Veggie Climbers Who Rock: Part 2

February 28, 2021

Welcome to the second part of our series, Veggie Climbers Who Rock. (You can find part one here.) Today, we want to introduce you to Lisa, Albert, Madi, and Mattias, four more rock climbers who eat a meat-free diet and are crushing it both at—and away from—the crag (i.e. the climbing area). We hope those of you who are pondering going vegetarian or vegan will find their journeys inspiring. Read on!

Lisa Huston is a Phoenix, Arizona-based audiologist who went vegetarian when her sister convinced her to stop eating animals at age eight. She’s maintained a meat-free diet ever since, determined not to support the meat industry or factory farming. “My pre-outdoor climbing day morning meal is steel-cut oats cooked with oat milk, chopped bananas & dates, cinnamon, and walnuts,” she says, adding that she tops it off with a splash of cold oat milk. “Before a climbing gym workout, I don’t like to eat a lot, so if I’m hungry I’ll typically make a protein shake with oat milk, Four Sigmatic peanut butter protein powder, almond butter, banana, and frozen strawberries.”

She also recommends the peanut butter chocolate chip flavor of BHU Keto Protein Bars. After climbing, she likes to chow down on Tempeh tacos, made with marinated tempeh strips, homemade coleslaw, queso fresco, avocado, and walnuts: “It’s a stellar combo!”

A climber for 10 years, Lisa says that she actually finds that she has more energy than most of her friends. “Despite what so many people think about vegetarians, I don’t have trouble getting enough protein,” she says. “It’s also great how easy it is to eat vegetarian on the road now, as so many places have veg options or are accommodating with veg menus. Growing up in the 1990s in Texas as a vegetarian, that was not always the case!”

Albert Alvarez not only owns and operates an outdoor climbing and guiding business, but he also does doctoral research from where he lives in El Paso, Texas. A climber for more than 20 years now, Albert cites “Javalina” at Hueco Tanks as one of his favorite climbs: “It is now a closed climb and can no longer be done, but I definitely had a battle with that one.”

In terms of his diet, Albert first tried veganism as a health experiment nearly four years ago. “It has helped me gain control over an aspect of my life that was changing with my age,” he says. “When I went vegan, I was able to control my weight and felt rejuvenated despite getting older and feeling beat up. I climb strong now and don’t worry too much about my diet since as long as I climb there is a balance.”

Albert doesn’t design his meals around his workouts: “I just eat what I want when I want and work out when I want without considering what I’ve eaten before.” Still, he cites white rice with avocado and seaweed, pistachios, cashews, Calnaturale Svelte protein shakes, and Twizzlers as the plant-based fuel that keeps him climbing strong.

Madi Moon is a vegetarian hospital technician who recently moved to Flagstaff, Arizona. Two years into the sport, Madi says her favorite place to climb is Squamish, British Columbia. Before heading out, she fuels up with oatmeal with fruit or scrambled eggs with toast, and likes to bring a Nuts & Seeds Clif Bar for a mid-workout energy boost.

A vegetarian for six years, Madi says she loves animals and feels a lot of guilt eating them. “I feel like meat alternative products have drastically improved in quality over the last few years,” says Madi, adding that Beyond Burgers are her favorite vegetarian treats. “Any meat cravings can easily be quelled with what is currently available in grocery stores now.”

When it comes to being a vegetarian athlete, Madi says her biggest challenge is being mindful of her protein and iron needs. “I take iron supplements once or twice a week,” she says, adding that she also occasionally cheats on her veg diet with a sushi roll.

Mattias Braach-Maksvytis is a physiotherapist/climbing coach based in Sydney. He became a vegan five months ago for ethical reasons and says that so far he hasn’t noticed much of a performance difference, but makes an effort to be “way more mindful with buying snacks at the gym.”

A climber for 18 years, Mattias’s favorite place to climb is Rocklands, South Africa, and he likes to bring gummy snacks with him to the crag for a mid-workout energy post. He also cites Pringles as his favorite vegan treat and likes to recover with a big pasta meal or a dish with tofu.

He says that one of his favorite climbs is “Hole in One” in Rocklands: “It’s one of the most perfect dynos in the world and the first problem I remember seeing online.” Before heading out to climb, he usually has some toast with peanut butter, butter, and jam.

Thanks for following along—we hoped you liked this series. If you’re a vegetarian or vegan athlete and you’d like to see your sport featured on the Ace Blog, please reach out: luna@acenatural.com.