Jess Pleyel

About me

Jess moved from the Midwest in 2019 and was eager to start a new adventure in Ogden, Utah. This included taking an Intro to Climbing class at Weber State University where she fell in love with the sport. She is now an AMGA SPI certified climbing instructor at WSU and co-created the course Risk, Resilience, and Rock Climbing, a gender studies and climbing course that investigates power and privilege in the climbing world and how to expand the field to be more inclusive, intersectional, and accessible to people from a variety of backgrounds. Jess also works as an advocate where she supports survivors of interpersonal violence and sexual assault. She guides in Northern Utah through Aspect Adventure and has created trauma-informed climbing spaces where survivors can feel empowered and brave in their bodies. Jess serves as the Ambassador for the Ogden branch of the Ladies Climbing Coalition, an affinity space for women and gender-marginalized climbers. When she isn't climbing, you can find Jess trail running, hiking with her dog Chika, or pole dancing