Hazel Findlay is, quite simply, one of the world’s best climbers. Six-time British Junior Champion, Hazel actually gave up competitive climbing at the age of just 16, to focus on rock climbing. Hazel went on to become the first British woman to climb one of the hardest grades in climbing, as well as free-climb Yosemite’s El Capitan (the 2307m vertical rock featured in Alex Honnold’s and Jimmy Chin’s recent Oscar-winning Free Solo film) four times.
Being a trad climber or traditional, placing removable gear along the route, stripping between pitches and often climbing for hours rather than minutes, strength and cardiovascular endurance are essential. It’s the multi pitch, big wall climbing that drew my attention to Hazel.
Hazel is now set to undertake her first theatre tour, The Climb Within, heading to 11 UK theatres this September, presented by Speakers from the Edge, in association with Black Diamond and Sea to Summit.
Fascinated by the mental challenges of climbing, every bit as much as the physical challenges, Hazel’s focus in her talks will be to explore how we can use a sport such as climbing – something that we are passionate about – to put us in hard places that push us beyond what we thought we were capable of; how in this struggle we can discover the way our minds work and how to ‘hack’ them, so that we can enjoy the experiences we want and not be limited by fear
The Climb Within is touring 11 UK theatres in September 2019 – for further details, visit www.speakersfromtheedge.com/tours
Tues 3 Sept MALVERN Malvern Theatres 01684 892277 malvern-theatres.co.uk
Thurs 5 Sept EXETER Corn Exchange 01392 665938 exetercornexchange.co.uk
Fri 6 Sept BRECON Theatr Brycheiniog 01874 611622 brycheiniog.co.uk
Sat 7 Sept LEAMINGTON SPA Royal Spa Centre 01926 334418 warwickdc.gov.uk/royalspacentre
Mon 9 Sept SALE Waterside Arts Centre 0161 912 5616 watersidearts.org
Wed 11 Sept HORSHAM The Capitol Theatre 01403 750220 thecapitolhorsham.com
Mon 23 Sept GATESHEAD Sage Gateshead 0191 443 4661 sagegateshead.com
Tues 24 Sept INVERNESS Eden Court 01463 234234 eden-court.co.uk
Wed 25 Sept DUNKELD Birnam Arts 01350 727674 birnamarts.com
Thurs 26 Sept GLASGOW Drygate 0141 212 8815 drygate.com
Fri 27 Sept PENRITH Rheged Centre 01768 868000 rheged.com
James Mackeddie 