Petzl calls Margo Hayes’ climbing style “poetry in motion.” But I think that’s a crap description because most poetry sucks, and Margo is so damn good.
And the best climbing area in the world to hone those capacities might be her home crag: Rifle.
The limestone power factory is Colorado’s most legendary sport climbing spot for a good reason. Randomly shaped holds jut from the slippery, cave-like surfaces at wild angles, plastered on routes that wander everywhere.
So-called “three-dimensional” climbing and Margo Hayes go together like peas and carrots. See for yourself in this semi-biographical clip. You’d also be right to describe Hayes’ personality as multidimensional: The Boulderite is far from your typical rock jock.
“Honestly, my memories are my sister’s flip-flop getting lost in the river,” Hayes says in the video, laughing.
Well, that and climbing at The Arsenal, she adds — otherwise known as Rifle’s biggest stage.
Runtime: 8.5 minutes
