Nicky Dyal

Hometown: Berkeley, California
Age: 27
In it: 16 years
Proudest sends: Talk to me next year
Sponsors: Five Ten and Bluewater

Warm-blooded American males should be looking forward to December 2010. That’s the month that Nicky Dyal, 27, will be gracing their walls in Sharp End Publishing’s annual “Women of Climbing” calendar. As cover girl for the calendar in 2008, Dyal returns in 2010, representing East Coast climbers as a daughter of the Gunks. Now living on the West Coast in San Francisco, Dyal leads a fun and spontaneous lifestyle working for a think tank six months out of the year, and no doubt climbing the rest of the time. As a serial couch crasher, Dyal splits her sleeping time between her boss’s basement, her VW Golf, and friends’ houses around the Bay Area.

What was it like growing up climbing in the Gunks and then moving across the States to the West Coast mentality and lifestyle? Before I moved to California in 2005, I had never even tried to lead anything harder than 5.7 trad. I had never climbed cracks or gone sport climbing. It was such a relief to be done with school, move closer to the ocean, and fi nally realize that my life was mine to spend however I chose. Before that, my dad had handed me my relationship with climbing: be humble, go every weekend, and don’t try too hard. California climbers know how to drive long distances. They are surly locals and are quite serious about their sends — a far cry from the soft weekend warriors I knew growing up. Ultimately, I want to end up the right mix of East and West, practicing fun and humility, realizing that the hardest thing is embodying my own strength.

Where’s your favorite place to climb? I just got back from a second trip to Kalymnos, Greece. I really love climbing upside down on tufas. I love it there because of the sea and easy lifestyle, but as for a favorite place, I’m always changing my mind. I grew up climbing at the Gunks, and I hope to climb there when I’m 80. Our planet is big and beautiful; how could I really choose?

What do you do in San Francisco? My job is hard to describe; I sort of work for a think tank. We take long lunches and brainstorm, but I told them I would work for them if I could do it just six months a year. Sometimes I take my coworkers on mandatory climbing expeditions. Everyone tries to back out until my boss reminds them that the trip is mandatory. It’s really fun/hilarious/ inspiring to watch these investment bankers put down their Blackberries and enjoy a weekday in nature. They get calm, happy, humble, and surprised that there is so much beauty so close to their office life.

What’s a normal day in the life of Nicky Dyal look like? Every day is super different. I would like to change that. For now, I wake up and decide which mountains I will climb — metaphorically or literally. I prefer the real ones. Here is a sample adventure day: sunrise wakeup, skitch bike ride to Tomate Café in Berkeley for a cucumber avocado smoothie, soft top surfing in Pacifica, outside dance party in Golden Gate Park, free samples for lunch at Whole Foods, 110-degree hot tub, doughnuts at Kingpin, sugar-high dance party in my car, crashing on a couch. That’s as normal as my days get.

How do you like being a repeat calendar girl (and having shown up on so many message board lists as being one of the most attractive female climbers ever)? I’ve learned a lot from seeing my body all over the place and Googling my own name. The first time I saw my picture in print, I was too shy to even buy a copy to save and send home to my parents. Jim Thornburg, my boyfriend at the time, lovingly convinced me that I would want to show my grandkids how badass I once had been. He taught me so many deep lessons about my relationship with climbing and my body—he genuinely loves women AND rock climbing! I used to be really scared of the sexy side of it all, fearing that sexy could never be strong. Now I am happy to believe in something different: sexiness is alive-ness, passion, wind in my hair, and sunshine on my cheeks. All climbers thrive on this awesome feeling.