Isabelle Riddle: Finding Empowerment in Adventure

Isabelle, one of our 2024 Summit Scholarship recipients, is a budding mountaineer who is ready to connect with a community of like-minded and motivated climbers. It all started with an impromptu summit of Mount Kilimanjaro and a fond appreciation for the simplicity of life on the mountain. Isabelle relished the moments to connect with locals from Tanzania as well as climbers from all over the world, she stood in awe of the various ecosystems as she ascended the mountain, and she gained strength through her team as they took on challenges together. As Isabelle shares, “I was hooked.” 

But like most things in life, there are barriers, roadblocks, and even our own imposter syndrome to overcome. Isabelle’s journey from Mount Kilimanjaro to Mount Baker hasn’t always been straightforward, but it’s had more than a few supreme highlights, like climbing in Red Rocks with mentor Ashley Favestein. Isabell has certainly learned a thing or two along the way, from a humbling climb on New Mexico’s Wheeler Peak to navigating medical hurdles, and welcomed those as new opportunities to grow and learn.

We had the opportunity to get to know Isabelle a little better, and she is an absolute inspiration. Keep on scrolling to read Isabelle’s stories and thoughts below. 

Hi Isabelle! Can you describe how you felt when you found out you had won? I was completely shocked when I received the call. While awaiting the decision, I had tried not to let myself get too hopeful about the scholarship, but when I found out I had been selected, I was honest with myself about how much I really wanted this and how much I cared about pursuing the craft of mountain climbing. Being awarded this scholarship stoked the flame of self-belief that I have been kindling and has continued to invigorate me in the weeks since to get out there and try hard things. 

What do you do to fill up your days? Currently, I work as a personal care aide for the elderly, a job I very much love. In just two weeks, I will start a job with Yellowstone National Park and surrounding wilderness areas as a field ecologist. Aside from work, my latest obsession has been getting into the sport of Triathlon, and I will compete in my first Olympic triathlon at the end of April. On the weekends, I try to plan adventure activities, such as rock climbing, caving, hiking, or getting out on the water, and convince friends or acquaintances to come out with me. I love spending time with my extended family while I'm back home for a few months, and I also love reading, playing the ukulele, training my dog, and yoga. 

How did you get started in adventuring? In college I had an academic scholarship with a travel stipend. A friend and I, both total beginners, got the crazy idea to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Without thinking too much, I bought the plane ticket and was on my way. My first night on the Kilimanjaro trek was my first night ever sleeping in a tent, and I absolutely loved it. Connecting with locals and people from all over the world, the simplicity of life on the mountain (just keep walking!) and at camp, the various ecosystems we passed through as we gained elevation, and the strength I saw in my team as we faced the many challenges of the trek. I was hooked. 

What barriers have you faced in mountaineering? I have faced several medical hurdles which I've had to learn to navigate as I get into mountaineering. I was born with a congenital eye defect, which makes me legally blind in my right eye. This can cause issues perceiving depth and seeing in dim conditions, and it has been a long journey to learn how to work with this impediment and trust myself while climbing and moving through steep, rugged terrain. It can sometimes be a challenge to find allies in the mountaineering and climbing world who don't assume what I can or cannot do but instead are curious and open-minded about my situation, being supportive without taking away responsibilities from me that I really value. 

I also suffer from a genetic foot problem, which caused both of my big toe joints to grow in a misaligned way, causing a lot of pain that would only get worse over time. In 2023, I had to have reconstructive surgery on my toes, in which the bone was realigned and screws were placed. In total, I had severely limited mobility and was on crutches for eight months out of that year. I had to learn how to pull myself out of depression when most of my passions were unavailable to me, and I had to learn the patience to start over again many times on technical knowledge and physical fitness level, but I think I came out stronger because of this. 

I was also diagnosed with Lupus, an autoimmune disease when I was around 14 years old. The disease is currently in remission, but during high school and college, I suffered severe symptoms. The main hurdle this disease caused was that it taught me at a young age, compounded by messages from society, that I was weak, fragile, and easily injured. What a transformative lesson it has been to discover that, in fact, I am the opposite! 

Tell us about a time in the outdoors that solidified your love and desire for mountaineering. About a year ago, I was living in northern New Mexico and my brother came into town to visit. I wanted to take him on a real adventure, so I planned a summit attempt of Wheeler Peak, New Mexico's highest peak at 13,161' in the Sangre de Cristo range. It was early spring, and there was still a significant snowpack on the mountain. This would be my first real experience traveling in snow. I was feeling so cool and smart, studying the topos, checking weather conditions to find a good weather window, and getting advice from experienced locals on gear and routes. When we got to the mountain, however, it was such a humbling experience. The car skidded out getting to the trailhead, our navigation skills were horrible with the trail covered by snow and we discovered we were going completely the wrong way multiple times. It was afternoon by the time we got around 3/4 of the way up the mountain to the crux, where the terrain steepened, and the snow was super slushy. I knew just enough to know that we were in an avalanche risk zone, and so we decided to go back down to lower elevation. I will never forget that experience, just the two of us, immersed in a totally otherworldly landscape, the wind pulling the breath out of my lungs and my brother and I laughing and grinning from the true adventure of it all. I made a vow to myself that day to work towards educating myself on mountain travel so I could adventure smartly and make sound decisions. 

Tell us about a person that inspires you. Ashley "Ash" Ravestein is someone who I know personally who has inspired me a lot. She was my field instructor during a NOLS Wilderness Medicine and Rescue semester. We went backpacking and canyoneering together for more than 25 days in the remote canyons of Utah. She mentored me when climbing in Red Rocks, Nevada and she was there by my side when I led my first climbs and completed my longest multi-pitch. I loved Ash's way of being in the wilderness...she taught me the importance of not "consuming" the experience but of humbly and quietly observing the natural world at first, letting it slowly welcome you into its rhythms and whims. 

Tell us about your biggest mountaineering ambition or dream! I would love to attempt Aconcagua and Mount Rainer! I want to do a technical ascent of a mountain (using ropes). I want to be a lead guide on a mountaineering trip. I would love to be a part of a mountain expedition with a research or aid goal. I would love to be a member of a search and rescue team or an expedition medic. Summit all Colorado's 14ers.

What do you hope to learn during your experience as a Summit Scholarship recipient? I want to gain mentorship and connections with other incredible women and non-binary folk who are as stoked about this stuff as I am. I come from a background where no one, especially no women, was interested in or knowledgeable about outdoor skills, so I crave role models and connections to show me the path into this world. I want to increase my ability to understand and mitigate risk on the mountain. I want to gain experience with the technical skills I would need to continue mountaineering. I want to practice walking through decision-making with a team. I am super excited to get to learn about the full process of an expedition like this...from route planning to permitting to packing, food, and camp chores...I want to learn from the ground up.

Isabelle - your climbing community awaits, and we cannot wait to have you join AWExpedition’s team on Mount Baker this summer. Here’s to more laughs, more connections, and a lifetime of mountaineering. To follow along with Isabelle’s journey, head to our expedition partner AWExpedition’s Instagram or Facebook.