EP 125: Zofia Reych — The Heritage of Climbing, Breaking Down Gender Roles, and What It’s Like to Be Autistic

Zofia Reych is a Polish climber and anthropologist and author of Born to Climb. We talked about renovating their mid-18th century house in Fontainebleau, researching the book, identifying as non-binary and directing the Women’s Bouldering Festival, what it’s like to be autistic, key chapters in climbing’s history, losing friends in the mountains, and much more.

Check out Petzl!

petzl.com

Or find Petzl helmets at your local climbing shop!

Check out Athletic Greens!

athleticgreens.com/NUGGET

Use this link to get a free year supply of vitamin D + 5 travel packs!

Check out PhysiVantage!

physivantage.com (link includes 15% off coupon)

Use code "NUGGET15" at checkout for 15% off your next order!

Check out Crimpd!

crimpd.com

Or download the Crimpd app! (Available for iOS and Android)

We are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS:

• Leo Franchi, Michael Roy, David Lahaie, Robert Freehill, Jeremiah Johnson, Scott Donahue, Eli Conlee, Skyler Maxwell, Craig Lee, and Mark and Julie Calhoun

Become a Patron:

patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing

Show Notes:

thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/zofia-reych

Nuggets:

0:06:05 – Getting back from bouldering

0:08:19 – Zofia’s 240+-year-old house in Fontainebleau, and fixing the leaking toilet

0:11:31 – 12th-century castles, and what will be left of our civilization in 700 years

0:12:45 – Growing up in Poland, and living and bouldering in Fontainebleau

0:16:30 – Expecting to get better at climbing by living in Font, and my (Steven’s) experience with the 9-5 grind

0:18:27 – Our education system in the US, having direction, and Zofia’s fascination with people who start things very young

0:20:09 – Zofia’s mom, piano, and romanticizing about having a single focus in life

0:22:02 – The immersive process of writing a book, and the impact on Zofia’s climbing

0:25:26 – Negative vs. positive motivation

0:28:27 – The cycle of falling in love with climbing, feeling drive, pushing hard, and forgetting why we fell in love with it in the first place

0:30:05 – “Don’t push it.”

0:30:53 – Why Zofia felt like they needed to write Born to Climb

0:32:00 – An overview of the book

0:36:14 – Doing research for the book

0:40:38 – Zofia’s master’s thesis, and why it feels outdated

0:44:15 – Zofia’s gender identity (they/them), and being the director of a women’s bouldering festival

0:48:13 – Zofia’s Instagram post about gender identity (see show notes for link)

0:51:01 – “There shouldn’t be one recipe for how to be a human.”

0:53:21 – Autism, and using an inner formula to have conversations like this one

0:55:35 – Acting

0:58:31 – What Zofia is like when they are alone or with their mom, being childlike without filters, and dancing in public

1:01:35 – Stimming (stimulating)

1:02:18 – Being diagnosed with autism at age 31, and how that has changed Zofia’s life experience

1:04:43 – Being introverted in a society that rewards extroversion, and telling your life story to someone you meet in an elevator

1:11:16 – What Zofia does to recharge

1:12:35 – Climbing alone vs. with a group

1:17:58 – The scope of Born to Climb, stories from the mid-14th century hill walking, how polar exploration influenced climbing in the Alps, and climbing’s elitist roots

1:24:35 – On Stolen Land, and the uncomfortable history of Yosemite

1:33:21 – Loss in climbing, the fragility of being human, and exposing ourselves to risk

1:43:40 – Being responsible for your own safety, and feeling empowered

1:45:55 – TrueBlue

1:46:57 – Why writing the last chapter of the book was the most difficult part

1:49:56 – What Zofia hopes readers take away from Born to Climb, and being a tiny spec on the timeline

1:53:00 – The existential sandwich

1:54:32 – Who should read Born to Climb, and where to buy it (see links in show notes)

1:58:21 – Time for a nap