MEET

MAYAN SMITH-GOBAT

1979

BIRTH DATE

25 YEAR

CLIMBING

NZ

NATIONALITY

FRANKENJURA

LOCAL CLIMBING SPOT

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MAYAN SMITH-GOBAT

I instantly loved this mental and physical challenge and never looked back.

- Mayan Smith-Gobat

BIO

At seven I was forced to move away from my home until then - the mountains. We moved into the middle of rural NZ and here I discovered my first passion - Horses. During school I spent all my free time on horseback, until I discovered climbing. After school I pursued climbing and skiing with complete focus, until I broke both feet and my jaw in a skiing accident  - Unable to use my feet I focused solely on climbing and traveling the world for climbing. Now I have found a home in the midst of the Frankenjura on a small farm with seven horses and two cats as my family.

THE INSIGHTS

Why / How Did You Start Climbing: I was born under Mt Cook, the highest mountain in NZ and since I was very small climbed on trees and boulders. So in some sense I have always climbed, but I only really discovered it for myself at age 16 when I worked for Alpine Guides for the summer and took my first mountaineering course. I was fascinated and went into the mountains as much as I could that year and returned to Mt Cook the next summer, but the weather was bad in the mountains so some friends took me rock climbing… I instantly loved this mental and physical challenge and never looked back.

Favorite Climbing Destination: Big, remote walls with lots of exposure and no people.

Memorable Climbing Achievement(s): Punks in the Gym (first female ascent), Salathe Wall (free), Womens Speed Record on the Nose, El Capitan, Riders on the Storm, Torres del Paine

In 3 Words What Describes Climbing To You:   Freedom, Challenge both Physical and Mental, Adventure

How Do You Train: Mainly by climbing, and working on my little farm. But I also boulder at the local gym and have a set of rings and a hang board at home.

You Whip, You Slip, You Blow The Move... What Motivates You To Try Again: Stubbornness and desire to solve this puzzle. Falling and not knowing if I can complete the route, or do the move, motivate me more than something that I know I can do, or easily doing a route. The challenge (the journey) of moving out of my comfort zone brings me the most motivation.  

What Do You Do When You're Not Climbing: Ride horses and work on my small farm. 

WILD COUNTRY FAVOURITES

MEET

MAYAN
SMITH-GOBAT

I instantly loved this mental and physical challenge and never looked back.

- Mayan Smith-Gobat

BIO

At seven I was forced to move away from my home until then - the mountains. We moved into the middle of rural NZ and here I discovered my first passion - Horses. During school I spent all my free time on horseback, until I discovered climbing. After school I pursued climbing and skiing with complete focus, until I broke both feet and my jaw in a skiing accident  - Unable to use my feet I focused solely on climbing and traveling the world for climbing. Now I have found a home in the midst of the Frankenjura on a small farm with seven horses and two cats as my family.

THE INSIGHTS

Why / How Did You Start Climbing: I was born under Mt Cook, the highest mountain in NZ and since I was very small climbed on trees and boulders. So in some sense I have always climbed, but I only really discovered it for myself at age 16 when I worked for Alpine Guides for the summer and took my first mountaineering course. I was fascinated and went into the mountains as much as I could that year and returned to Mt Cook the next summer, but the weather was bad in the mountains so some friends took me rock climbing… I instantly loved this mental and physical challenge and never looked back.

Favorite Climbing Destination: Big, remote walls with lots of exposure and no people.

Memorable Climbing Achievement(s): Punks in the Gym (first female ascent), Salathe Wall (free), Womens Speed Record on the Nose, El Capitan, Riders on the Storm, Torres del Paine

In 3 Words What Describes Climbing To You:   Freedom, Challenge both Physical and Mental, Adventure

How Do You Train: Mainly by climbing, and working on my little farm. But I also boulder at the local gym and have a set of rings and a hang board at home.

You Whip, You Slip, You Blow The Move... What Motivates You To Try Again: Stubbornness and desire to solve this puzzle. Falling and not knowing if I can complete the route, or do the move, motivate me more than something that I know I can do, or easily doing a route. The challenge (the journey) of moving out of my comfort zone brings me the most motivation.  

What Do You Do When You're Not Climbing: Ride horses and work on my small farm.