Hayley’s 7c+ journey from age 28 to 35

Hayley McKinney sent Night's Watch (7c+) last summer. ”13a – my first 5.13!! After four big back-to-back injuries and many, many months off, it felt SO damn good to clip the chains on this thing. Thoroughly enjoyed figuring out all the pieces of the (very intricate) puzzle. Took nine sessions in total, including two on TR solo. Sent fourth redpoint go, on a perfect – and rare – cold and windy July day.”

Can you tell us more about your climbing background and the video?
I started climbing when I was 28. Back then, I didn’t think sending 5.13 was something I’d ever experience (or 5.12, for that matter). But seven years later, I managed to do just that: send 5.13. And it felt… really big. But maybe not in the ways you’d expect. It wasn’t the send, or the grade, or even the route: it was all the things I learned along the way. So I made this video essay to try and capture a small piece of that. I hope it’s inspiring. Turns out passion, persistence, and hard work can actually take you pretty far – even without exceptional genetics or an early start.