Girl on the Rocks: A Woman's Guide To Climbing With Strength, Grace, And Courage

by Katie Brown, Ben Moon (Photographer)

Girl on the Rocks is designed to inspire women intrigued by the sport, but intimidated by its male dominance and stereotype as "extreme;" to instruct women on technique, strength, and mental agility from a woman's perspective; and to empower women to climb harder and with more courage. Written for any woman interested or involved in the sport, Girl on the Rocks will inspire, instruct, and empower women of all ages and ability to get psyched and climb on.

Genres: Climbing, Nonfiction, Outdoors, Sports, Womens, Rock Climbing, Personal Development

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Katie Brown is the young woman Rock & Ice magazine dubbed “The Best Female Climber of the Millennium.” An influential and groundbreaking climber among both genders, she began climbing at age thirteen and quickly dominated competition at the national and international levels. Now in her mid-twenties, she is a freelance writer and the author of Vertical World (FalconGuides).

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Rest is something that is often overlooked, but it is of the utmost importance to a training program. In some ways, rest is actually more important than the actual training. . . . If you climb again before you are fully recovered, you will not be able to acquire all the benefits of your earlier training session. Repeating this mistake will then actually result in a loss of performance ability. If you climb again at the exact point of recovery from the last training session, your performance will plateau." pg 114

This resource also has a nice glossary in the back of the text to introduce readers to climbing terminology.

[Simplymegy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. I’ve no doubt that this book would be quite useful for a somewhat advanced outdoor climber. It also quite a beautiful book with stunning pictures of magnificent rocks. However, as a rookie AND a boulderer, I did not gain much advice apart from making sure you step on the rock with your toes pointing upwards rather than downwards-as this means you have more rubber smeared on the wall. Needless to say, it was still an enjoyable read.

[Lauren Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll review this from a new climbers perspective. It’s really informative. I can see how more seasoned folks might find it repetitive. However, I learned new terms, grasped some words of wisdom. And I look forward to climbing outdoors one day! I’ve been to my climbing gym 4 times now, so I feel like this book is for super new climbers. Definitely gave me some perspective on my perfectionism and my fear. Great book.

[Michelle Corder · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a technique that was mentioned in the book that I tried that really helped a bouldering problem I have been working on. I also enjoyed reading the various interviews and the influence climbing has had on each person’s life. I did however feel a bit lost at times with some of the stories as they were too technical for someone who is relatively new to the sport.

[Kristine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative! Hopefully one day I'll be able to revisit this and use some of the techniques for lead climbing/advanced training, but for now I am thankful for the information and encouragement that this book gives me as a female who is interested in a heavily male-dominated sport/hobby.

[Carly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty weak climbing book if you've already been climbing or have read any other climbing training books. Felt more like general climbing advice rather than female-specific training advice. I enjoyed reading stories from different female climbers though.

[Tess Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely want to reread. Thought it would be more of a memoir, but was instead more of an intro instruction guide. Had some great points about overcoming fears, and practical info I'd like to refer back to for technique.

[Jayme · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought it was time to dust this one off since I've finally started learning to climb...as one does in their mid thirties! I thought it was a great beginner guide that provides an overview of terminology, gear, and techniques for different types of climbing. The book also went beyond the strictly technical and spoke to climbing from a female perspective, from both the author and through the story inserts from other female climbers sprinkled throughout the book. Really refreshing for a still very male dominated sport.

[Raven · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up hoping for a female-specific guide to rock climbing, since there are often places where I find that what works for my body isn't what works for my male climbing buddies' body. I should have flipped through a bit more before picking it up; this is an introductory book that I would have gotten a lot more out of five years ago when I started. For what it is it's not bad, and I did learn something from it (stand on a slab, don't lean into it, stay over your feet!), and I loved all the photos of female climbers. There were a couple things that might be helpful to a less feminist audience, but were annoying to me, like the author's story about going climbing with a female friend and getting stuck and realizing that there was no boy to save them. Um. Isn't the point of a book like this that you're not supposed to be looking for one? Just do your thing! (She is young.) Similarly, the comment about how climbing can help you be thin and have a lean shaped body rather than bulking up in an unsightly fashion was kinda Cosmo. But these were small things in what is overall a decent introductory text for women new to the idea of climbing who might be nervous about it.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic must-read book for any woman just starting out in rock climbing. I've been climbing for maybe 10 months, so some of the really basic stuff I skimmed over, but the focus of the book is more about the climbing mentality and sharing the experiences of women who climb. So much of what's out there in the climbing world is written by men - it's not that women don't do a lot of the same things (obviously, there are only so many ways to climb), but the truth is that men and women have different bodies and that in our culture, as Katie says, we are taught to deal with our fears and approach the world in different ways. As awe inspiring as it can be to watch powerful male climbers, as a woman it doesn't make me feel like it's something I can aspire to - I'll never have muscles or raw power like a man can develop! While I certainly see female climbers out there, the fact remains that, like many sports, it's heavily male dominated much of the time, and Katie's book made me feel like a bit less like the odd woman out.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in the kindle version and the formatting was actually pretty good, considering it's optimized for the Kindle DX, which has a larger screen.

The book itself is great and I highly recommend it for climbers, especially women. I skimmed over some of the trad climbing parts since I'm really just climbing in the gym right now. I may have to pick up the paper version so I can see the photos better!

I really appreciated the fact that Katie Brown talks a lot about her own fears and facing them. I have always been afraid of heights and when I learned to climb over 15 years ago, it was a challenge, but when I was able to get past that fear and climb anyway, it felt great. I think that feeling of accomplishment is what brought me back to climbing this year. If you are woman and getting started with rock climbing or thinking about it, read this book!

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Girl on the Rocks is an absolutely fabulous book for beginner and advanced rock climbers, espcially of the female gender. Being a female rock climber myself, I found so many great little tidbits of imformation and inspirational ideas that I found myself going back more than once to read them. Katie Brown does a wonderful job relating to the beginner, and well as sharing wisdom for the seasoned climber. I wish I had known about this book and the courage it proclaims and encourages when I first started climbing. It is a must read for girls, espeically of the younger generation who are starting to get into the world of climbing!

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

best to pick this up while just starting out, but she has many good photos of different climbing positions (especially for trad) that are nice to see spelled out and to consider. It was nice to see what I'm doing and put a name to it or have the move consciously available to think of on the rock rather than just do what feels right. Her anecdotes are entertaining but the interspersed profiles are painfully cheesy. All in all, I think the book psyched me up about climbing--although I won't be onsiting any 13a's anytime soon like Katie!

[Jacquelyn Core · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a love hate relationship with this book. It's the second time I have read it, and it's chock full of plenty of technical knowledge but tends to do more toward reminding you how much you don't know than really helping or inspiring you to do more. Same feeling at the end as last time "well, I'll never be able to do that." Makes it seem like a full time job to get better. "Don't be afraid to take at least a week off and to do this several times a year," she says. Not a very realistic approach for recreational climbers.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Katie Brown is a phenomenal climber and I was hoping to learn a few tips to incorporate into my climbing, but this book turned out to be more of a "You go, girl!" encouragement fest/climbing introduction for women. I enjoyed looking at the great climbing pictures (no thanks to the loser who tore out 3 pages in my library copy) and the sample training program, but really didn't need the pep talk.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's an motivational book for women who rock climb. It nice to see that Katie and other rock climbers out there have the same irrational fears that I do, but are able to overcome them and enjoy the sport. Book also gives some good basic tips for beginners. Overall, a very easy read with amazing pictures.

[Kerry Sparks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good book. Lots of ideas to overcome fear and areas of weakness in climbing. Address some of the physical differences between men and women in relation to climbing. Could have done without the interviews, but that's just my opinion. Good tips on training for strength and endurance while in the gym. Though nothing replaces real rock for gaining skill.

[Leanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for a female climber who is just getting started. Katie Brown is inspirational, as she talks about how she first became interested in climbing, her fears, and things she has overcome as a rock climber. There are a few technical sections, as well as tips on how to overcome fears and become a better climber.

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Easy to read, touches on a few key elements and techniques but also hits on the fear factor. I hope to get outside and climb, instead of just gym climbing and this book, got me motivated!

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not exactly what I was looking for...I thought it would be a memoir, similar to High Infatuation, and it was a series of short blurbs from other professional climbers along with chapters on improving technique.

[Foolianajarley · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspiring guide for women at all levels of experience with climbing. I loved the female perspective, especially around specific close moving techniques and conquering the ever-present fear of falling. A super helpful read!

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book for women who want to rock climb. Great for the beginner as well as the more experienced climber! Great tips and tricks as well as technique tutorials.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, now I want to go climbing. :)

[schmoozie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It's perfect for women who want to start outdoor climbing. The only negative I would say is I wanted more!!

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for women who want to start climbing or have been climbing for a while and want to take their technique to the next level!

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice introductory book, some good photos of techniques but not so thick with every technique ever that I felt overwhelmed or unable to absorb information.

[Valia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gorgeous pictures.