THE RETURN //

Sponsors: Arc’teryx, La Sportiva, Sanuk, and ProBar

Proudest sends: (all in Utah) The Present (5.14a), Gorilla Cliffs; Master Blaster (5.13c/d trad), Zion; Joe Six Pack (5.13a; amnesia onsight on my 28th birthday), Virgin River Gorge

Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Lauren Lee, 29, has been in the climbing game for over a decade. In that time, she’s graced the covers of many a climbing mag, and appeared in several vids, including Big Game and Herakleia. Today, Lee lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with her boyfriend, the photographer Keith Ladzinski. Outside of climbing, she says she likes “pretty much anything that consists of having fun.” [Same here! —UC] After stepping back from climbing for a few years in 2005, she returned to the sport in 2007, full of psyche. We’re psyched to have her back!

You were pretty visible as a pro climber for a while, then you weren’t so visible….What happened?
I stepped away [from climbing] for two years. I had a lot of stuff going on. My boyfriend . . . at the time we’d been together for seven years, and we were splitting up. I went back to school; I was dabbling in different classes, trying to get it together and fi gure out what I really was after, because a lot of my climbing was inspired by him at that time. I was like, “Is this really what I want to do?” and, “Am I capable of doing this on my own?”

So that explains why you didn’t appear in the media for a while. . . .
Yeah. I just wanted a break from the limelight. I didn’t want to be seen — I wanted to back away from everything, to allow myself time to fi nd some meaning in climbing and just be free to enjoy it for what it is.

So did you come to any conclusions?
For me, the breakup was really great. . . . I had used the relationship as a crutch. I would have Jorge set up topropes for me, or hang quickdraws for things I wanted to try. When we split, I was like, “Shit, I’m on my own . . . I have to fi nd projects, I have to hang quickdraws.” But I did a lot of that with other girls, and a lot of girls were reliant on me. I think more than anything, I fi gured out what [climbing] meant to me. Most people thought I quit climbing because I didn’t care for it, but in reality I ended up wanting to climb more than before. That season in 2007 was the fi rst time I climbed 5.14.

When I spoke to you about a year ago, you said you wanted to get into trad and ice climbing. Have you done that?
Not much ice, but I’ve been doing some trad. I took a trip to Indian Creek last year for three days and worked really hard on placing gear and feeling comfortable with it. Then I met a girl looking for a partner for Moonlight Buttress. We made a deal: I’d lead the hard pitches and she’d lead the scary ones. I actually had to fall on my gear a few times . . . and it held! You have to put yourself in those experiences, so you can learn. It’s just a process, and it’s not one you can shortcut.

What’s it like dating a photographer?
Is Keith constantly taking pictures of you? Yeah, I end up being his subject from time to (I have an amazing personal album of photos.) It’s been a unique experience to have someone as motivated for something as I am for climbing.

I remember you did a video for Climb X Media back in the day about training and fitness for climbing — are you still into that kind of stuff?
I remember that. It was a “Pro Tips” . . . that was a Mike Call thing. A lot of that tip came from when I was a gymnast and played soccer. That was my thing at that time — I mostly climbed on plastic, and I was competing. I was on crazy diets, too: no sugar, no caffeine, no alcohol, nothing. But I get the most out of my climbing when I allow it to be fun and don’t make it a job.

There seem to be a lot of opinions about the role of sex or sexiness in climbing. As a strong woman climber, do you have any thoughts on that?
I met with a lot of adversity showing up in little sports bras and shorts. As the years have progressed, I’ve been more interested in function over fashion . . . . it’s nice to look sexy, but it can be pushed a little far — some of the young girls today are pushing it a little far. But as long as nobody gets emotionally scarred, then I guess it’s like, whatever. Granted, I’m always psyched when I see my girlfriends in magazines looking super sexy.

Do you have a five-year plan?
A five-year plan? No. When I get to the point where climbing isn’t a career anymore, I’ll return to school. Until then, my plan is to climb some really cool stuff in really amazing places.