Climbing is a mental challenge for me. I’ve felt embarrassed and frustrated in equal measure at my slow progress in trad lead climbing outdoors. If I had a pound for every time my friends and climbing partners said ‘you can easily do that – it’s well within your capability’, before...
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Whether it’s running out of time, life getting in the way, or recovering from injuries, sometimes you have to take a break from climbing. This seems to be something I do pretty often, every year. Getting back on the wall can then feel like a...
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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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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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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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If you've ever felt lost and not sure how to progress, our downloadable resources can help you to identify areas to develop and learn new climbing skills and techniques, all in one place. No more hunting round the internet for trustworthy and reliable resources once...
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Plenty of us want to get better, but don't know how. That is where Womenclimb training comes in. Join women around the UK who have already benefitted from our dedicated training programmes, face-to-face and remote-access online. Whether it's the practical skills for climbing or managing...
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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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At the heart of what we do is this: people. When you sign up as a member of Womenclimb, you are creating and becoming part of an authentic community that is committed to supporting women to achieve their goals, in more ways than one. ...
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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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Have you ever been in a position where you really want to go climbing, but no-one else is free? Or you want to push yourself further, but just don't know how? Womenclimb Meetups are for you! Every month, as a member, you will get FREE...
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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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Have you ever felt like you can’t find the right climbing partner?Would you like to climb more and get better at climbing? Do you want a confidence boost?Have you hit a climbing plateau? Natasha Hirst photography Womenclimb membership is here to help with these things and...
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Going to the bouldering gym to crush your project is a satisfying and fun way to climb, but what about those days when you want something a little less intense while still...
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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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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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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 MoreThere 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 MoreFalkland 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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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...
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Noticed a new bouldering gym pop up in town and want to try it? Good. New to bouldering? Even better. Here’s a cheat sheet for you: The wall Natasha Hirst Photography The indoor bouldering gym usually hosts a 20 foot (or 6.1 metre) wall. It is an artificially constructed...
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Natasha Hirst Photography Enjoying the bouldering wall, but not sure what the lingo's all about? Here's a quick guide to get you started: Barn door: when the body swings open from the same hand and foot being positioned on the wall Beta: information about the moves, approach...
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Each year, millions of women share in the experience of having periods, but it is still seen as a taboo subject, making many people feel awkward and stopping thousands from participating. As part of their long-term research project 'Managing Menstruation in Extreme Environments Project’ (or...
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If you are wondering why you should log your climbs, if you need to log them or you’re not sure how to start logging them, then Womenclimb is here to help. Here’s our opinion on why you should, and four different ways to start keeping...
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10 years ago, Molly Burdick was diagnosed with congenital heart disease. After years fighting PTSD due to her illness, and often too scared to leave the house, her life changed forever when she watched a climbing video of Chris Sharma and Adam Ondra. Fast forward...
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It being winter here in the northern hemisphere, my social media feed is full of news and images of the white stuff – people climbing it, hiking across it, skiing down it (me, jealous much?!). I came across one such article (link at the end)...
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"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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Currently, 1 in 4 people in Britain experience mental health problems each year (according to Mind). The chances are pretty high then that every one of us knows someone who’s suffering with some aspect of mental health. It’s also pretty likely that we don’t actually...
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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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In contrast to last week’s post about a 99-year old making her first climb, today we’re celebrating the incredible story of Edward Mills and his mum Bekki Christian. Edward and the Old Man. Photo Alex Shaw Last June, Edward (now 9) became the...
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In her recent TEDx talk, pro climber Emily Harrington succinctly describes how she uses her fear of falling to succeed at climbing some of the hardest routes in the world. Starting out climbing aged 11, she – like most beginners – was afraid of falling. She...
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Think you’re too old to learn new tricks?! How about this amazing 99-year old grandma who just did her first indoor climb… For Tim Dobson, watching his grandma tie in and start her first ever climb was probably not the calmest moment of his life. Especially...
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Written by Beth Thomas
Yoga has become a bit of a buzz word in recent years and you could even say it has become quite trendy. It is however an ancient Indian practice developed over 5,000 years ago! Bang on trend.
2017 was a huge year for climbing. Margo Hayes became the first woman to climb 9a+, Angy Eiter became the first woman to climb 9b, Adam Ondra made the first 9c ascent, and Alex Honnold free soloed El Capitan in Yosemite. All of these accomplishments...
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For many of us, climbing is not all about the hard grades; it's more about the setting, adventure, friends, and memories. Our final story of this week's mini-series comes from Michaela Tracy, who tells the story of climbing with her friend Claire Jane Carter in...
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Naomi buys, the woman who climbed three E7s in one week, is an inspirational climber who simply loves the sport. Naomi climbs as much as possible and her local climbing spots are Lancashire, Yorkshire, Grit and Limestone. I had the wonderful opportunity to speak to...
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Continuing our celebration theme this month, we're reflecting on the achievements of our friends. We caught up with top British climber Mina Leslie-Wujastyk for this inspiring story about her friend Tanya. "Watching Tanya climb Austrian Oak (8b) at Malham Cove is a memory firmly imprinted in...
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How did I get on at the Women's Climbing Symposium? I talk about my WCS experience and what I got out of it. Read on to find out about my journey. I’ve been climbing indoors and out, for around 5 years, but overhangs and climbs requiring any...
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Our mini-series this week is celebrating the climbing achievements of our friends - the friends who support, motivate or challenge us; the friends who have faced their climbing fears; the friends who have overcome obstacles through climbing; the friends who are just awesome to climb...
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The Women’s Climbing Symposium is a UK based event with speakers from across the world talking about their climbing experiences and renowned coaches helping to develop individual climbing skills, aiming to ‘Connect, Develop and Inspire’ women in the climbing community. The event is organised by...
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Our final story in this week's mini-series comes from Michaela Tracy, one of the UK's top multi-discipline climbers. Having been climbing for nearly 20 years, Michaela has some impressive achievements under her belt: redpointing sport 8bs, E5 trad onsights, boulder problems up to 8A, and...
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Our third exclusive story in this week's mini-series comes from Madeleine Cope, one of the young British climbers who are pushing the boundaries of female climbing achievements. Last year she climbed an 8c route at Malham Cove ('Bat Route') - only the 4th female Brit...
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Abigail Robinson is a member of the GB Paraclimbing Team, and has had some pretty incredible successes this year. Here's the second in our mini-series of personal success stories from leading British climbers. Personal celebration: Women's B2 World Champion "I started climbing around the age of 13 and,...
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The first of our exclusive stories comes from Hazel Findlay, one of Britain's leading trad climbers. She began climbing on the sea cliffs of Pembrokeshire with her father when she was seven years old, and went on to be the first female British climber to climb E9, and...
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The theme for our posts this week is celebrating our personal successes from 2018. All week we’ll be sharing success stories of some of the country’s most inspiring women climbers, including Hazel Findlay, Madeleine Cope, Michaela Tracy, and Abbie Robinson. We also invite you to...
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Should Climbing Gyms Adopt a Shirts-On Policy? Climbing culture is about inclusivity, which is why shirtless climbing can be a sensitive issue. In this article, Tess talks about her thoughts on why going shirtless should be accepted within the climbing community. Exercising shirtless is widely practiced among...
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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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Starting rock climbing is one of the most rewarding things you can do since it’s a great way to get outdoors, meet new friends, and keep fit. However, it is easy to feel overwhelmed when choosing which gear to buy as there are so many...
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Adventure travel company inversion are offering an incredible prize to one lucky Womenclimber - a free place on their upcoming ice climbing adventure in the stunning Pyrenees. The trip, running 19th – 23rd January 2018, led by MIC Simon Edward, includes transfers, half-board accommodation, guiding &...
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"As soon as my Kinetic Plus jacket arrived I was impressed with how soft and comfortable it felt." Charlie Low is a climber based in the Peak District. She runs the popular Women's Trad Festival every summer, she climbs and she's all round outdoorsy - perfect for a...
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