Alita Contreras - Woman Warrior

In the film Guerreras, Alita Contreras is shown preparing for a long, traversing rock route on a cliff in Columbia. Her dog by her side, Contreras mimes the moves, headphones on, eyes closed, meditating on what she's about to climb.  Contreras was born in Venezuela, but her Columbian father made sure to keep traditions from his home country alive during her upbringing. Today, she lives and climbs in Columbia and works as a translator and climbing coach.  In this conversation, she discusses the challenges of navigating identity after living in seven countries, and speaks to the incredible biodiversity and climbing communities found in Columbia. We also talk about her involvement in the making of Guerreras, a documentary that takes an intergenerational look at women climbers in Columbia.  Alita guides us through her tactics for visualization, and speaks to how being engaged in a climb is often the only way she can clear her mind of mental clutter.  This episode brought to you by Patagonia Host: Abbey Collins Producer & Engineer: Mike Horn Guest: Alita Contreras Subscribe to Alpinist Magazine