Climber Spotlight: Brooklyn Whitehead
IG; @brooklynwhiitehead
From first‑time fear to full‑on flow, Brooklyn’s story is proof that climbing progress is as much about mindset as muscle.
From Fear to Fired Up
Brooklyn didn’t stroll into climbing through a gym intro class; she was hauled up a trad route by a family friend. “I was terrified,” she laughs, “but the rush of pushing past that fear and getting it done was addictive. I was hooked after that first session!”
And that one session turned into a habit, and the habit turned into a lifestyle built around testing limits.
What Keeps Her Coming Back
“I love pushing my limits and testing what I'm capable of,” Brooklyn says. Every project—sent or not—hands her a new reason to train harder and smarter. “I love that there's always room for improvement, so the journey itself is just as rewarding as sending a hard climb.”
Right now, she’s gunning for a grade 29/30 before the year’s out. A big goal, sure, but Brooklyn’s week is structured to back it up:
- 3 hard indoor sessions for power and technique
- Mid‑week sauna + ice bath for recovery
- Fridays off to rest and reset
- Two outdoor days chasing lines that scare and inspire in equal measure
Rethinking the Grip Game
Brookly’s been using the MagBoard to help improve her open hand lifts. “I’m a sucker for boning down and full crimping everything, when it’s not necessary. It actually ends up draining my power and stopping me from being able to climb hard for longer.”
Instead of always going max effort, she’s added “some light lifts, with high reps” to her training—and it’s already paying off. “I’ve seen great improvements already… I’m becoming a lot more conscious on the wall and reminding myself to not full crimp all the time.”
Her Crux Gear MagBoard Mini and Long Strap has also helped add a warm-up session into her outdoor climb prep, “Some recent climbing spots I’ve been to don’t have many easy climbs that give me a chance to warm up my fingers. So the MagBoard has helped hugely to prevent injury for me.”
The result?
Better session stamina, fewer tweak scares, and—most important—a conscious shift in how she grips the rock.
Takeaways from Brooklyn’s Journey
- Face the fear; treasure the rush. Your first shaky trad pitch might become the spark.Warm up on your terms. A portable edge board beats no warm‑up every time.
- Train the weak links. Switching from constant crimp to open‑hand strength paid Brooklyn back in power and longevity.
- Recovery is training. Sauna, ice, and real rest days sit right beside max hangs on her calendar.
- Set a big target—then enjoy the build‑up. The send is sweet, but the process is where the gold lives.
Brooklyn’s still chasing that grade 30, and we’re here for every attempt, every setback, and every send. Because progress isn’t a destination — it’s the best part of the climb.
Ready to write your own chapter? Grab what you need, chalk up, and join Brooklyn and the rest of the Crux community — out on the wall.
