While we worked with the author Susan E.B. Schwartz on her feature on what it’s like to be a climbing mom, we learned that her research was so thorough (and elucidating) that it would have been remiss not to share her other conclusions with readers. The following info is distilled from more than 75 survey responses and 12-plus hours of phone interviews. 

Three Tips from Climbing Moms

1. Be realistic: By not putting expectations on your climbing, you’re less likely to get frustrated or take unnecessary risks. You’ll also have more fun if you cut down on your grade, place more pro, and revisit classics you’ve climbed many times before.
2. Shift focus: Channel your drive to the most family-friendly types of climbing, such as bouldering or sport climbing.
3. Take a break: When your children are young, consider taking up other activities that give a similar sense of adventure, discovery, and peace but require less time. 

Four Famous Climbing Moms Weigh In

1. Big-wall climber Jacqueline Florine, who made the first (and only) female solo ascent of the Nose; married to Nose speedster Hans Florine and mom to Marianna, 7, and Pierce, 5: “I married this hotshot climber and now we never get to climb! I need to keep myself healthy so we can climb when we’re old codgers tootling about in a trailer. I also remind myself that I’m putting in the time with the children now so that we create a functional family and enjoy the whole process.” 
2. Mountaineer Kitty Calhoun, who made several first-female ascents of 8,000-meter peaks; mom to Grady, 12: “Once you’re born, you enter a world of risk. It’s part of life and what makes life exciting. There’s a lot to climbing besides the obvious, such as dealing with fear. … Life is not about the situation but how we deal with it.” 
3. Nancy Feagin, one of the top all-around American woman climbers of the 1990s; mom to Connor, 4: “If I were in my 20s and 30s without a child, I’d do what I did in climbing all over again. It was my passion. I couldn’t have lived behind a desk then. Now, it’s just not acceptable to me to consciously take risks that might get me severely injured or killed. I don’t want as much risk in my life now.” 
4. Lynn Hill, climbing icon; mom to Owen, 5: “Despite the inherent risks of climbing, I still love to climb and I never plan to give it up just because I’m a mother. However, I am much more selective about the risks I take. …One of the biggest challenges of motherhood has to do with juggling my time between work, climbing, and the daily responsibilities of raising a child. But whatever climbs and travels I might have missed during the formative years of my son's life are small sacrifices compared to the love and richness Owen brings, and hopefully will contribute to others as part of the future generation."