5 CLIMBING RESOURCES EVERY WOMAN NEEDS TO KNOW
When I began training more seriously for climbing, I came across Eric Horst’s thoughts on fear of failure and fear of falling in Training for Climbing, and it changed how I saw the impact of climbing on my life. Failure is a good thing in climbing. How you learn from failure determines how you grow as a climber, and falling is a symptom of failure. Lots of women and men talk about being afraid to fall, but I’m betting there are many women like myself who are afraid to fail.
Risk-taking is taught in different ways based on gender. There is a movement among educators and parents to teach girls to “be brave not perfect.” Children need to be given the freedom to explore, and they need to be taught to take calculated risks while they play. Because women and girls are often perceived as fragile, delicate and vulnerable, we shelter our daughters more than our sons.
I was drawn to climbing because it made me feel strong and powerful, and those feelings reinforced what I knew about my capabilities. As I have grown as a climber, I have learned to embrace my fears. By connecting with a community of women who want to do the same, I have learned so much more than I could have on my own.
Climbing attracts a wide variety of participants who appreciate an assortment of climbing styles. While some focus on crushing the hardest climbs by “going big” and pulling-off “burly” moves on huge holds, others find their inspiration elsewhere. We at Leading Ladies find that women can feel isolated or intimidated within the climbing community - enter the girl crew. It changes everything when a woman has a group of strong ladies who inspire her and cheer her on, so Maggie Kemper and I started “Leading Ladies of Climbing” to encourage women to climb hard and find their inner bravery in a supportive environment.
We are certainly not the first organization to create a space where women can discover how they want to climb.
THE BEST CLIMBING RESOURCES WOMEN NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
We have seen the Leadings Ladies Facebook page grow exponentially this spring, and we’re ready to get outside with a bunch of phenomenal Leading Ladies. Whether you want to toprope, lead, or boulder, we’ve got your back.
WANT MORE?
Here are some of my favorite resources.
Crux Crush: 3 Training Tips for Female Climbers
Why Teenage Girls are Dominating Climbing
Women In Climbing Accept and Adapt
Let's Teach Girls To Be Brave Not Perfect
In addition, Movement often offers Women's Bouldering Clinics. Be sure to check your local gym's upcoming calendar.
Contributed by Julianna Brightman, co-founder of Leading Ladies of Climbing and Movement Team Member.