Climbing in Motherhood with Paige Claassen

Paige and her husband continue to adapt their climbing focused lifestyle around Larkin and other family. Since Larkin was born and this article was first published Paige and the family have been on many adventures together and both parents are learning the true power of the word "ADAPT." 

1. Their 3-week roadtrip to Bishop last year was an exciting one where Paige sent on of her projects, Karate 5.14c/d. This also includes the newly added joys, some more joyous than others, of traveling with a toddler like, hand, foot-mouth disease going around the family, playing in dirt, rope-swinging for the Larkin, meeting up with Emily Harrington and her family at the crag, taking turns watching the little ones, the ever-changing weather conditions, lots of smiles, and much more!

2. Paige's words about their Pine Creek trip - "I arrived at Pine Creek with two projects on my two-do list, no clear childcare/climbing partner plan, and completely overwhelmed. It was immediately clear I'd bitten off more than I could tackle. After some intense emotions, my husband reminded me we are here to see a new place as a family and spend time together. 

I decided I would drop one objective and focus on time with my family. I observed a transformation in Larkin from unhappy baby who screamed a lot to a content toddler with a big personality. We extended the trip a day for me to give one last attempt and I fired this beautiful line on my final burn of the day."

Paige is learning that adapting is a big part of traveling with a young child and to keep big, but realistic goals. We all can take from this the ability to find the joy in EVERY moment even when plans change, or things don't go quite as planned.

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Climbing in Motherhood: How Paige Claassen Sent 5.14b as a New Mom

Paige Claassen, professional climber for La Sportiva and PhysiVantage Nutrition, clipped the chains on Slice of Time (14b) in Colorado’s Eldorado Canyon her first big send after giving birth to her daughter, Larkin. “It’s probably the most fulfilled I’ve ever felt after topping a project,” says Claassen. The route no doubt presented a challenge for her as a climber that’s well worth being proud of. But the real satisfaction comes from how her experience with Slice of Time came to represent her journey back to climbing as a new mom. 

“Slice of Time is this beautiful route that doesn’t get much attention,” Claassen describes. “I went for it because it was close to home so I wouldn’t be far from Larkin, and it catered to my strengths. The route demands a lot of body tension, body awareness, and trust—all things that speak to me. It was still challenging and intimidating, but something I could see myself doing and could help rebuild a foundation of confidence.”  

Claassen took care to pick the right route for her venture back into hard projecting. She needed something that inspired her and tapped into her strengths, which Slice of Time hit the mark on. But she also knew that pregnancy and childbirth had done a number on her body. Certain styles of climbing weren’t yet in the cards for her, and a safe return to the rock meant respecting those limitations. 

“Just like coming back from an injury, it’s important to pick climbs that won’t aggravate your body in the wrong way,” explains Claassen. “Slice of Time worked for me because it’s only slightly overhanging and depends more on body positioning than anything super dynamic or powerful, so it wouldn’t pose a risk to my postpartum body.”

From there, Slice of Time launched Claassen into a transformation that went way beyond the physical. Yes, the climb helped restore her fitness and take steps back toward peak climbing condition. But Claassen expected the physical challenges she’d face in the aftermath of childbirth. “I knew my body wouldn’t be the exact same, and that was ok,” Claassen emphasizes. “I prepared myself to have reasonable expectations, be patient with myself, and listen to my body as it readjusted.”

What she didn’t expect was the mental readjustment that would be involved. For the first few months of Larkin’s life, Claassen and her husband Arjan de Kock found themselves understandably low on energy and drive. Claassen remembers that “it was hard to devote energy to anything but her…so it felt easier to avoid setting goals because I was just in survival mode.” 

The initial stages of Slice of Time required Claassen to unearth her passion for climbing, something she wasn’t used to doing. “I’d forgotten how climbing energizes me for the rest of my life. I’m usually so motivated that it just comes naturally. It took getting on Slice of Time for me to remember how important climbing is to my foundation.” 

Her first day on the route was also her first away from her daughter. Claassen felt immediately overwhelmed by the experience of being out climbing all day without her, and worried about how she’d fare throughout the transition. But with each passing day, she felt more and more comfortable—both on the wall and away from Larkin. 

“It was interesting to see how being apart from her was such a big deal in the beginning but got consistently easier,” reflects Claassen. “I got to the point where I could trust she would be ok and I would feel more and more of a boost of energy from going out. That’s when I started to feel more like myself on the wall.”

Claassen found all sorts of links between climbing and parenthood while working on Slice of Time. Nothing is linear in either, she realized. “You’re never just always improving steadily in climbing, no matter how much effort you put in. It’s the same in parenting. There will be so many ups and downs, and they won’t always make sense, but what matters is that you keep trying and keep going.”

Making connections between the two most important aspects of her life opened Claassen’s eyes to how climbing makes her a better parent. The chance to “tap out” for a while and focus on something meaningful besides parenting allowed her to refill the patience tank and bring her best self back home to her family. It also reminded her to slow down and appreciate the little wins along the way. In both climbing and motherhood, Claassen has come to find, there’s never much of an end goal. Everything moves quickly. If you don’t stop to celebrate the milestones, they’ll pass right by. 

Ultimately, Claassen advises new mothers not to underestimate the physical or mental challenge of returning to climbing. “I’ve been climbing for 23 years,” Claassen emphasizes. “I know my body really well. Climbing is like walking for me. I also put a lot of effort into core strength when I was pregnant and found ways to push myself before Larkin came along. But even given that, I still set really strict boundaries for myself coming back to it, no matter what I thought was right or how I used to feel. I had to pay special attention to how my body felt and be careful to distinguish between what just felt weird and what felt wrong.”

No new mother will be the same as she was before, neither in climbing nor in life. Claassen reminds us that comparison to your past self is nothing but a quick road to disappointment. It’s important to find your new normal and use that as your benchmark moving forward. It’s the best way to make a safe return to climbing, for your own sake as well as your new family’s. 

Parenthood comes with an unrelenting stream of challenges. So does climbing, in its own way. But they’re both something that people choose for the challenges, not in spite of them. Let Claassen’s send spur you on to keep chasing your own. 

>> Watch LOVE | A Short-Film about Motherhood, Strength, and Climbing <<

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Paige's Favorite PhysiVāntage