Community Ties: Chuck Odette
Beta for Being chatted with Chuck Odette, who has sustained an incredible climbing career and is still going strong at age 70. Chuck and his wife Maggie are ambassador athletes for Petzl, Physivantage, Send Climbing, and Evolv. Follow Chuck’s adventures on his blog, The Gravity Chronicles, and on Instagram @chuck.odette.
Amanda: When did you start climbing, and why?
Chuck: I was first inspired by a 1950's Disney movie "Banner In The Sky” that I saw in second grade. It was a fictional mountaineering movie and it had a deep impact on me.
After high school, I went to Central Michigan University as physical education major. I took an outdoor recreation class that had a ropes course…it required technical gear use, which I found intriguing.
The instructor noted my interest and told me about a Wilderness Use Education Association (WUEA) course being held the following summer in the Tetons in Wyoming. I enrolled, and spent six amazing weeks in the wilderness learning about back country travel, minimum impact camping, glacier travel, rock climbing, mountaineering, orienteering and basic survival skills.
This was 1979, I was 23 and there was no turning back. I had found my life's passion.
Amanda: So once you tried it, what made climbing “stick” for you?
Chuck: When you find your true passion it has a way of capturing you. Climbing taught me lessons about life that have allowed me to live fully and peacefully in the moment. It's a meaningless pursuit, but I cannot think of anything I'd rather be doing than climbing silly rocks.
“It’s a meaningless pursuit, but I cannot think of anything I’d rather be doing than climbing silly rocks.”
Amanda: Which climbing disciplines are your favorites and why?
Chuck: I started out with climbing mountains, mainly. Eventually I discovered that I really enjoyed the more difficult rock pitches. A partner in the Tetons recognized my desire and told me to check out this place called City of Rocks in Idaho.
A couple of weeks later we were there doing nothing but rock pitches and skipping all the slogging and logistics typical of mountaineering.
I was hooked. I still did a few mountains afterwards, but rock climbing became my primary focus. When sport climbing started catching on, it hooked me in even more. I love gymnastic rock climbing movement.
Even now at age 70, I enjoy every moment of being athletic, alive and able to climb!
Amanda: What is one thing, in your opinion, that new climbers overlook that would help them improve faster?
Chuck: Climbing is a hugely athletic endeavor. True athletes take good care of their bodies. Proper nutrition, precise training, and getting adequate rest are all essential components. Climbing is also an extremely mental activity. Meditation, positive thoughts, and focus on being in the moment are equally important.
Recognizing these critical components took a long time for me. The sooner that young aspiring climbing athletes master this knowledge, the faster they’ll see progression.
Amanda: What are some things you've done throughout the years to stay healthy and climb well? How has this changed over time?
Chuck: Understanding proper nutrition was a real game changer for me. In my late 30s, I discovered the importance of balanced macronutrients — I followed the Zone diet by Dr. Barry Sears — and I jumped from climbing 13- to climbing 13+ in a single season.
Amanda: Tell me about a climber you look up to.
Chuck: There are so many inspiring climbers. First and foremost, my wife Maggie is a constant inspiration to me. She's a 5.14 crusher and she's truly my better half! I've also admired the following climbers (many are also friends!) — Chris Sharma, Dave Graham, Adam Ondra, the entire Raboutou family, Daniel Woods, Sean McColl, Sasha DiGulian, Joe Kinder, the entire Horst family, Sonnie Trotter and so many more are all constant inspirations to me.
Some of the slightly older inspirations include Lynn Hill, Todd Skinner, Reinhold Messner, Jeff Lowe, Alex Lowe, Greg Child, Chris Bonnington, Wolfgang Güllich, Yuji Hirayama, Dai Koyamada, Merrill Bitter, Lee Sheftel, Nancy Feagin and so many more!
Amanda: Tell me about one of your most memorable climbs.
Chuck: In the mountains, a 1990 ascent of the Cassin Ridge of Denali was unforgettable. It was the biggest thing I had ever attempted. It took 11 days. Six of those days were spent waiting for weather to clear. Near the summit we had winds of 60 mph and temps of -20 f. Climbing T-Rex (5.14b) was also incredibly rewarding. It was a route that I had once thought would be impossible for me to do at any age, let alone at age 64.
Amanda: What frustrates you the most about climbing?
Chuck: I see a lot of aspiring young climbers who haven't educated themselves about the importance of understanding the fragile nature of our shared outdoor environment. Littering, wandering off-trail, blasting loud music at the crag, not supporting The Access Fund, not supporting their local climbing coalition and scamming campsites by not paying fees for overnight stays are just a few of the poor behaviors I've observed in recent years. I do my best to help educate when I can!
Amanda: What’s something climbing-related that you would have done differently if you could go back in time?
Chuck: I would have been a lot less serious about performance and grades. Climbing is supposed to be fun! In my early years, I was a little too driven. I still like the challenge of improving, but I have learned to let go of the outcome which in turn allows for a positive result organically. Makes the journey a lot more fun.
Amanda: What are your climbing goals or vision for the future?
Chuck: Right now, I'm working on rebuilding after a year long recovery from shoulder replacement surgery. I've repeated a couple of 5.13- routes so far this year. I'm hoping to do a couple of harder 5.13s this season which may (or may not?) be an age record. Herman Gollner repeated Pump-O-Rama (5.13a) in Rifle at age 70, which was considered the oldest for that grade maybe 6 or 7 years ago? No one really keeps track of geezer records!
Amanda: But they should!
Chuck: I'm also in need of a hip replacement. I'm hoping to wait until October for it. It'll be a race and dependent upon the power of cortisone injections, ugh. The things we do for our passions!
