Climbing

Sonya Wilson Has Been Lifting Up Deaf Climbers for a Decade

Slacklining Is All About Mental and Physical Balance

Canada’s B.I.G. Initiative Empowers Women to Achieve Their Climbing Goals

These Women Are Making Space for Femininity in Climbing

It Isn’t Always Easy to Be a Female Climbing-Gym Owner

‘Not Just a Boys’ Club’ Kicks Gender Stereotypes in Climbing to the Curb

How Hazel Findlay Used a Kitchen Essential on a Difficult Climb

Olympic Climber Colin Duffy Is Just Getting Started

For the Texas Lady Crushers, Rock Climbing Is a Sport for Everyone

New Climbing Film Chronicles the First Ascent Across Denali

This Tennessee Climbing Trip Will Get You Excited for a Season on the Wall

Matt Cornell’s Solo Climb of the Nutcracker Is a Testament to His Mental Fortitude

Kai Lightner Wants to Encourage the Next Generation of Rock Climbers

Why Marc-André Leclerc Agreed to Be Filmed in ‘The Alpinist’

‘Home Crag’ Highlights the Precarious Future of a Beloved Utah Climbing Spot

Climbing at Utah’s Little Cottonwood Canyon Is in Jeopardy

Mental Fitness Is the Name of the Game for This Climber

Lowball Bouldering, Alex Honnold Style

Inside Kyra Condie and Allison Vest’s Heartwarming Friendship

Kai Lightner’s Plan to Make Climbing More Inclusive
Sonya Wilson Has Been Lifting Up Deaf Climbers for a Decade
Get full access to Outside Learn, our online education hub featuring in-depth fitness, nutrition, and adventure courses and more than 2,000 instructional videos when you sign up for Outside+.
When Sonya Wilson climbs, you won’t hear her yell, “Take!” when she’s ready to be lowered down off the wall. Instead, Wilson taps her helmet twice, a sign that conveys to her belayer that she’s reached the top of the rock and is ready for the satisfying descent. This gesture is one of many signs that Wilson, who is Deaf, uses to communicate with her fellow climbers.
For Wilson, finding a community among nonverbal climbers hasn’t always been easy. That’s why she created the ASL Climbing Network in 2012 for Deaf climbers to connect with each other. In Elevated, a new release from Spruce Tone Films and presented by Eddie Bauer, filmmaker Palmer Morse shares how Wilson, an Eddie Bauer ambassador, advocates to bridge the gap between the Deaf community and the outdoor industry.
Morse, who is learning American Sign Language but is not yet fluent, says it was one of the most challenging film projects he’s ever taken on. Elevated is an entirely nonverbal film, but Morse still wanted to play with sound, including capturing the noise Wilson’s hands make when she signs. He also carefully considered the musical score. “So often the score depends on a voice to establish mood, tone, and emotion,” Morse explains. “But with no voice, how does music drive emotion?” Ultimately, the score is upbeat, conveying the hope and excitement of Wilson’s work.
Morse, a climber himself, says that one of his biggest takeaways from the film is that verbal climbers can also use signs to interact on the wall. In some cases, such as when a belayer cannot hear a climber’s voice on an especially windy day, it might even be safer to use hand gestures rather than yell down the wall. “When folks start to think about that, I think that’s when the light switch comes on,” Morse says. “Establishing modes of nonverbal communication through signs can benefit the climbing industry as a whole.”