Karly Rager

Turkish Airways, 13c/8a+ ✔️ Much love to the Turkish Breakfast Club, you know who you are 🫶 Thanks for the send belay @screwloose_gooseman 🕺 #geyikbayırı #turkey @rab.equipment @rab.equipment.na @physivantage @projectdirect_coaching

Here’s how to join a PD roster (step by step)... ⬇️ 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟭: 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗔𝘁𝗵𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗺 This form helps us get an idea of what your goals are and what you want to work on in coaching. It also helps us match you with a coach (if you don’t already have a preference) and prep for your call. The form takes about 10 minutes to complete. You can always find the link in our bio or on the Project Direct website! 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟮: 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝟯𝟬-𝗺𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗣𝗗 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 After you have completed your New Athlete Intake Form, the coach you are interested in working with will reach out via email to schedule your free, 30-min introduction call. The goal of this call is to better understand your goals and give you a chance to ask questions about working with Project Direct. We want to make sure your chosen program and coach are a good fit before moving forward. This call is as much for the coach as it is for you! Alignment leads to success in our programs because they are very interactive and personalized. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟯: 𝗣𝗮𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 After your call, if you and the coach feel like it is a good fit, you will have the opportunity to join that coach’s roster. We will then send you an invoice for your first month of coaching in your chosen program. If you are choosing a future start date, this deposit will be applied to your starting month. — If you are interested in truly customized coaching for your goals (not just a set it and forget it plan that works on the same 5 strength exercises), save this information for later or fill out the New Athlete Intake Form now. We spend a lot of time with our athletes figuring out what it is they really need to progress, but it all starts with that form! Because availability with each coach can vary, you may need to save your spot on a coach’s roster up to 3-4 months in advance. We list coach availability at the bottom of the New Athlete Intake Form. So if you are thinking about training with us to get ready for an upcoming season, now is the time to fill out the form!

Infierno del Dante - 13c/8a+ ✅🎀 Sending this route came down to re-learning some lessons I thought I already understood. More on that at some point, but for now I’m just stoked 🤘 Thanks for the belays and support @parfenovtraining , @sharazaia , and @maanguito ❤️ and El Salto for meaning more to me than I can ever really articulate 🇲🇽 @trangoclimbing @rab.equipment @rab.equipment.us @projectdirect_coaching @sattvaclimbing 🎥: @parfenovtraining ❤️ #lasanimas #elsalto #infierno

On a recent podcast episode with Karly Rager, we talked about red point strategies and more. What else we talked about: 👉 Coaching focus and philosophy 👉 Preparing for hard multi-pitch 👉 Managing energy and stoke on long trips 👉 Dealing with uncertainty when projecting Karly Rager is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), an AMGA Single Pitch Instructor (SPI), and has over 13 years of climbing experience. Karly is the founder and head coach for Project Direct Coaching. On this episode, we talk about her multi-pitch first ascent in Mexico, her strategies for hard projecting, her coaching focus, and much more. Available on Spotify, Apple and other major platforms. The show is supported by my patrons (/innerfireclimbing) – patrons get dibs on questions, and a bunch of other coaching content and goodies. #climbingtraining #podcast #sportclimbing

New podcast episode with Karly Rager. Karly Rager is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), an AMGA Single Pitch Instructor (SPI), and has over 13 years of climbing experience. Karly is the founder and head coach for Project Direct Coaching. On this episode, we talk about her multi-pitch first ascent in Mexico, her strategies for hard projecting, her coaching focus, and much more. On this episode we talked about: 👉 Coaching focus and philosophy 👉 Preparing for hard multi-pitch 👉 Redpoint strategies 👉 Managing energy and stoke on long trips 👉 Dealing with uncertainty when projecting Available on Spotify, Apple and other major platforms. The show is supported by my patrons (/innerfireclimbing) – patrons get dibs on questions, and a bunch of other coaching content and goodies. #podcast #climbingcoach #climbingtraining

Project Direct Athlete Vish Subramanian is crushing his trad climbing goals amidst a busy life as a dad of two with a full-time job. Vish started working with Coach Dana over the winter, with a goal of climbing 5.9 multipitch in Yosemite in the spring. Training for Yosemite while living in San Francisco can be challenging–climbing in a gym and climbing on granite sometimes feel like two completely different sports. Yosemite, while inspiring, can also be intimidating. Coach Dana’s headgame expertise and deep knowledge of Yosemite climbing helped set Vish on a path to smash his goals, but Vish’s commitment to consistency and trust in the process is what really unlocked his success 💪 After a few months of consistent training, Vish returned to the Valley earlier this spring for a quick one-day warm-up trip before attempting his goal routes in a a few weeks (any climber who’s lived in SF knows that when the valley calls, we must answer, even if it means 10 hours of driving for one day of granite 🤪). This day was intended to just ease back into Yosemite climbing–but Vish ended up feeling confident enough to check off some off biggest goals a few weeks early: lead Yosemite 5.9, and climb Commitment into Selaginella (a classic 7-pitch linkup, with a 5.9 crux pitch) 🏅 Vish’s training consisted of trad-specific strength work, movement & crack climbing skills, and multipitch endurance, with headgame training taking center stage to tie it all together. We are stoked to congratulate Vish on reaching some of his goals early–and we’re excited to see him tackle ambitious new challenges when he returns to the Valley in a few weeks! Curious about working with Coach Dana for your trad climbing or headgame goals? She has spots open as soon as June 2026 - head to the link in our bio to fill out a New Athlete Intake Form and start a conversation! Yosemite might not be as intimidating as you think 😝

Our program line-up is legendary. Films, speakers, musicians, and artists—all deeply dedicated to refining their craft and sharing their vision with the WNC community. Because when badass women + genderqueer community gather to do badass sh*t, something transcendental takes place. We can’t quite put it in words, but we highly encourage you come see it for yourselves. For 11 years, we’ve been bringing Flagship to Denver. This April 24th, No Man’s Land Film Festival brings Flagship to Wicked Weed Funkatorium in Western North Carolina. This is what happens when women + gender-nonconforming community stop asking for permission. Tickets are live. We’ll see you there. RAGE & SOLIDARITY, NO MAN’S LAND 💫NMLFF 1st Annual Asheville Flagship is brought to you by @rab.equipment.na + @gnarlynutrition 📸Photograph of @karly_rager  by @karenklane #nomanslandfilmfest #nmlff #undefinefeminine

Mentality shift from “training” ➡️ “going to practice” has always helped me with pre-trip consistency and consistency when life gets busy. ➡️ 9 out of 10 times that you don’t want to go into the gym, you should go anyway. The 👉habit👈 of going into the gym is worth its weight in gold over the course of years of climbing. If you don’t go each time you don’t “feel” like it or get busy, you’re engraining an unhelpful habit. ➡️ Often it comes down to adjusting session length or re-framing the session’s purpose in your mind. Each training session isn’t a performance - but you need to go to practice🏃‍♀️ As I work with athletes and we all have busy weeks, I make sure they know the priorities of their training so they can have shorter sessions from time to time. But, in general I’m not here to listen anyone (myself included) fight harder for their excuses than their goals. We can always make adjustments and reduce session length or re-frame goals of a session. But there should be a session. We gotta go to practice 🙇‍♀️ and make practice a habit that we fold into our lifestyles so it sticks when we get busy.

Connect with us out in the wild (2/2) ⤵️🦁 The rest of the list - we weren’t quite able to fit all of this in one IG post 😆 Check it 👇 5. In-person, private lessons The Climb Clinic in Golden, CO - May 22 and May 29 (📣📣UPDATE: in-person spots all taken, stay tuned for next available 👀) I have spots open on May 22 and May 29 for in-person, private lessons @theclimbclinic in Golden, CO. These 60- or 90-minute sessions can focus on movement on the board or lifting form & education and are by appointment only. You can find more information on our website or by sending me a DM or email ([email protected]). If you have been training quite a bit but haven’t seen that translate to your climbing – come in for one of these and let’s look at your movement together. 6. Join our email list Sick of IG? Yeah, I get it. Join our email list (link in bio) to keep up to date with us off of Instagram. We send out 2-4 emails per month with all the updates, coach insights, and opportunities to connect, learn, and work together. You can sign up with the link in our bio (Almost at 1000 subscribers and you’d make my small business owner heart very happy if you joined us over there 🤩) 7. Fill out our New Athlete Intake Form Ready to talk about joining our roster? Sick! We are stoked to talk to you. You can have a free, 30-min conversation with a PD coach by filling out our New Athlete intake form (link in bio). Coach availability is listed at the bottom of the form. Just a heads up that I am booking for July 2026. If you are interested in working together, it’s better to get the conversation started a few months before you want to work together so you can chose the timing that works for you! Alright! See you out there! Let me know if you have any questions by sending an email to [email protected]. Thanks for being here and sharing your climbing with us 🤘💜

Connect with PD out in the wild this spring (1/2) ⤵️🦁 A lot is going on around here right now! Here is a comprehensive list of how you can connect with us out in the wild (not on IG 😉) this Spring: 1. Film Premiere & Athlete Panel - No Man’s Land Film Festival - April 24th - Asheville, NC On April 24th, I will be attending the @nomanslandfilmfestival Asheville Flagship Film Festival to premiere Dias de La Gloria. I will also be sitting on the @rab.equipment athlete panel and be at the in-person climbing meet up at @cultivateclimbing . Head to the link in our bio for tickets & information on this rad event! 2. New Podcast Episode – The Dirtbag State of Mind Podcast – Poetry in Motion Luke and I discuss writing, stepping into the unknown, my recent piece in the @theclimbingzine , Permission Slip, and the first free ascent of Guerreras (13-pitch, 12c, Grade IV/V) in Mexico. This is a great one to check out if you want to connect & hear more about how my philosophy on climbing, writing, partnership, and travel intersect. We hope you enjoy! (Link ➡️ bio). 3. Upcoming Podcast Episode – The Inner Fire Climbing Podcast – April 30th Jesse and I discuss longevity in climbing, training more than your muscles, and problem solving across the different disciplines (bouldering, sport climbing, and big multipitch objectives). There is a fair amount of giggling and philosophy sprinkled in this one! Keep an eye out for the drop on April 30th @innerfireclimbing 4. Clinic - Flash Foxy Red River Gorge Mini Festival - May 16th - Red River Gorge, KY Headed back to the Red River Gorge and couldn’t be more stoked about it! I am teaching “The Tortoise and The Hare” again! This clinic focuses on pacing, resting, and decision making on redpoint burns. One of the biggest things I see when I am out climbing is the lack of knowledge surrounding efficiencies and soft skills needed to master the art of the redpoint. This clinic breaks down the scientific foundations of these decisions and helps you get way more out of the endurance you already have through better tactics. Registration is OPEN for this clinic with the link in our bio @heyflashfoxy

Movement style matters too, especially on a climbing trip away from home ⤵️ 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀. The movement style encompasses the common skills you need to make individual moves in the climbing area you are visiting. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻 “𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲” 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗽 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗲. Here’s how Karly thought about movement styles when climbing in two different countries: 𝗟𝗮 𝗠𝗼𝗷𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮, 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗮 - “This is a very specific style. I would compare it to being somewhat similar to the New River Gorge - bouldery, steep, big moves, powerful, big lock offs to flat ledges, mantles, and lots of momentum required. I went for my “art of the style” trip in August 2025. I spent this first trip climbing volume in the 5.12 range to really learn and understand the style. Then, when I returned this February, I went for harder routes. Getting volume in this style before working on a harder route was very important because the style was not familiar to me at first and I needed time to learn it.” 𝗚𝗲𝘆𝗶𝗸𝗯𝗮𝘆ı𝗿ı, 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘆 - “This style is like a lot of climbing areas that I have spent a lot of time in (Rodellar and El Salto). Given the similarity of the styles and my experience with tufas, I decided I didn’t need an “art of the style” trip because the style was familiar to me even though I hadn’t been to this area before. After about 4 days of onsight climbing, I hopped straight to my 5.13c goal route.” 𝗜𝗻 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀, 𝗞𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗽. For a more in-depth conversation around planning and executing on a climbing trip away from your home crag, take a 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗞𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 on @thestruggleclimbingshow 🔗 in bio for this one!

Does it feel like endurance is always your limiting factor? Then this clinic with @Rab.equipment.na athlete @karly_rager is for you! Karly brings over half a decade of professional climbing coaching, many 5.13+ redpoints, and deep enthusiasm for the art of the redpoint to this clinic: The Tortoise and the Hare. . Designed to help climbers get the most out of the fitness they already have, this session focuses on pacing, resting, and decision-making to keep it together on long and pumpy routes. Using the steep terrain of the Red as our training ground, we’ll cover: How to pace yourself for efficient redpoint attempts; Resting strategies: how long to rest, how to breathe, how to position your body; Spotting and using “unobvious” rest stances; Understanding the science behind recovery and pump; Mental and physical tactics to manage endurance on big efforts. . *** Must be able to comfortably top rope 5.10 outdoors (5.11 indoors). Must know how to lead belay. Some experience leading sport or trad is helpful but not required. . FLASH FOXY MINI FEST May 15-17, 2026 Red River Gorge, KY flashfoxy.com/mini-fest-ky . Clinics are reserved for registered festival participants and subject to limited attendance. Clinics are +$125 per day. Registration is required. Clinic registration opens APRIL 17th!!!! . 📸 by @travperk_photo #flashfoxy