Amber Smith: Getting Consent on El Cap - A Story

Getting Consent on El Cap was written by Amber Smith and originally published on the Broad Beta website in June of 2026 (visit the link to see photos!). Amber shares her past hesitations about climbing El Cap, and how she eventually overcame them with a successful ascent of Lurking Fear. We love how she articulates her questions and fear about this endeavor. Amber is a Certified Rock Guide with the AMGA and has been guiding for over a decade. The first half of her career was spent in the North Cascades, where she climbed, guided, and skied many of the Cascade volcanoes via multiple routes. Later, she based herself in Yosemite National Park, where she climbed and guided hundreds of iconic granite multi-pitch routes. Amber climbs at the 5.12 grade on both traditional and sport routes across limestone, granite, and sandstone. But most importantly, she believes these accomplishments don’t define her as a climber. Over the course of her career, Amber has developed tools not only to perform, but to enjoy climbing. Through her business, the Embodied Climbing School, she teaches these tools to help others cultivate joy, presence, and confidence in their climbing. Check out Amber's business the Embodied Climbing School Follow her adventures and offerings @embodiedclimbingschool - Recorded and produced by Cat Coe Music by Holizna Radio (intro) and Kirk Osamayo (conclusion). All music sourced from freemusicarchive.org. www.broadbeta.com