She steps away from competition for years because of serious health issues then returns with a top-five at Transgrancanaria and an audacious Sierra project that looks more like an alpinist’s dream than a runner’s itinerary. Olivia Amber joins us from Bishop, California to talk about building a comeback that’s less about hype and more about durability, curiosity, and doing hard things for the right reasons.
We dig into how a Midwest childhood and an All-American Nordic skiing background shaped her engine, her grit, and her love for long days. From there, we get practical about life on the Bishop and Mammoth corridor: altitude training, endless vert, technical trails, the climbing community, and why that access changes what’s possible week to week. Olivia also breaks down big wall climbing, the mental side of exposure, and the “systems” skills that matter when mistakes have real consequences.
Then we go deep on Normans 13, the open-ended FKT linking 13 Sierra 14ers with huge climbing, talus, cross-country travel, and a brief 5.9 crux at 14,000 feet. Olivia explains her north-to-south strategy, how she planned logistics and resupplies, what sleep deprivation actually felt like over multiple days, and why the experience hit differently than racing. We also hear what it was like joining Kilian Jornet during his attempt and what she’s learning from The North Face team across running and climbing.
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