Climber Story: Ashley Xu

To start, tell us a little bit about yourself

Hello! My name is Ashley, I am 27 and I have been climbing for about 11 years! I am originally from New Jersey, but moved to Colorado for about four years, and now I currently reside in Iowa. Bouldering is my favorite discipline!

How did you start climbing?

I started climbing after a few friends and I went to a local gym. After one session, I was hooked and realized that this was my sport!

What impact has climbing had on your life?

Climbing has had such a huge impact on my life. I’ve found so many amazing, supportive people through the community. It really has brought me friends that are now my family, and I couldn’t have asked for anything better!

What are some other things you do that you find most fulfilling?

Other things outside of climbing that I find most fulfilling are baking and spending time with my dog, Bruno! If you know me, I love exploring different bakeries and I will always bake something for others!

I've also started exploring new hobbies like playing paintball and recently gotten into paintball photography. 

If you could tell the world one thing, what would it be?

Life has no timeline!  

Favorite thing about Dynamite Starfish?

I love that Dynamite Starfish is a woman-owned small business!

Is there something you're working on that you'd like to tell our community about? We love a good story.

I just recently moved to Iowa and am working on getting settled after all the chaos that goes into a cross-country move. If anyone out there lives in Des Moines, I need some new climbing friends…please join me!

You can find Ashley on Instagram at @ashley_touches_rocks.

Want to get to know more of the climbers in the amazing Dynamite Starfish community? Check out our archive of Climber Stories here.

We hope you have enjoyed these sneak peeks into climbers' lives. We're on a mission to share diverse stories about rock climbing. Let's push the boundaries of who we know as climbers. Let's use our energy and passion for the outdoors to love our environment and inspire one another.

Have someone you think we should feature? Send us a message and let us know!

Until next time!