Alex Johnson: Pro Climber
posted by dpm on 03/12/2012
Subtitle: Perhaps some readers may not quite agree — a professional climber? Isn’t that just a fool? If not, then what is it? Climbing is one of those sports where the “professional standard” is very hard to define, which is quite rare among many sports. For example, if you play football, the goal is very clear: score goals in the opponent’s net, perform well, and earn millions. Moreover, if you’re good-looking, have a strong personality, or are willing to express yourself, it’s even easier to succeed.

Climbing is different. Because there is a lack of attractive financial incentives in competitive events, athletes mainly rely on sponsorships, which also leads to misunderstandings among most climbers. A sponsorship is formed when a sponsor is willing to associate their product with an athlete. In climbing, this means the athlete must not only have the ability to summit peaks but also exercise self-discipline in daily behavior. Furthermore, the athlete must display a personality that aligns with the traits the sponsor wishes to associate with their product. It’s all about image, and there’s no way to fake it. When an athlete shows their true self, that partnership becomes the strongest — and that’s exactly who Alex Johnson is.

Over the past 10 years, Alex has won two Bouldering World Cup titles and claimed five national championship titles. She has climbed routes such as the V12-rated Mandala in Bishop, as well as various V10 and V11 routes across the United States. But what truly sets Alex apart is her personality. Her character makes it easy for her to make friends wherever she goes. As we saw during last year’s Bouldering World Cup, her online live commentary was spot-on. Last winter, she traveled from Bishop to Vegas to Hueco, completing many extremely challenging routes. She always wore a smile, accompanied by her tiny Chihuahua named Fritz.


Fritz poses in Johnson’s room.
Photo credit: Alex's Facebook / Chris Chen
DPM: Alex, you had an outstanding performance this past winter. You consecutively completed Lethal Design (V12) at Red Rocks, the Barefoot route Sacred Ground (V11) in the Hueco area, and many other very difficult climbs.

Alex: For me, the highlight of my climbing last fall was in Yosemite Valley. It’s hard to single out just one route, but if I had to choose, it would be the legendary Thriller. I didn’t climb my “hardest” route there, but what I experienced was truly amazing — completing some iconic, influential routes in the climbing world that I’ve known about since I can remember. The second route that really excited me was Ninth (V6) in Bishop, California. I call it the scariest route I’ve ever climbed. It’s the highest wall I’ve ever climbed, and although it’s rated V6, it’s not as close to the ground as people might imagine.

"My scariest boulder problem." The Ninth (V6). Bishop, California. Photo: Aaron Karres/Alex's blog
“The scariest route I’ve ever climbed,” Ninth (V6) in Bishop, California
Photo credit: Aaron Karres / Alex's blog
DPM: How do you find time to travel? Do your sponsors pay for your trips? What kind of financial pressures do you face as a professional climber?

Alex: Everyone knows climbing isn’t the most lucrative sport, but my sponsors have definitely helped a lot with our travels — without them, I couldn’t have done what I’ve done. I’ve recently been working with The North Face, and I’m really looking forward to what the future holds. But for now, I still plan my climbing based on my budget, which is why I’ve been living in my car instead of hotels during my travels over the past four months. Last summer in Europe, while competing in the IFSC World Cup qualifiers, I ran into financial trouble because my expenses were higher than planned. This year, I’ll focus on climbing domestically to save costs.


Lethal Design (V12) Red Rocks, Nevada. Photo: Ben Spannuth
Lethal Design (V12) at Red Rocks, Nevada
Photo credit: Ben Spannuth
DPM: How does sponsorship work in the climbing world? What do your sponsors provide, and what do you need to do for them?

Alex: Being a contracted athlete means you have already achieved a certain level of success in your career and can serve as a positive representative for the sport. You also need to be accountable for all your actions. Getting sponsored is not just about being physically strong. Aside from having your athletic ability recognized, many other factors are considered, such as your personality. You need to have a positive and energetic public image because, regardless of how influential our sport is, we are role models. I think getting sponsorship is very difficult, similar to sports like surfing or snowboarding. We should have more choices of role models, not just based on athletic ability.

DPM: Describe the importance of personality for a professional climber.

Alex: Personality is crucial in the sport I’m in. Especially because there are relatively few climbers, the chances of seeing someone twice are very high. First impressions matter, because you never know who is watching. What if you swear while climbing a route and a child who’s with their parents overhears? Or what if you disrespect someone who happens to be a local employee of the company you’re hoping to get sponsorship from?


Interacting with children at the Circuit Gym's PCI Pro Clinic in Portland, Oregon
Photo credit: Alex's blog

DPM: You regularly update your climbing activities online on your blog, so everyone can see. Do you think sharing your achievements is a way of being responsible to your sponsors, or is it just to let your friends know where you are?

Alex: (Laughs) Actually, I created my account for myself. If I don’t document my own climbs, I won’t know what I’ve done, what routes I’ve tried, or what I’ve gone through. Why not write down the routes I’ve climbed in a notebook, even if it’s just for myself? Because then I wouldn’t know how others perceive those routes. As for my own blog, I enjoy writing; it was actually my aspiration when I went to university, though I needed a job. Lately, all I’ve been doing is climbing, and if nothing exciting is happening, I’d go crazy.

DPM: Many women and young girls look up to you. You also mentioned on your blog:

“The annual bouldering competition (Outdoor Retailer 2010) was as fun as ever. The weather was unbearably hot, as usual for the desert in August, but the girls competing gave it their all. I know how brutal summer heat can be, and some people’s clothing choices became a bit too revealing, which is very disrespectful to female climbers. I hope they can maintain that respect, even for themselves. Such controversial outfits drew attention. Yes, we all know gender tends to attract attention, but sadly, the less you wear, the more likely you are to be photographed. I believe trying to gain fame by using your body pushes the sport in a negative direction, which is very disappointing. What I hope is that female climbers are known for their personality, ethnicity, beliefs, abilities, and so on. Then comes climbing skill and performance, but never using clothing to attract attention. Women are strong and capable, and their beauty shows in many ways. Overemphasizing gender should never be a factor for success. Girls, leave some room for imagination!”

You said it well there but can you elaborate? How do you think this drives the sport in a negative direction?
You said it very well, but how do you put it into practice? How do you think the things you mentioned lead the sport in a negative direction?
Alex: In the past, when it was extremely hot, I’ve climbed in a sports bra. I totally understand, and I’ve done it often. And I’m not just talking about tops. I mean tight-fitting tops and shorts. If you’re climbing with friends on a hot day, I’d make that choice. But indoors, with air conditioning, and children and elderly people around, that’s a different situation. I think everything has its proper time and place. I just feel that as a professional climber, if you need to wear less clothing to gain media attention, younger climbers will imitate you, believing it’s your appearance — not your talent or personality — that makes you the center of attention.

Lethal Design (V12) Red Rocks, Nevada. Photo: Ben Spannuth
Lethal Design (V12) at Red Rocks, Nevada
Photo credit: Ben Spannuth

DPM: I understand you’ve recently shared some discouraging incidents involving women in the bouldering community on your blog.
Some wild comments started circulating about what was the best way to try it and where to place your feet, etc. Then they began debating whether the difficulty would be V8 if you avoided the crimp, but only V6 if you used it. The discussion went on for over ten seconds until someone claimed that using the crimp was “the girl’s way,” just like what Julie had tried. That was the last straw for me, so I did the route independently both ways (yes, the same route), using just one crash pad and no route-setter.
“No matter which way you climb it, the grade is V7!” I shouted at the skeptics. But honestly, nothing really affected me, because I was the only female spectator that day, watching the male athletes climb the wall—so how would I know? To keep things from getting too harsh, I tried my best to let it go for the rest of the time.
That attitude also disgusts me. When a girl completes a route, the grade might be called too high or “she could do it because her fingers are small,” or “I could do it too if I only weighed 90 pounds!” Where do you think these attitudes that climbing women are weak come from? Are male climbers really that insecure?

Alex: I honestly don’t know what those male climbers are thinking. The world is full of double standards, but I think gender is a big issue in climbing. However, I don’t think I face more than Lisa, Claire, and Jody do. For example, the routes they climb are immediately called either too easy or graded too high. Thank God no one has said that Automator (V13, first female ascent by Angie Payne) is overgraded. I could give countless examples, but I don’t think all male climbers think negatively. I think it might be ignorance: strong male climbers in the sport see female climbers as just fragile girls in danger. But they have no idea who’s on that female team: Puccio, Payne, Rands, and Pidgeon. They clearly have no clue who they’re up against!! The girls are getting stronger, and the guys need to learn to accept that. Contrary to the mainstream attitude, there are indeed some male climbers who climb with highly competitive women and get inspired and motivated by very strong female athletes. I’ve also had the pleasure of dating a few of those amazing male climbers. Of course, the guys I climbed with in Vegas were all awesome: Paul Nadler, Ben Spannuth, Kenny Barker, Colin Barnes, and so on. (Not boyfriends, just climbers I deeply respect.)


Diesel Power (V10) in Yosemite is probably soft for the grade since a girl can do it. Photo: Aaron Karres/Alex's blog.
Diesel Power (V10) in Yosemite, USA, was considered possibly easier than its grade after a female climber sent it.
Photo credit: Aaron Karres / Alex’s blog
DPM: Throughout your career, you’ve balanced competition climbing and outdoor climbing well. But which do you prefer? And does one help you improve in the other?
Alex: Actually, I feel like I’m still trying to find a balance between the two. Over the years, I’ve been so focused on competitions and indoor climbing that I barely had time to go outside (and I live in Wisconsin). But recently, I’ve only been climbing outdoors, so the swing has been pretty extreme. I really enjoy what I’m doing now. Although I’m not one of the top-ranked athletes in competitions, I feel a lot of energy outdoors and I’m really happy. I also really like the way I’m doing things now. For me personally, indoor and outdoor climbing complement each other. There’s no doubt that indoor walls make you strong, while outdoor climbing helps you learn technique and footwork.

DPM: You’ve done a lot of hard outdoor climbs in the past few months. How do you think you’ll perform at the ABS Nationals?
Alex: When I was in Vegas and Hueco, I felt pumped and confident that I’d do well at the ABS Nationals. I felt great and confident, especially after climbing Lethal Design and Barefoot. Now that the comp is over, I still believe I was well-prepared. The venue this year was the most challenging in recent years, and the reason I ended up 5th and 2nd was because of a slopey hold on Route 2. Of course, it’s obviously not my best result ever, but I’m not disappointed with my performance. I was the only female who tried Routes 1 and 3, and I’m really proud of that.

Alex Johnson at ABS Nationals 2012.
Alex Johnson at the 2012 ABS Nationals.
DPM: Is this the end of your recent road trip? Do you plan to focus on competitions for a while, or are you going back on the road?
Alex: My road trip isn’t over yet. Actually, I don’t even know when it will be. I’m heading back to Wisconsin for a bit, then using an airport stopover to compete in March before getting back in the van. While I’ll keep competing in the U.S., I won’t focus all my energy on it. My biggest interest right now is outdoor climbing, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

DPM: One last question: If Fitz could talk, what would she say about Alex Johnson?
Alex: In Fitz’s hypothetical ability to speak, I imagine something like: “Your singing is terrible, just like your dancing. Keep up with my pace when we run and hike together. Also, please don’t use me to flirt with boys, and avoid speeding tickets.”