Welcome to a #WeGotGoals episode that’ll have you itching to chalk up and scale a wall at your local indoor rock climbing facility… or, at the very least, daydream about summiting your next mountain.

Claire Bao, general manager of Brooklyn Boulders in Chicago and lululemon Ambassador, is a 10-year climbing veteran who ironically discovered her love for the sport while attending college in the flat Midwest. And surprisingly, Claire was afraid of heights until she began climbing and opening herself up to new challenges, with the help of several mentors in the community. We talk about how social relationships are so vital to climbing, especially when you’re new to the sport. And fittingly, she’s working towards a big goal of building the climbing community wherever she is, while growing as a leader, growing relationships, and making the sport feel as welcoming as possible.

In this weeks Goals to Go section, we hear from listener Hester Lam, who needs help overcoming mindset as she attempts to scale her first 5.10. She’s experiencing some mental blocks around the challenge associated with 5.10 routes, even if she knows the rating system can be subjective. They go over tips and suggestions from Claire, like practicing the same route over and over again and recognizing that failure is part of the process.

(We also hear about Claire’s dogs, Bowie and Bella, and insisted on a picture to share with the readers. You’re welcome.)

Resources:

• Rock climbing glossary and lingo from REI
• Want something to watch this weekend? We recommend Free Solo, the documentary about how climber Alex Honnold and his amazing achievement of climbing the face of the world’s most famous rock—the 3,000ft El Capitan in Yosemite National Park—without a rope
• Curious about climbing for a total newbie? Check out Brooklyn Boulders’ intro climbing classes here.
• Find Claire on Instagram @Claire.Bao (and enjoy the adorable dogs Bowie and Bella), and cheer Hester on in her climbing adventures at @HesterInTheWild.

If you love this episode as much as we do, subscribe to the #WeGotGoals podcast wherever you like to listen to podcasts, including on Apple and Spotify (and hey, leave us a rating while you’re at it!).