Welcome to another empowering episode of the Female Guides Requested Podcast! This is your host Ting Ting from Las Vegas. Today we sit down with the incredibly inspiring Carol Simpson, a trailblazing climber and guide who is proving that age and societal expectations are meant to be challenged. Raised in the 1950s South where athleticism in women was heavily discouraged, Carol didn’t embrace her inner athlete until her late 20s. But once she did, there was no looking back.

At age 42, she found her life’s true passion in rock climbing, a discovery she describes as a profound moment of empowerment. Following her newfound calling, Carol moved out West and founded First Ascent at Smith Rock, which became the first-ever women owned guide service in the U.S. Now at 80 years old, she is still climbing, lifting heavy, running a yoga practice, and even actively training to break the world record for dead hangs for women over 80!

In this episode, we dive into Carol’s rebellious journey of defying gender norms, pioneering spaces for women in the outdoors, the absolute necessity of strength training as we age, and why it’s never too late to ignite your inner fire.

Carol's Bio:

Carol Simpson’s journey is a testament to resilience, reinvention, and the relentless pursuit of passion. Raised in the 1950s South, she broke away from traditional expectations, leaving an early marriage to earn her degree and launch a successful commercial interior design firm in Washington, D.C. After embracing a fiercely athletic lifestyle in her 30s—eventually becoming an ACE-certifiedpersonal trainer and yoga instructor—she discovered rock climbing at age 42, igniting her life's true passion.

Relocating to Bend, Oregon, in 1992, Carol pioneered new spaces for women in the outdoor industry. She founded First Ascent Climbing Services at Smith Rock, establishing the first female-owned, AMGA-accredited guide service. Long before it was an industry norm, she led all-female expeditionsacross the U.S. and created the weekly “Climb Like A Girl” group to help women discover personal empowerment on the wall.

Her own climbing achievements are equally remarkable. Her proudest ascents at Smith Rock include sending Latin Lover (5.12a) at age 53, and becoming the first woman over 50—at age 60—to lead the notoriously difficult overhanging crack, Whartley’s Revenge (5.11b). Now approaching 81, Carol still climbs three days a week, continuing to defy expectations and inspire climbers of all ages.

Carol’s Links:

• Email: csimpson1114@gmail.com
• Instagram: carolsimpsonclimbing

Quotes:

• “The first climb I did, it changed my life entirely. It gave me a message of empowerment. I think that’s the best word for it. Just ‘I can do this’ and it’s amazing.”
• “I was sort of corralled into what now has become the new thing, the trad wife. That’s what you did. But I’ve always been the rebellious one, and I went against a lot of things I was raised to believe.”
• “So I went big time in the opposite direction. It’s an inner fire. And I know that you know what I’m talking about. And the women listening to this know what that inner fire is because you have it.”
• “Today, women have muscles and it’s considered beautiful, and it was not… I absolutely think the women with the muscles look the best. It’s just beautiful.”
• “I still lift and I lift heavy. And that’s a very important thing for women who are getting older, because the single best example of strength is your grip strength beyond any other.”
• “I’m working now on my dead hangs and I’m up to a minute and a half… The world record is 2 minutes and 1 second for a woman over 80. So, I’m going for it.”
• “Climbing was me competing against myself and it still is. And I will never think about competing against someone your age, but I’ll sure compete with somebody who’s in their 80s.”

Show Notes:

Resources for Candidates and Providers:

• Scenario overview video
• Scoring rubric + guidance
• Updated SPI Program Handbook
• New textbook release (May 5): Rock Climbing: The Official AMGA Single Pitch Manual

Related Links:

• AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Page
• EP 20 – Everything SPI 01 – Professionalism and Risk Management
• EP 29 – Everything SPI 02 – Site Selection & Group Management
• EP 34 – Everything SPI 03 – Current SPI Eval System
• EP 38 – Everything SPI 04 – Teaching & Curriculum Design I
• Andrew Megas-Russell Instagram https://www.instagram.com/megas_sends/

Episode Intro:

Dear listeners of the Female Guides Requested Podcast, welcome back. This is your host Ting Ting from Las Vegas. Today in our fifth installment of the Everything SPI series, I am joined once again by Andrew Megas-Russell, the Climbing Instructor Program Manager of the AMGA, to break down the significant updates to the Single Pitch Instructor (SPI) exam that went into effect on January 1, 2026. The changes are designed to standardize and strengthen consistency across the country.

We explore the transition to a more standardized exam format, specifically the new 35-minute technical drill for top-managed skills and the updated instructional assessment component. Andrew explains the rationale behind moving away from volunteer mock clients in favor of a peer-based instructional model. This shift aims to foster richer professional development and allow for more complex teaching topics.

Additional topics in this episode include: Updated Résumé Requirements, Additional Resources and FAQs, and Tips for Success for SPI candidates.

Episode Intro

Dear listeners of the Female Guides Requested Podcast, welcome back. I am your host Ting Ting from Las Vegas. Today we sit down with Liz Schwab, an AMGA Apprentice Ski Guide and Nationally Registered Paramedic based in the Tetons. Liz’s journey is one of technical mastery and resilience, moving from the icy racing slopes of New York to the high-consequence backcountry of Silverton, Colorado.

In a moving and honest conversation, Liz opens up about a reality of the guiding industry rarely discussed: navigating grief. She shares how losing friends to mountain accidents shaped her methodical approach to risk, and speaks candidly about losing her partner to cancer. We explore how she leaned on community and took intentional 'baby steps' back into the alpine to heal.

Beyond her personal story, Liz offers invaluable advice for aspiring guides. She discusses the rewards of all-women’s mentorship and avalanche courses in breaking downintimidation. Finally, she shares grounded wisdom on maintaining a 'backup career' to avoid burnout and protect her soul-level passion for the outdoors. This episode is a beautiful look at finding peace, making hard assessments, and thriving in the industry. Let's dive in!

Liz's bio

Liz Schwab grew up ski racing in upstate New York. She attended college in Durango, CO, trading ski racing for competitive free skiing & ultimately graduating in 2014 witha Bachelors in Physiology and Adventure Education. She then moved to Silverton, CO where she became an EMT and started her avalanche education. Liz has been teaching avalanche courses for both AAA and AIARE programs for 10 years now. In 2020 Liz became a paramedic and worked full time for Silverton Medical Rescue, an EMS and SAR based agency. Liz participated in leading complex emergencyrescue scenes in the San Juan Mountains austere environment for several years before moving to Victor, Idaho in 2023. Liz now works as a guide, paramedic,WFR instructor and ski patroller at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.

Liz's link:

Instagram -

https://www.instagram.com/elizabetheskier/

Instagram

• "The ideal would be not to experience loss in the mountain... But the reality is it's quite common. I would just like to touch upon the way you can survive it and still continue in this career path but with a different approach and different perspective."
• "...all of a sudden it just rocked my world and really put things into perspective of what the reality of the mountains could be. It changed my approach massively really early on in my 20s."
• "...it's a really odd relationship to have thisenvironment that can take incredible humans out of your life but you keep finding yourself going back to those types of environments to also feel most at peace again."
• "I get to be in the mountains. I get to show otherpeople this place that really grounds me and, you know, is helping me survive a pretty massive trauma."
• "I think just like lowering your guard and being okay with people stepping in and telling you where to go and helping you figure out what your next employment opportunity looks like. It goes a really long way."
• "...doing these all women's female courses, it totally removes this level of just nervousness, anticipation. And when you can remove that, you can absorb so much more and you can ask, you can have the room to come up with questions in real time."
• "So I will tell these ladies both learn as much as youcan. If this is something you're passionate about, do it. But make sure that you're not gonna have to rely on it because it could ruin it for you."
• "Don't let fear stop you from pursuing the next thing you think you want to learn about. You'll find once you're in that setting, like, man, what was I so afraid of? ... Be curious and don't let fear drive you."