The Legend of Kaitlin Junek

I’ve maintained that the best part about climbing is the people that you meet along the way.  Climbing in itself is great, but the community of climbers is what makes our activity magnificent.  Some of the people that we meet along the way can inspire a personal greatness that is sometimes difficult to find by ourselves.

I have been blessed to have some of the best and most inspirational climbing partners a person could ask for.  I’m not sure if it’s just dumb luck, or if there’s some kind of climbing magnetism involved, but I can honestly say that fate has granted me the greatest riches when it comes to friends supporting me from the opposite end of a rope.

Kaitlin Junek is one of those great riches.  From the moment we met, there was no doubt that she would go on to do great things, and in the time that I’ve known her, I’ve been able to witness a vast untapped ball of potential grow into a LEGEND!

This is her origin story.

Speaking as a philosopher, I can say without a doubt that young Kaitlin demonstrated wisdom beyond her years.  A fireball who exhibited no fear, someone who could send the nastiest routes, and despite being the youngest and smallest among us, she was our go to person for a safe belay on a sketch wall.  From day one, she was always just one of the crew.

Sometimes Kaitlin tiptoed the line, but she always mostly knew the boundary between adventurous and reckless.  More importantly she understood that boundaries are subjective.  While she may push herself in one direction, she would never pressure anyone to go beyond what they are comfortable with.  Because of that genuine understanding, Kaitlin would celebrate every win with the same enthusiasm, whether someone just finished the crux on a brutal route, or sent their first 5.8, she was there to shower her fellow climbers with praise.

I’ll never forget one particular time when we were climbing, Kaitlin was belaying me on a route that I knew I wasn’t going to send, and I had no idea how high I would get before falling.  I was worried that I would whip and send her flying up the wall.  I double checked to make sure she was okay with the belay and asked: “What if you go flying up the wall?” to which she responded: “Then I’ll go flying up the wall”.  Touché!

In addition to being a god of the rock, Kaitlin is also a huge foodie!  There was never a trip to a crag in which she didn’t pull out gourmet level snacks that ranged from homemade vegan wings to fresh baked protein crookies (cracker/cookies).

Beyond being a great climber, and world-class baker, Kaitlin Junek is wicked smart!  An avid reader who would happily talk about great literature just as easily as she would talk about a great climb.

She completed two bachelor’s degrees in three years while also attending school on three continents (North America, Europe, and Australia).

We’ve certainly had some interesting experiences over the years; here are just some quick hits.

• We topped out/struggled up a 5.13 together at Mt. Lemon (my hardest climb to date).
• We camped in what can only be described as a desert wasteland complete with mounds of trash, intimidating graffiti, and the sounds of morning gunshots, just to climb three routes in Death Valley, California.
• She sometimes dresses like Tanuki Mario during thunderstorms to gain courage.
• Someone pulled a gun on us while climbing in Austin, Texas.
• She had some kid throw-up on her while belaying him at a birthday party.
• We have gotten lost on nearly every approach we’ve ever been on including a 15-minute walk that included literal stairs that we somehow missed, turning a short jaunt into a sketchy two-hour hike.
• To make money one summer, Kaitlin turned her car into a Ice Cream “Truck” and sold Banana Fudge Bomb-Pops from a cooler while she drove around with her radio on full volume playing “Do Your Ears Hang Low”.
• After graduating college, Kaitlin moved to Arizona where she is still sending and helping others get stoked on climbing.  I am so happy that we are lucky enough to get together to climb every few years, and it is always so great to hear new stories about the growing legend of Kaitlin Junek. 

Greatness becomes Legendary

I wasn’t there, but this is the way I heard it!

Kaitlin was exploring an untapped area of rock just outside Flagstaff, AZ.  Her and some friends heard about a small, beautiful limestone canyon with a free-standing pillar between two walls.  The rock was somewhat developed in the early 2000’s complete with a few routes and dedicated anchors, but due to the expansion of a private ranch, the crag would remain on private property and was never put on the map.

Finding and seeking permission from the landowner, Kaitlin and crew were given permission to explore the property in search of the small canyon.  Sure enough, there it was, much smaller than they had imagined, but good rock none-the-less.  As they suited up to tackle what amounted to five sport routes, and some bouldering potential.  Kaitlin heard the distress call of several baby quail high on the pillar and decided to get a closer look.

As she approached the anchors on the pillar, Kaitlin noticed about a dozen baby quail who had somehow jumped from the opposite canyon wall down to the top of the pillar.  They were seeking refuge in a small sage bush which miraculously found a way to survive on that high dessert pillar.

Curious as to what these quail were afraid of, Kaitlin proceeded to top-out and have a look around.

Just as Kaitlin was pulling herself up, a wily coyote had leapt to the pillar toward the frightened baby quail.  Kaitlin called for slack so that she might run interference and drive the coyote away.  Just as she crawled toward the sage bush the coyote leapt, without hesitation, Kaitlin reached into her chalk bag and tossed a handful of chalk into the aggressor’s eyes.  As the coyote retreated to the edge of the pillar, Kaitlin established herself directly in front of the bush as if to say: ‘if you want to get to the baby quail, you’ll have to go through me first’.  The coyote jumped from the pillar back to the cliff’s edge and waited.  A display of patience, a waiting game; the coyote knew that Kaitlin couldn’t stay there forever, and the quail had no way down.

From what I’m told, Kaitlin asked herself; “What would Tanuki do?”

Well apparently, Tanuki would empty her chalk bag and use it to gather the baby quail which is exactly what Kaitlin did.  With eight quail in her chalk bag, and four nestled in her arms, Kaitlin lowered the quail safely to the ground.  As she released them, their mother fluttered from atop the canyon wall and landed directly on Kaitlin’s head as if to say ‘thank you’! 

With the birds reunited, Kaitlin had one more job to do.  One more climb to the top, a climb in which she carried some fresh water and berries as a peace offering to her canine friend, the coyote.

Like a Dirtbag Disney movie, Kaitlin and her forest friends all had a happy ending!

Despite finding the hidden canyon, Kaitlin and her human friends decided not to tell another soul where it’s located.  I must have asked 100 times, but the only response I get is that some places are better off without us.  That might very well be true for most of us, but I can’t imagine a single situation where some place could possibly be better off without The Legend: Kaitlin Junek!