Bonus Episode: BroadBeta
In this bonus episode, I chat with Jeannie Wall (she/her) and Cat Coe (she/her) about an idea that came to life. Jeannie co-founded BroadBeta, which aims to "embolden women through shared stories to embrace wild ideas, wild experiences, and preserve the wildness." She is a world-class skier and ultra runner, and, in her early 50s, began to tackle some of her biggest climbs, including Monte Fitz Roy and the Nose on El Capitan. Jeannie is passionate about inspiring women and female-identifying individuals to discover and be their authentic selves, especially in the backcountry. She loves organizing and hosting in-person BroadCast events, which create an in-person and interactive safe space for attendees to share their experiences.
Cat, who produces the Broad Beta podcast, has been climbing since her 20s in the Tetons and Indian Creek. She spent decades working within the outdoor industry, guiding alpine climbing, mountaineering, horsepacking, and backpacking expeditions. In the episode, she discusses how, as a guide, her relevance and role were clearly defined in the industry. Then, when Cat transitioned to nursing, she experienced grief about losing her place within the outdoor community. BroadBeta provided the perfect opportunity to reconnect with her climbing roots and allowed her to share her story with others.
At first, BroadBeta started as a platform to share resources with other women and quickly grew to include gear reviews, professional tips, food and nutrition resources, a podcast, events, and, most importantly, a space to share stories. In an industry where women and genderqueer individuals are excluded and not equal to their male counterparts, BroadBeta hopes to flip this narrative by interviewing female-identifying athletes from all skill levels and walks of life. Jeannie discusses how, too often, women are taught to "toughen up" and "be like the guys" and that, for example, nobody talks about being an athlete going through menopause or other specific body changes and challenges. Through authentic conversations, their goal is to bolster confidence and encourage women and queer climbers, share challenges openly and honestly, and preserve the beauty of our natural world.
“When you empower women, you change the world!” - Jeannie
Tune into this bonus episode to hear more about BroadBeta!
Co-founder Leslie Gains-Germain was also a guest on The Sharp End in 2019 in Episode 46: Pitching In: Group Rescue on Hallett Peak. Click below to listen to her story!
Episode 46: Pitching In: Group Rescue On Hallett Peak
Margie Root and her husband were attempting the classic Culp-Bossier Route up the steep north face of Colorado's Hallett Peak. When Margie broke a hold on the run-out fifth pitch, she fell at least 50 or 60 feet and sustained several injuries. Luckily, a group of good friends, including Leslie Gains-Germain, were climbing nearby. In Episode 46 of the Sharp End, Margie and Leslie (both expert climbers) explain how this group worked together to execute a fast and effective self-rescue.The Sharp End is presented by Mammut, with additional support from Colorado Outward Bound School and Suunto. This podcast is produced by the American Alpine Club.
