emmeline wang

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Name: Emmeline Wang (Em)

Pronouns: She/her/hers

Hometown: Fremont, CA

Where do you currently live? Salt Lake City, UT

Age: 29

Passionate about: Trad and sport climbing

What types of outdoor activities did you do with your family when you were growing up? We went camping a lot in Yosemite when I was younger although I didn’t care for it. My mom, my sister and I would go to Yosemite a few times each year. It was car camping with the massive family-sized tents. I think my mom just wanted to take us out to experience the outdoors so we could connect more deeply with nature. 

How many years have you been climbing and what got you into it? 

I’ve been climbing for almost four years. I basically started climbing in a gym right after college while visiting home. I played two sports in college, cross country and softball, on a full scholarship. After graduating I was trying to find sports to keep my active lifestyle up. I tried CrossFit and GoRuck, however, neither really resonated with me. I had gone to climbing gyms when I was a lot younger—for birthday parties—but this time around I actually fell in love with it. 

After you started climbing, what kept you in the sport? It was definitely the community. Climbing has taught me so much like how to live with less and be in a community of friends who have my back. I think climbing outside for the first time was what really sold it for me. 

One weekend, while I was living in the Bay Area, my friends were like let's go climbing. I remember how much fun—not just climbing but sharing snacks and beta on this one bouldering route. I guess it ties back to the community piece. 

All my climbing partners are also close friends. I think climbing and friendship go hand in hand. I couldn’t imagine having a climbing partner who was not a friend—especially on ropes, you’re trusting that person with your life. You want to have someone who is more than an acquaintance. 

Where do you like to climb outside? I don’t have a climbing project at the moment. My favorite climbing area is Little Cottonwood Canyon. I stepped into trad climbing this past season and that area has been my favorite. I love the easy access—it’s so close to home—and I love being able to get outside right after work. 

Do you have any climbing projects at the moment?

I have this one 5.13a project I’m working on in American Fork called Naked Knuckle. That’s 40 mins from Salt Lake City. I climb 5.12 in sport, there’s no way I’m climbing 5.12 in trad—especially in Little Cotton or Yosemite where the climbs have been established for so long—even some of the 5.7 or 5.8 climbs can be very spicy. 

Are there any sends that you feel especially proud of?

There’s an 11d in American Forks called Division. That’s one of my proudest climbs. It’s not the hardest climb I’ve ever done before but it taught me a lot about process. It’s not about success or finishing the climb. Where you find value in climbing is the process - facing your fears, facing your own character, facing your demons to pursue and push past your boundaries. 

What about climbing is meaningful to you? It’s been the chance to connect with myself and connect more intimately with nature while becoming an environmental advocate. I’m on the communications team with the Salt Lake Climbers Alliance, the local nonprofit out here preserving climbing areas in the Wasatch region. We work on different campaigns. 

Has that changed over time? Absolutely. When I first started, like most climbers, I wanted to chase the grade and climb hard. Although that’s still relevant today, climbing for me has evolved. At first, it seemed like an escape from everyday life and stress. It has transformed into something that helps me find some of the answers I seek in life. Should I take this new job? How should I talk about this hard situation with a friend?

Did you meet your partner through climbing? We met through a Bay Area Climbers Coalition event. We climbed together as friends for a few months before we started dating. When I met her, I was like, let’s climb together outside all the time.

Do you have any climbing role models?

I definitely look up to Margo Hayes, she’s a big proponent of standing up for the environment and her grace and humility in climbing really inspire me. 

Training

I haven't done a lot of climbing specific training exercises. For me, training is about really building flexibility and that mental space. Yoga is a big part of my climbing training. It has helped me develop my mental game on the wall and improve flexibility.