Fr
om
to
p:
C
ou
rte
sy
of
To
ol^
St
ud
ios
;^ G
reg
M
ion
sk
e
Combat aches and pains from summer adventures
with these Colorado products. PAGE 46ALTERNATE ROUTE
When she was six, Margo Hayes confided to her diary her most pre-
cious dream: to become an Olympic gymnast. Six years later, that
hope appeared dashed after foot injuries forced the budding athlete
to quit the sport. But Hayes began spending more time climbing in
Boulder Canyon, and as her skill increased, so did her ambition. She
made lists of expert routes she wanted to climb and daydreamed
about the holds on each. She pulled herself up Scarface in central
Oregon. She completed Bad Girls Club in Rifle. In 2016, Hayes won
Climbing magazine’s Golden Piton award for sport climbing. Then,
two years ago, the then 19-year-old ascended Spain’s La Rambla,
making her the first woman to conquer a 5.15a route, one of the
most difficult grades. This month, the Boulderite will compete at the
IFSC Climbing World Championships in Japan (August 11 to 21). If she
finishes as one of the top two American women, she’ll represent her
country during the sport’s Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, proving
there’s more than one way to make good on a dream. —MARY MURPHYMargo Hayes
climbs Spain’s La
Rambla route.Adventure
AUGUST 2019 | 5280 | (^45)