Climbing in the Olympics – how it works
The Olympics is coming. And climbing is in it this time round. Get everything you need to know, here at Womenclimb, so you go into your competition viewing with all of the intel. ...
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Discover
An Introduction to Routesetting with Emma Twyford
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]At the climbing wall, a well set route is a pleasure to climb. It keeps us engaged, challenges us in different ways and gives us a kick when we top out. We may not realise it at the time, or even think about it, because when it's...
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Book Review: Fantastic Female Adventurers – Lily Dyu
Are you ready to inspire a child? Lily Dyu's book might have just the right combination of magic and fun to bring adventure to life for the little (and not so little) ones in your life. Find out more from Womenclimb writer Caitlin Ripley. ...
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Destination Guides – by you!
Do you have a favourite crag you want to shout about? Have you stumbled on the perfect set of beginner's boulders? Esoteric or popular; piddly 9 metre single pitch gruntwork or long multipitch exposure; everything in between and around...
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Outdoor Meetup // Wales (Part 1)
Something amazing happened at our meetup today. You might want to find out to see if you want some of the same - we've got lots more meetups happening soon for you to join in. Our meet ups are designed to adapt and meet the...
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Climbing Books to Enjoy This Summer
As the Easter weekend proved, summer is well underway. More daylight and longer hours means much more time spent outdoors, but that doesn’t mean you need to neglect climbing completely during your down time....
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Climbing and the Olympics: Part One
Are you excited?! Just in case you haven’t heard (are you living in a climbing-free cave?), in 2016 it was announced that Sport Climbing, along with Skateboarding, Surfing and Karate, would be trialed at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. But a climbing competition? How do you...
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Why go to a Womenclimb Meetup?
Ever wanted to climb, but none of your friends are available? Ever felt daunted by a particular route, unsure how to go about it? Join one of our monthly Indoor Meetups, all across the UK! Each meetup is led by a wonderful Womenclimb Ambassador: ‘I became an ambassador for Womenclimb because...
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#1 Amazing Climbing Community
Our climbing partners are crucial to our climbing success. They are there through our achievements and highs, as well as our struggles and challenges. They can make or break our climbing experience. What we’ve discovered through listening to you, our community, is that women often...
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Destination Guide: Thorn Crag
I’ll be honest. I discovered Thorn Crag as a result of a somewhat desperate Google search: “easy bouldering UK”. As that search indicates, I am by no means a boulderer. A nasty ankle injury bouldering indoors early in my climbing career, compounded by a trip to Font with...
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Women’s Leadership Opportunity
The Outward Bound Trust has launched an exciting new Women's Leadership Course (closing date 22nd April 2019). Kate O'Brien, Project Manager at the Trust, spoke to us about the scheme to give some insight into what the scheme is about and who they are looking...
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Bouldering in Finland: Part Three
Then and Now, Courtesy of the Ice Age “Finnish bouldering is as good as anywhere, and there is a lot of it”, one keen climber summed up in the Finnish climbing documentary Cold Stone. It is easy to second that. You’ll notice granite blocks dotting the forest floor...
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Bouldering in Finland: Part Two
Spring Fin Bouldering, Åland Island Life Anssi Laatikainen photography Spring sunshine is brushing the surface of red granite blocks in Åland’s Djupviksgrottorna (more casually, Grottan). The granite here is slated in such a way that the ubiquitous roofs look like they’ve been constructed from stacked up Lego blocks. The hold-potential of those...
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Bouldering in Finland: Part One
Planning your next Adventure Holiday: Lappnor Projects Weak rays of autumn sunlight reach through the twigs of an evergreen forest. A dirt road slithers between the trees, becoming more and more uneven as it runs deeper into the forest. It is Sunday in mid-August, and the boulder...
Read More7 Reasons I Chose my Climbing Gym
There has been a recent explosion of bouldering gyms around Sydney, and having climbed at each of them, let me tell you why I travel one hour each way to get to the gym I chose. It’s in Lane Cove, and it’s called 9 Degrees...
Read MoreBouldering in the Falklands
Falkland Islander Lisa Watson is a keen boulderer and editor of the Falklands local newspaper. She and her partner Jonny Summers are on a mission to build the Islands first bouldering gym. Find her on Instagram @lisapenguin and on Twitter @lisafalklands Being capable of shearing 300...
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Best VS crags
Spring is finally here and our trad gear is rattling to get out of the closet and onto the crag. For some early season inspiration we thought we’d bring you five of the best crags in England and Wales (sorry Scotland and NI!) for climbing...
Read MoreSave the Planet: Climbing Style
It’s been the hottest winter on record, Blue Planet has shown the true perils of the plastic straw, and latest sea level projections are suggesting that we’ll be snorkelling up Pembroke’s seacliffs by 2300. OK, so maybe the last one isn’t quite right, but as...
Read MoreMera Peak – Part 2: The Summit
'I’m not getting out of bed for less than $10,000.' My alarm melodies. It's 1am on 13th October, 2018. I hear people shuffling around outside the tent of our summit camp, 5800 metres high in the Himalaya. I lie for another 20 minutes until Durjee calls “tea?”....
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Indoor Climbing in Glasgow
Whether you’re escaping the rain on weekends or getting in some training around the daily grind, there are two high quality indoor rock climbing venues in Glasgow. If you're lacking in belay buddies, check out this Glasgow Climbers Facebook page to find climbing partners in Glasgow! A fantastic...
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Fearless Fridays: Dreaming of Kilimanjaro
"You need to combat your fears of failing first and after that, simply take it step by step. Even if you don’t get to the very top, you’ll get an awful lot from the experience as a whole." Last September, travel writer Lindsay Hawdon achieved a...
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Monday Motivation: “We show them with actions, not words”
Do you ever think it’s too late to take up a new activity, like mountaineering? Perhaps you’ll get criticism just from believing you can. Particularly if you’re a middle-aged woman working as a cook at the bottom of Bolivia’s highest peaks… A few years ago, 11...
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My Winter Indoor Challenge
I love the adventure of long traditional climbs and I enjoy going to indoor walls with friends for fun and exercise. Occasionally I've made the effort to push my lead grade but 6a is my indoor all-time best and the rare VS outside. In winter it's...
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Mountain Podcast
Some inspiration from the Mountain Podcast: http://mountainpodcast.com/episode/10-lomond-the-long-way/ - with runner Susie Allison, author of Scottish Trail Running. http://mountainpodcast.com/episode/11-race-on-the-edge/ - with Cat Morrison (former world champion triathlete/Ironman) & Caroline Wallace (ex-pro triathlete and awesome endurance athlete) http://mountainpodcast.com/episode/12-the-hills-i-call-home-arran/ - with Kirstie Smith, hillwalker, Sarda dog trainer and...
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Womenclimb – Top 25 Climbing Blog!
In Discover
We're so excited to be featured in the Adventure Junkies Top Climbing Blogs 2018. Check out the other blogs in our category here: Adventure Junkies. ...
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How to Set up a Women’s Climbing Group
In the second in our series about setting up a women's climbing group, guest writer Lorna Potter discusses how she went about setting up Bristol Women Climbers. She talks about what you might need to think about and what you'll need to do. It doesn't have to be...
Read MoreWhy YOU should create a Women’s Climbing Group
Guest writer Lorna Potter, founder of Bristol Women Climbers, discusses her insights and suggestions in the set up of a women’s climbing group.
Women’s climbing groups are are a great way to empower women and create a community for women to come together and build friendships around their love for climbing.
I’m Lorna and I run Bristol Women Climbers (BWC), a group for women climbers in Bristol to get to know other local female climbers, make friends, have fun, share skills and inspire each other to climb harder.
Building the first Bouldering Gym in the Falklands
Falkland Islander Lisa Watson is a keen boulderer and editor of the Falklands local newspaper. She and her partner Jonny Summers are on a mission to build the Islands first bouldering gym. So what’s it like climbing in the Falklands?
Women in Mountain Rescue: Becky Isles
Womenclimb want to encourage more women to see Mountain Rescue as something they can get involved in, as despite an increase in women in MR in the last 15 years they still represent less than 20% of team members.
I met up with Becky in a little cafe in Sowerby Bridge and over a brew we chatted about our experiences in Mountain Rescue, why she got involved and how she manages to fit it around her career working as an A&E Registrar.
Women in Mountain Rescue: Carina Humberstone
Womenclimb recognises the importance that Mountain Rescue volunteers play in ensuring that climbers and hillwalkers are educated and safe when enjoying the outdoors. Womenclimb want to encourage more interested women to see Mountain Rescue as something they can get involved in.
Today we catch up with Carina Humberstone, from Buxton MRT to chat how she got involved in Mountain Rescue and teaching water rescue skills.
Women in Mountain Rescue: Judy Whiteside
Womenclimb recognises the importance that Mountain Rescue volunteers play in ensuring that climbers and hillwalkers are educated and safe when enjoying the outdoors. Womenclimb want to encourage more interested women to see Mountain Rescue as something they can get involved in.
We caught up with Judy Whiteside, from Mountain Rescue England & Wales to chat about her involvement in the Rossendale & Pendle team, how she got involved in the national charity and what she gets out of being involved.
Women in Mountain Rescue: Ellie Sherwin
Womenclimb recognises the importance that Mountain Rescue volunteers play in ensuring that climbers and hillwalkers are educated and safe when enjoying the outdoors. They are the unsung heroes who ensure that those lost are found and that those in accidents are cared for.
Women are under represented in Mountain Rescue as they are in other outdoor professions and Womenclimb want to encourage more women to see Mountain Rescue as something they can get involved in.
Today we catch up with Ellie Sherwin, one of Calder Valley Search and Rescue Team’s search dog handlers to chat about her involvement in the team, the highs and lows and what she gets out of being in the team.
Indoor ice climbing in the UK
The UK has some fantastic locations for ice climbing, but what if you live a long way from the mountains and your time is short? There’s a growing number of indoor ice climbing facilities where you can hone your skills before heading out on an adventure in the mountains. Have you tried them and fancy writing us a review?
First Ascent // Rebecca Coles
In November 2016, Rebecca Coles and Simon Verspeak made a first ascent of Lasarmu La, a 6246m Peak in the far West of Nepal. Rebecca talks about the ups and downs, the highs and lows of her expedition in this remote area of Nepal. How...
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My 25 Best Adventures // Emily Pitts
Sometimes the best adventures are the small ones or the unplanned ones or the ones that aren't even meant to be adventures. Adventures don't have to be in 'the outdoors', they can be expeditions of the mind, to new places, exploring different kinds of thinking....
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Women Inspiring Girls & Women
Are you a woman working in the climbing/ mountaineering/ outdoors industry? Perhaps you're a mountaineering instructor? Or maybe you're a garment technologist and engineer outdoor clothing? Or maybe you do something else related to the industry? Womenclimb has a Youtube Channel and we want to fill it with great...
Read MoreDoTERRA Deep Blue Rub // review
Ever had a really hard climbing session that just leaves your muscles aching for days? We’re always looking for a drug free way to manage any aches and pains and often natural muscle rubs and therapies can provide a good solution. Today we review DoTERRA essential oil Deep Blue muscle rub. Will it provide a way to ease aches and pains? Emily from Womenclimb tried it out after a hard day in the mountains; its time to find out her verdict:
Portrait of Gwen Moffat by Sophie Jacobs
[caption id="attachment_3012" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Sophie draws Gwen Moffatt in her unique style.[/caption] "We hear a lot about the romantic notion of dirtbag climbers—guys who live out of their vans, putting up big routes all over the country. But the first iteration of dirtbag was no dude:...
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Buy a man a book…
And you educate him! Looking through the shelves at Waterstones or any bookseller you would imagine that women never do sport. So this Christmas, how about making a difference by buying a man one of these incredible, exciting, adventurous books. We've gone to the trouble...
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Top Tips for Via Ferrata
In her last post, Emily Thompson talked about Via Ferrata and here she gives her top tips for beginner to help you make the most of your via ferrata experience.
Georgia Pilkington // Climbing the Matterhorn
Her family jokes “she can climb The Matterhorn, but can’t go into a shop”. Georgia Pilkington is British Deaf Climbing Champion and cofounder of Deaf Climbing UK, she has also recently been diagnosed with Autism. As part of the Autism at Height team, Georgia attempted to climb the Matterhorn in August, she reveals to Womenclimb how the experience has changed her.
Indoor Rock Climbing in West Yorkshire
Sandwiched between the Peak District & Yorkshire Dales National Parks, and between the well known climbing areas of Sheffield & Manchester, West Yorkshire might not be the first place you think of for indoor rock climbing but it boasts 6 climbing walls to suit every ability, all within an hour’s drive of one another. These climbing walls are all close to Leeds, but accessible from other areas in West Yorkshire too. Hope you enjoy this great six. Why not visit and write us a review?
Ella Williams // Climber Bio
‘Climbing for me is like a dance, when I am in the moment I don’t have to think about what I’m doing.’
Ella Williams is an outdoors instructor living in North Wales. At the time of writing, she was 29 years old, born in 1987, having started rock climbing at the age of 26. She is 5ft1 (155cm tall). We met Ella on a climbing weekend in north Wales in 2015, where she showed her love of sharing the outdoors with others. This is a really beautiful piece of writing, enjoy.