Name: Lydia McDonald
Age: 28
Location: Columbia, South Carolina

Well How’s it feel to be the first CCGOTW from South Carolina?
Hmm. This is a very difficult question.  Are they all going to be this hard?
No
It feels original… I suppose. It almost makes me feel cute.
What does a good night out look like for Lydia?
Well, here in Columbia a perfect evening would be a really good dinner at a friend’s house with a few close friends, and then a trip to a local brewery called the Hunter-Gatherer for a bit, then the Art Bar after that with accompanying Maker’s Mark.
You’re a whiskey girl then huh?
Yeah, though I try to get as wasted as possible on that before I drive somewhere, since it’s quite expensive at the bars. Bad joke. I have a flask.
Well what do you do when you’re not drinking aside from rock climbing?
I love to read, write, and drive. I love driving places, particularly to our close by Congaree Swamp to wander around.
You wander around a swamp for fun?
There’s a boardwalk through parts of it, and there’s all kinds of wildlife—owls, wild boars, deer, frogs, lizards, squirrels, spiders, snakes. You can call the owls and they will fly in and sit in the treetops above you
Can you make an owl call?
Yeah, my friend’s eighty-year old dad taught me.  This owl, the Barred Owl (I’m pretty sure) makes a call that sounds a lot like a monkey, so it’s a pretty fun call to make.
What’s the best part about living in South Carolina?
Well, the nature here is amazing, but my friends and family are here too.  The main reason I keep coming back besides those is that it’s really cheap to live. Apparently it’s one of the top 10 cheapest cities in the nation.
What’s the worst part?
It’s hot and humid as the armpit of a gorilla living in the tropics. Outside of this city, there are a lot of very ignorant, close-minded, insanely religious people. There are some inside too, but they are somewhat less dominant.
How are the dudes in Columbia?
Well, no offense to the dudes here, but . . .the pickings are slim. I don’t really have a whole lot in common with many guys here at least not in the dating respect.
What are they lacking?
Well, they’re great, really, and most of my friends are guys, but they tend to be a lot more stationary than me, not really all that healthy, and/or gay. I leave town so much I would rather go to a boyfriend than leave one behind.
Where’s the best place to climb on earth?
New River Gorge though I am biased. I lived there for three years, but have been climbing there since I started climbing nine years ago.
What kind of climbing style do you prefer?
I prefer crimpy face and overhanging crimps and jug hauls all of which can be found in abundance at the New.
So sport climbing?
Ha, more than trad. I like trad too, but I climb sport more often. Bouldering is great, too, but I have to do it with a group of highly entertaining people which is how I prefer to do most climbing or anything for that matter
That certainly helps.
Minus sex. Not into that group thing at this point.
If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life what would it be?
Well, pizza is great, though it’s not my favorite thing, but if I had to eat it for the rest of my life, I would pick a pizza with stuff on it like salmon, garlic, chicken, onions, shrimp, sun-dried tomatoes, cilantro, goat cheese and tomato sauce of course.

Who’s the best climber that ever lived?
Lynn Hill. Easy enough. Not only was she a badass a long time ago, she still is! She is strong as shit and tiny, tiny, tiny.
So are you one of those dainty southern bells?
I have never been called dainty in my life, and doubt I ever will be.
If you had to have a threesome with any celebrity couple who would it be?
Well, the obvious answer would likely apply to me Brad and Angelina, but they’re probably all tired from making babies.
Where’s the most exotic place you’ve been?
Patagonia, and I’m going back next week.
What are you doing there?
I’m going to follow the Patagonia Expedition Race around and write about it. I’m going with my photographer friend Michael Clark. It’s about the best thing I’ve ever seen. Patagonia that is.
So what else do you do?
I just started copy-editing for Dead Point Mag, and that makes me happy. The next issue that comes out will be the first that I really worked on!
What’s your ape-index?
I have a negative 3-inch ape-index. Rotten luck. More like a t-rex index.
Well is there anything final you want to say to all these people reading about you?
I can’t stop thinking about something this friend of mine wrote on a myspace pic:  “Keep on keeping on and keep your pimp hand strong,” but it seems a bit misogynistic.

Lead photo by Mike Clark. Please visit his website! He’s a great photographer.

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Tags: ccgotw, cute climber girl of the week, hot, lydia mcdonald, new river gorge, south carolina, Whiskey