marched over remote terrain with little food or water for 6 days. At one point they were left alone with a single captor acting as a guard, and while walking along a narrow path Tommy was able to push the remaining captor over a cliff allowing the team to escape. It was presumed that the person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall.</p>
<p>Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [2]</p>
<p>Back in the US, Beth and then-husband Tommy Caldwell became well established as extremely capable trad and big wall climbers. Beth climbed many hard testpieces, including ascents of <a href="/climb/3450/sphinx-crack" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sphinx Crack</a> (E8), <a href="/climb/1430/grand-illusion" rel="noopener noreferrer">Grand Illusion</a> (E8) and <a href="/climb/523/the-phoenix" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Phoenix</a> (E7), the latter of which she onsighted.</p>
<p>In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of <a href="/climb/6215/the-nose" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Nose</a> (E9) on <a href="/crag/8023/el-capitan" rel="noopener noreferrer">El Capitan</a>, leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners.</p>
<p>In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed <a href="/climb/1424/meltdown" rel="noopener noreferrer">Meltdown</a> (E11) to give one of the hardest traditional pitches in the world at the time featuring super-technical 8c+ climbing with small, fiddly gear. Incredibly, the route waited 10 years for a repeat despite attention from many strong climbers.</p>
<p>In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married <a href="/climber/2159/randy-puro" rel="noopener noreferrer">Randy Puro</a>. In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book <em>A Light Through the Cracks</em> she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping.</p>
<p>More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with eating disorders and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing. [3]</p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html</a></p>
<p>[2] Rodden,&nbsp;Beth.&nbsp;A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story.&nbsp;United States:&nbsp;Amazon Publishing,&nbsp;2024.</p>
<p>[3] <a href="https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/beth-rodden-climbing-body-image/</a></p>

Before

Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of [To Bolt or Not to Be](/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be) (8b+) at [Smith Rock](/crag/3025/smith-rock) at age 18.

In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend [Tommy Caldwell](/climber/551/tommy-caldwell) and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dicky, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the [Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan). [1]

The team were marched over remote terrain with little food or water for 6 days. At one point they were left alone with a single captor acting as a guard, and while walking along a narrow path Tommy was able to push the remaining captor over a cliff allowing the team to escape. It was presumed that the person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall.

Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [2]

Back in the US, Beth and then-husband Tommy Caldwell became well established as extremely capable trad and big wall climbers. Beth climbed many hard testpieces, including ascents of [Sphinx Crack](/climb/3450/sphinx-crack) (E8), [Grand Illusion](/climb/1430/grand-illusion) (E8) and [The Phoenix](/climb/523/the-phoenix) (E7), the latter of which she onsighted.

In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of [The Nose](/climb/6215/the-nose) (E9) on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan), leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners.

In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed [Meltdown](/climb/1424/meltdown) (E11) to give one of the hardest traditional pitches in the world at the time featuring super-technical 8c+ climbing with small, fiddly gear. Incredibly, the route waited 10 years for a repeat despite attention from many strong climbers.

In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married [Randy Puro](/climber/2159/randy-puro). In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book *A Light Through the Cracks* she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping.

More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with eating disorders and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing.

### References

[1] [https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html](https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html)

[2] Rodden, Beth. A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story. United States: Amazon Publishing, 2024.

After

Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of [To Bolt or Not to Be](/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be) (8b+) at [Smith Rock](/crag/3025/smith-rock) at age 18.

In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend [Tommy Caldwell](/climber/551/tommy-caldwell) and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dickey, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the [Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan). [1]

The team were marched over remote terrain with little food or water for 6 days. At one point they were left alone with a single captor acting as a guard, and while walking along a narrow path Tommy was able to push the remaining captor over a cliff allowing the team to escape. It was presumed that the person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall.

Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [2]

Back in the US, Beth and then-husband Tommy Caldwell became well established as extremely capable trad and big wall climbers. Beth climbed many hard testpieces, including ascents of [Sphinx Crack](/climb/3450/sphinx-crack) (E8), [Grand Illusion](/climb/1430/grand-illusion) (E8) and [The Phoenix](/climb/523/the-phoenix) (E7), the latter of which she onsighted.

In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of [The Nose](/climb/6215/the-nose) (E9) on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan), leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners.

In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed [Meltdown](/climb/1424/meltdown) (E11) to give one of the hardest traditional pitches in the world at the time featuring super-technical 8c+ climbing with small, fiddly gear. Incredibly, the route waited 10 years for a repeat despite attention from many strong climbers.

In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married [Randy Puro](/climber/2159/randy-puro). In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book *A Light Through the Cracks* she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping.

More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with eating disorders and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing.

### References

[1] [https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html](https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html)

[2] Rodden, Beth. A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story. United States: Amazon Publishing, 2024.

Diff

--- before

+++ after

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@

 Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of [To Bolt or Not to Be](/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be) (8b+) at [Smith Rock](/crag/3025/smith-rock) at age 18.

 

-In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend [Tommy Caldwell](/climber/551/tommy-caldwell) and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dicky, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the [Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan). [1]

+In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend [Tommy Caldwell](/climber/551/tommy-caldwell) and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dickey, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the [Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan). [1]

 

 The team were marched over remote terrain with little food or water for 6 days. At one point they were left alone with a single captor acting as a guard, and while walking along a narrow path Tommy was able to push the remaining captor over a cliff allowing the team to escape. It was presumed that the person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall.

Before

<p>Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of <a href="/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be" rel="noopener noreferrer">To Bolt or Not to Be</a> (8b+) at <a href="/crag/3025/smith-rock" rel="noopener noreferrer">Smith Rock</a> at age 18.</p>
<p>In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend <a href="/climber/551/tommy-caldwell" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tommy Caldwell</a> and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dicky, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan" rel="noopener noreferrer">Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan</a>. [1]</p>
<p>The team were marched over remote terrain with little food or water for 6 days. At one point they were left alone with a single captor acting as a guard, and while walking along a narrow path Tommy was able to push the remaining captor over a cliff allowing the team to escape. It was presumed that the person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall.</p>
<p>Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [2]</p>
<p>Back in the US, Beth and then-husband Tommy Caldwell became well established as extremely capable trad and big wall climbers. Beth climbed many hard testpieces, including ascents of <a href="/climb/3450/sphinx-crack" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sphinx Crack</a> (E8), <a href="/climb/1430/grand-illusion" rel="noopener noreferrer">Grand Illusion</a> (E8) and <a href="/climb/523/the-phoenix" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Phoenix</a> (E7), the latter of which she onsighted.</p>
<p>In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of <a href="/climb/6215/the-nose" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Nose</a> (E9) on <a href="/crag/8023/el-capitan" rel="noopener noreferrer">El Capitan</a>, leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners.</p>
<p>In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed <a href="/climb/1424/meltdown" rel="noopener noreferrer">Meltdown</a> (E11) to give one of the hardest traditional pitches in the world at the time featuring super-technical 8c+ climbing with small, fiddly gear. Incredibly, the route waited 10 years for a repeat despite attention from many strong climbers.</p>
<p>In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married <a href="/climber/2159/randy-puro" rel="noopener noreferrer">Randy Puro</a>. In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book <em>A Light Through the Cracks</em> she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping.</p>
<p>More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with eating disorders and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing.</p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html</a></p>
<p>[2] Rodden,&nbsp;Beth.&nbsp;A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story.&nbsp;United States:&nbsp;Amazon Publishing,&nbsp;2024.</p>

After

<p>Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of <a href="/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be" rel="noopener noreferrer">To Bolt or Not to Be</a> (8b+) at <a href="/crag/3025/smith-rock" rel="noopener noreferrer">Smith Rock</a> at age 18.</p>
<p>In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend <a href="/climber/551/tommy-caldwell" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tommy Caldwell</a> and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dickey, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan" rel="noopener noreferrer">Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan</a>. [1]</p>
<p>The team were marched over remote terrain with little food or water for 6 days. At one point they were left alone with a single captor acting as a guard, and while walking along a narrow path Tommy was able to push the remaining captor over a cliff allowing the team to escape. It was presumed that the person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall.</p>
<p>Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [2]</p>
<p>Back in the US, Beth and then-husband Tommy Caldwell became well established as extremely capable trad and big wall climbers. Beth climbed many hard testpieces, including ascents of <a href="/climb/3450/sphinx-crack" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sphinx Crack</a> (E8), <a href="/climb/1430/grand-illusion" rel="noopener noreferrer">Grand Illusion</a> (E8) and <a href="/climb/523/the-phoenix" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Phoenix</a> (E7), the latter of which she onsighted.</p>
<p>In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of <a href="/climb/6215/the-nose" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Nose</a> (E9) on <a href="/crag/8023/el-capitan" rel="noopener noreferrer">El Capitan</a>, leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners.</p>
<p>In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed <a href="/climb/1424/meltdown" rel="noopener noreferrer">Meltdown</a> (E11) to give one of the hardest traditional pitches in the world at the time featuring super-technical 8c+ climbing with small, fiddly gear. Incredibly, the route waited 10 years for a repeat despite attention from many strong climbers.</p>
<p>In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married <a href="/climber/2159/randy-puro" rel="noopener noreferrer">Randy Puro</a>. In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book <em>A Light Through the Cracks</em> she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping.</p>
<p>More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with eating disorders and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing.</p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html</a></p>
<p>[2] Rodden,&nbsp;Beth.&nbsp;A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story.&nbsp;United States:&nbsp;Amazon Publishing,&nbsp;2024.</p>

Before

None

After

Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of [To Bolt or Not to Be](/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be) (8b+) at [Smith Rock](/crag/3025/smith-rock) at age 18.

In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend [Tommy Caldwell](/climber/551/tommy-caldwell) and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dicky, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the [Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan). [1]

The team were marched over remote terrain with little food or water for 6 days. At one point they were left alone with a single captor acting as a guard, and while walking along a narrow path Tommy was able to push the remaining captor over a cliff allowing the team to escape. It was presumed that the person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall.

Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [2]

Back in the US, Beth and then-husband Tommy Caldwell became well established as extremely capable trad and big wall climbers. Beth climbed many hard testpieces, including ascents of [Sphinx Crack](/climb/3450/sphinx-crack) (E8), [Grand Illusion](/climb/1430/grand-illusion) (E8) and [The Phoenix](/climb/523/the-phoenix) (E7), the latter of which she onsighted.

In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of [The Nose](/climb/6215/the-nose) (E9) on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan), leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners.

In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed [Meltdown](/climb/1424/meltdown) (E11) to give one of the hardest traditional pitches in the world at the time featuring super-technical 8c+ climbing with small, fiddly gear. Incredibly, the route waited 10 years for a repeat despite attention from many strong climbers.

In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married [Randy Puro](/climber/2159/randy-puro). In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book *A Light Through the Cracks* she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping.

More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with eating disorders and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing.

### References

[1] [https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html](https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html)

[2] Rodden, Beth. A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story. United States: Amazon Publishing, 2024.

Diff

--- before

+++ after

@@ -1 +1,23 @@

-
+Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of [To Bolt or Not to Be](/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be) (8b+) at [Smith Rock](/crag/3025/smith-rock) at age 18.

+

+In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend [Tommy Caldwell](/climber/551/tommy-caldwell) and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dicky, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the [Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan). [1]

+

+The team were marched over remote terrain with little food or water for 6 days. At one point they were left alone with a single captor acting as a guard, and while walking along a narrow path Tommy was able to push the remaining captor over a cliff allowing the team to escape. It was presumed that the person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall.

+

+Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [2]

+

+Back in the US, Beth and then-husband Tommy Caldwell became well established as extremely capable trad and big wall climbers. Beth climbed many hard testpieces, including ascents of [Sphinx Crack](/climb/3450/sphinx-crack) (E8), [Grand Illusion](/climb/1430/grand-illusion) (E8) and [The Phoenix](/climb/523/the-phoenix) (E7), the latter of which she onsighted.

+

+In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of [The Nose](/climb/6215/the-nose) (E9) on [El Capitan](/crag/8023/el-capitan), leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners.

+

+In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed [Meltdown](/climb/1424/meltdown) (E11) to give one of the hardest traditional pitches in the world at the time featuring super-technical 8c+ climbing with small, fiddly gear. Incredibly, the route waited 10 years for a repeat despite attention from many strong climbers.

+

+In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married [Randy Puro](/climber/2159/randy-puro). In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book *A Light Through the Cracks* she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping.

+

+More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with eating disorders and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing.

+

+### References

+

+[1] [https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html](https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html)

+

+[2] Rodden, Beth. A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story. United States: Amazon Publishing, 2024.

Before

None

After

<p>Beth Rodden is an American big wall and trad. climber. In 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 8b+ with her ascent of <a href="/climb/1575/to-bolt-or-not-to-be" rel="noopener noreferrer">To Bolt or Not to Be</a> (8b+) at <a href="/crag/3025/smith-rock" rel="noopener noreferrer">Smith Rock</a> at age 18.</p>
<p>In August 2000, along with her then-boyfriend <a href="/climber/551/tommy-caldwell" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tommy Caldwell</a> and fellow climbers Jason Smith and John Dicky, she visited the remote Kara Su valley in Kyrgyzstan with the aim of climbing some big walls in the area. Already a very bold proposition given her relative ineperience on big walls the trip took a dramatic twist when the team was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Movement_of_Uzbekistan" rel="noopener noreferrer">Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan</a>. [1]</p>
<p>The team were marched over remote terrain with little food or water for 6 days. At one point they were left alone with a single captor acting as a guard, and while walking along a narrow path Tommy was able to push the remaining captor over a cliff allowing the team to escape. It was presumed that the person who had been pushed had died, but it later turned out that he had survived the fall.</p>
<p>Beth later spoke about how the event was a significant source of trauma for her, and how she struggled for a long time to process the events. [2]</p>
<p>Back in the US, Beth and then-husband Tommy Caldwell became well established as extremely capable trad and big wall climbers. Beth climbed many hard testpieces, including ascents of <a href="/climb/3450/sphinx-crack" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sphinx Crack</a> (E8), <a href="/climb/1430/grand-illusion" rel="noopener noreferrer">Grand Illusion</a> (E8) and <a href="/climb/523/the-phoenix" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Phoenix</a> (E7), the latter of which she onsighted.</p>
<p>In 2005 she made a team free second ascent of <a href="/climb/6215/the-nose" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Nose</a> (E9) on <a href="/crag/8023/el-capitan" rel="noopener noreferrer">El Capitan</a>, leading The Great Roof pitch and cleanly top roping the Changing Corners.</p>
<p>In 2008, after much work, Beth redpointed <a href="/climb/1424/meltdown" rel="noopener noreferrer">Meltdown</a> (E11) to give one of the hardest traditional pitches in the world at the time featuring super-technical 8c+ climbing with small, fiddly gear. Incredibly, the route waited 10 years for a repeat despite attention from many strong climbers.</p>
<p>In 2009 she divorced Tommy Caldwell and later married <a href="/climber/2159/randy-puro" rel="noopener noreferrer">Randy Puro</a>. In 2014 she had a son with Puro. In her book <em>A Light Through the Cracks</em> she discusses how she struggled in her relationship with Tommy, feeling a sense of obligation to be with him after the Kyrgyzstan incident, and how they had very different approaches to dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping.</p>
<p>More recently she has spoken openly about her struggles with eating disorders and self-image, and how this impacted her and her climbing.</p>
<h3>References</h3>
<p>[1] <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042923/https://www.outsideonline.com/magazine/200011/200011hostages1.html</a></p>
<p>[2] Rodden,&nbsp;Beth.&nbsp;A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber's Story.&nbsp;United States:&nbsp;Amazon Publishing,&nbsp;2024.</p>

Before

None

After

9781503903814

Before

None

After

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ8GOv5RPVx/

Before

None

After

false

Before

### References

[1] [https://www.instagram.com/p/DXXCjkSjTp6/?img_index=1](https://www.instagram.com/p/DXXCjkSjTp6/?img_index=1)

After

### References

[1] [https://www.instagram.com/p/DXXCjkSjTp6/?img_index=1](https://www.instagram.com/p/DXXCjkSjTp6/?img_index=1)

[2] [https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ8GOv5RPVx/](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ8GOv5RPVx/)

Diff

--- before

+++ after

@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@

 ### References

 

-[1] [https://www.instagram.com/p/DXXCjkSjTp6/?img_index=1](https://www.instagram.com/p/DXXCjkSjTp6/?img_index=1)
+[1] [https://www.instagram.com/p/DXXCjkSjTp6/?img_index=1](https://www.instagram.com/p/DXXCjkSjTp6/?img_index=1)

+

+[2] [https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ8GOv5RPVx/](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ8GOv5RPVx/)

Badges

Contributions

Posts

74

1218

4437

172167

95

181

Contributions Map

Contributions by Country

Recent Contributions

Page 1 >