Show Notes:
Kat’s Links:
Episode Intro:
Hello, welcome to another episode of the Female Guides Requested Podcast. I am your host Ting Ting from Las Vegas.
Today’s guest is Kat Porter also known as Kat McKittens, the queen of the Meowtain. We connected through the AMGA members’ Facebook group and I scored an interview with her when she came to Red Rock for work in April.
Kat is based in Maryland where her family resides but she often travels more than 6 months a year for work and play. She started her career in climbing as a competition climbing coach and had trained athletes at the national level. Her love for the outdoors brought her to guiding and her passion for high mountains led her to the pursuit of the “pin,” that is, IFMGA Mountain Guide certification.
Kat’s energy was radiant. From the conversation, I also sensed how organized and determined she is. She told me about her research interviewing senior guides to plot her plan, her love and realizations about a career in guiding, and her superpower of falling asleep in airports and on airplanes. I had so much fun during this interview and I believe you will enjoy it too.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 – 00:04:55 – Intro. the origin of “McKittens.” Is it a real name? How did the nickname “Queen of the Meowtains” come from?
00:04:55 – 00:07:47 – The start of Kat’s climbing career was coaching competitive climbers. Her love of outdoors and seeking balance between inside and outside climbing leads her to guiding
00:07:47 – 00:09:22 – Being sick and COVID isolation made Kat re-examine her career outlook and her story of from having 0 job to 8 jobs.
00:09:22 – 00:13:11 – From having imposter syndrome to wanting to pursue the IFMGA Mountain Guide cert. She started her research by reaching out and interviewing other guides and finding ways to train.
00:13:11 – 00:16:00 – From taking with senior and fellow guides, she learned about the nuisances about being a mountain guide. She also talked about the best advice she heard.
00:16:00 – 00:18:58 – Talking about Kat’s early mentors and her later experience reaching out to the wider guiding community.
00:18:58 – 00:27:35 – Talking about her 8 jobs: coaching, assisting climbing programs that are gender queer friendly, working for an adventure company where she got to mom the moms.
00:27:35 – 00:30:01 – Kat’s current road map to becoming a mountain guide
00:30:01 – 00:32:00 – Support from the family and being close to the family is important to Kat. From studying political science to falling in love with climbing.
00:32:00 – 00:39:01 – Talking about dealing with possible burnout, finding balance between guiding and personal climbing, strategies to help oneself to manage their schedule and find motivation and time to train.
00:39:01 – 00:50:50 – Her role model: Arlene Bloom. Kat talked about her favorite part of mentorship, her customized approach when coaching a diverse group of climbing with various goals. How showing up helps, and the right mindset to deal with adversity.
00:50:50 – 00:56:44 – Kat loves to be home and loves to travel. Kats wants to make Maryland work for her mountain guide pursuit. Though there are not yet many female mountain guides in the US but there’re more women wanting to become one. Kat has “training partners.”
00:56:44 – 01:00:51 – Kat is not new in climbing industry but she hasn’t yet acquired higher certifications yet due to financial considerations.
01:00:51 – 01:11:00 – What would Kat answer if someone asks her how to become a guide? and what’s Kat’s take on guiding as a career choice? What’s fun? What’s rewarding? What’s challenging?
01:11:00 – 01:14:43 – Kat’s future travel plans and her plan to start a website to share more info and insight.