Abby Nita tells PEOPLE she believes social media often glamorizes dangerous climbs and leaves first-time mountaineers unprepared for the reality
NEED TO KNOW
- Abby Nita says social media made technical climbs like Mount Hood seem easier and safer than they really are
- The Oregon hiker tells PEOPLE she wanted her TikTok to show the “real experience” of mountaineering
- Nita says viewers later told her her honesty helped them better understand the risks of climbing Hood
Before Abby Nita attempted to climb Mount Hood, she spent weeks watching videos online trying to figure out what the experience would actually feel like. Instead of warnings or honest conversations about fear, she says most of what she found were polished summit clips that made the mountain look manageable.
“Social media glorifies and romanticizes mountaineering,” Nita, 28, tells PEOPLE exclusively. “People don’t really talk about the dangers.”
Nita, who lives in Gresham, Ore., says she has been hiking consistently for the past four years and considered herself an experienced hiker before attempting Mount Hood. But technical mountaineering still felt intimidating, especially because she only had a few weeks to prepare after an experienced climber invited her to join a group summit attempt.
“The last thing I expected this year was to climb Mount Hood,” she says. “It didn’t seem feasible as a beginner-intermediate mountaineer.”…