Angie Scarth-Johnson Is Finally Embracing Her Climbing “Prodigy” Past

“It’s hard to see when you’re in it.” That’s how Angie Scarth-Johnson describes being dubbed a prodigy back when she was a pre-teen breaking into the climbing world. At 9 years old, Scarth-Johnson became the youngest-ever person to scale a 5.13d climb (expert level, according to the Yosemite Decimal System). A year later, the phenom topped herself, becoming the youngest climber to finish a 5.14b route at Welcome to Tijuana in Rodellar, Spain. Then, at 18, she became the first female to climb Victimas Perez in nearby Margalef.

Today, with the perspective of hindsight, the 22-year-old has made peace with the accolade: “I feel honored, and I feel like I deserve to say I was a prodigy.” The Native Australian is now navigating what it looks like to be an elite pro climber and The North Face athlete while living alone as a young adult. Catching up at the brand’s Climb Fest in London — a three-day event of bouldering, panels, and DJs — Scarth-Johnson digs into how she balances mental health, her personal life, and career.

“I took two years off at 19,” she says. After burning out hard, Scarth-Johnson made the decision to “really chill out,” focusing on life away from the rocks. “I needed to take a step back and reconnect with friends and reconnect with other hobbies that I like to do and find myself a little bit.” Between therapy and self-reflection, Scarth-Johnson reconnected with her inner child.

More than a decade after getting her start in the sport, Scarth-Johnson sees it as much more than a job: “It’s a genuine connection that I feel like feels like a reason to live.”

Below, the pro shares her tips for restoration after a long day climbing — including her clever hack for dealing with intrusive thoughts and the exact comfort food she craves.

Elite Daily: How do you wind down post climb?

Angie Scarth-Johnson: I always take a long hot shower. When you’re climbing, you’re sweating, your hands are bleeding; a shower is very therapeutic. One other thing I’ve started doing is driving down from the cliff playing full-on meditation music. Then when I get to the house, I’ll jump in the shower, have a tea, and get a hug from my dog. That’s all I really need.

ED: What is your go-to post-climb meal?

ASJ: I love Bolognese — it’s my favorite of all time. I don't care about the quality, I will eat any type of Bolognese anywhere. But it’s not the easiest thing to cook after climbing. Sometimes you get home really late, so it might just be a pack of ramen instead, and that’s OK.

ED: What are your go-to wellness and beauty products after a climb?

ASJ: I am so addicted to this one product, and it’s so funny because it’s nothing crazy. It’s just the Nivea Creme in the blue tin — it’s a super thick moisturizer. I will slap a ton of that on my face right after a session. It feels so good. Sometimes it is just the cheapest stuff on the shelves, and that’s what I love.

ED: What’s your best recovery tip?

ASJ: I really like using the sauna. I have one at my gym back in Barcelona. And Tiger Balm — I’ll use Tiger Balm while I’m in the sauna, and it’s amazing. It just relaxes me.

ED: How do you deal with a climb that doesn’t go well?

ASJ: I've been working on redirecting my thoughts — identifying if a thought is bad and then creating space for it to become a problem-solving thought. Instead of “I sucked today; I felt really weak,” it’s “I didn’t feel my best; why is that? What can I do tomorrow to make it better?”

I’ve also started journaling at the cliff. I bring a little book and write down the sentences that come into my head when I’m doubting myself, and then I’ll start parsing out why that is.

ED: What journals do you use?

ASJ: It's really funny. I use the ugliest journal I can find at the store because I have a theory: When I buy something nice, I lose it. So I will go to the store, find a journal that's really unattractive to me, make a face, and be like, “That one.” Because then I won't lose it.

ED: What's one thing you've learned from connecting with other women in climbing?

ASJ: Outdoor climbing is extremely male-dominated — especially on the walls that I am on; often I’m the only girl. Through my teens, I always had guy friends, and I would act like this “bro.” But I realized I'm actually very feminine, and I've really come into that. My girlfriends understand me in a way other people don't. I think the most valuable thing for a girl in her 20s is to have girlfriends, because it's a tough world — it's a man's world. There's nothing better than having that support, especially in this sport.

ED: How do you maintain your friendships when you're traveling so much?

ASJ: I try to say, “Hey, come on the trip with me,” because a trip is always better with friends. I went on a trip with my girlfriend to France, and we climbed together, and it was so fun. We stayed in a little bungalow house and just laughed the whole time.

ED: What are you manifesting for yourself right now?

ASJ: Pure joy. I think it's so easy to be influenced by the world, by social media, and by what other people think you should be doing, and that hits hard in your 20s. I'm manifesting true self-happiness, wherever that takes me in climbing and in life. I wish that upon everyone. I feel like being truly happy and confident is the greatest power, because then nothing anyone says can affect you.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.