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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Sport Climber
Winter Warriors – The Beginnings
What makes an amazing climbing friendship? Gemma and Charlie are delivering our 2020 winter mountaineering courses and they tell all about their heartwarming story....
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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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Film Review: ‘Liv along the way’
This short 24 minute Salomon film, shown as part of the Mountains on Stage Lineup, demonstrates the formidable strength of Liv Sansoz. Her aim is to climb all the summits in the Alps that are over 4000metres, of which there are a hearty 82, in...
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#6 Easy Access Resources
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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#5 Get Better, Get Training
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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#4 Exclusive Discounts
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. ...
Read More#3 Get Outdoors
Summer is on its way in the UK, which means that lots of us want to get outdoors. Being a Womenclimb member will give you access to our amazing outdoor meetup programme. At our meetups we can guarantee that you will meet incredible women...
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#2 Indoor Meetups
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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#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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Reasons to become a Womenclimb member
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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20 Ways to Motivate Yourself on a Can’t Be Bothered Day
The days are getting longer, the air feels a little warmer, the spring is coming. Now is the time to get into the climbing gym and get ready for the season, so you can reap the fruit throughout the summer. But what happens when you...
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Bouldering. 101.
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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Womenclimb Meetup Gallery
Hello. Over the years since Womenclimb started, we've run lots of different events and Meetups, where women of all different abilities have come together to make new climbing partnerships and enjoy climbing. As founder and CEO, I'm always so proud to see people coming together and...
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4 ways to track your climbs
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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Monday Motivation: Interview with Molly Burdick – from heart disease to ninja warrior
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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Fearless Fridays: Ten tips for nervous climbers
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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Monday Motivation: Mountains for the Mind
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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Monday Motivation: “This is for you, Mum” – the 8 year old who climbed The Old Man of Hoy and right into our hearts
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. [caption id="attachment_4146" align="alignleft" width="300"] Edward and the Old Man. Photo Alex Shaw[/caption] Last June, Edward (now 9) became the...
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Wednesday Wisdom: “The world needs people who are not afraid to be afraid”
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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Celebrating our friends: Michaela Tracy & Claire
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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Chat with Naomi Buys // Women’s Climbing Symposium 2018
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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Celebrating our friends: Mina Leslie-Wujastyk & Tanya
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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Celebrating our friends’ successes
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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Celebrating our success: Michaela Tracy
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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Celebrating our success: Madeleine Cope
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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Womenclimb on Tour!
November 2018 welcomed our first Womenclimb overseas trip and it was a sight to behold: Twenty climbers, four coaches, rain, sunshine, food, friendships, fun and oodles of personal growth. These are the incredible women who stepped out, pushed themselves, worked hard and made this a truly unforgettable...
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Celebrating Our Successes in 2018
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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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...
Read MoreWomen in Adventure Film Competition 2019 Launched
The fifth Women in Adventure Film Competition with the BMC is officially launched. The BMC and Womenclimb launched the competition at this year's Women's Trad Festival in the Peak District, in the company of 180 climbers from all around the UK. The competition is designed to...
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#inversion Christmas Giveaway
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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Charlie Low Reviews // Rab Kinetic Plus Softshell Jacket
"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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Climbing Inspiration // 1920’s to 2010’s
We all know that you can't be what you can't see, so in today's post are some Youtube videos to help you visualise success. Vicarious experiences, seeing other achieve success, are critical to gaining self-efficacy. Feel Successful, Watch Others' Success Self-efficacy is the thing that makes us...
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Successful Climbing
Today's climbing has been a success. I've been to Wilton 3 Quarry, north of Bolton where I led one route (a Severe), and backed off another (a VDiff) only 2 metres from the top. You might wonder how this was 'successful', because climbing one route and backing off...
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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.
Types of Climbing Shoe
Climbing shoes are an essential piece of equipment. They are probably THE most important piece you will buy. Your shoes will affect your comfort indoors and outdoor climbing. Choosing the right shoe is important too, because climbing is all about your feet - how you...
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Fancy Footwork: How to get better
Footwork is talked about so often by climbers, but even experienced climbers often don't know where to go to improve their footwork. Today's article is all about improving footwork. If we've missed something, leave us a comment and share your experience and knowledge with us...
Read MoreMy Best Adventures Part 1 // Emily Thompson
Emily Thompson is a Mountain Leader with a thirst for adventure, remoteness and fun. As part of our 'Best Adventures' series, Emily shares some of her best adventures. Here's part one of three: First Solo Wild Camp In the Moelwyns North Wales. I hiked up Cnicht and camped...
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Buff from Buff // Review
A lot of people love a good buff. This versatile loop of fabric, created in the 1990s by a keen off-road motorcyclist, is the staple of many climbers and outdoorsy people. It’s for good reason. The buff is a multifunctional piece of clothing, which can...
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Shino DLX Glove // Trespass // Review
Love: the soft inner & general feel
What I would change: Women-specific or Slender-hand fit
Price: £65.99
Dry hands, that luxury above all luxuries, on a day out in rainy hills. However ‘waterproof’ any glove proclaims to be, it’s simply not possible to keep them dry when there’s a stonking great hole to shove your soggy hands into. Most gloves have been disappointing in one way or another. I therefore went into this review experiment with very low expectations. My review is of the Trespass Shino unisex Adult GLX Glove in size XS/S, which boasts the following features:
Telling Women’s Stories
Women are underrepresented in adventure sport, and their stories are not making it in to the media. Do our favourite outdoor magazines have a responsibility to redress the balance? Lucy Wallace talks outdoor media and women, in our latest article. If you've got something to say,...
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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...
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Competition Winner
Congratulations to Louise who has won our competition for a 3rd Rock Sports Bra. We asked 'Tell us about your favourite bit of climbing gear (equipment, rope, boots, rope…) and why you love it, in under 100 words'. This was Louise's response: My favourite piece of gear...
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Getting Close to Emily Roo // Intimate Climber Bio
[caption id="attachment_3014" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Emily Photo Credit: Jen Randall[/caption] Emily Roo rocks; a strong, independent person, with an untethered passion for climbing. She's 5ft 4's worth of fun, laughter and motivation, hiding a serious commitment to alpinism and exploring untouched areas of the planet. In 2016...
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The Perfect Pressies for Climbers
Finding just the right present for the climber in your life can be tricky. Chances are she/he’s got all the usuals, so here are the Womenclimb top Christmas or birthday present picks. You can be in with a chance of winning a 3rd Rock sports bra
The Great Stuff Men Do
Achieving gender equality depends on men. If we continue as we are, with women pushing for gender equality largely alone, or supported by a minority of progressive and engaged men, gender equality is going to take another 81 years to happen – beyond both mine and my child’s lifetime.
Today, on International Men’s Day, I want to share something about how the men in my climbing life have helped me to move to a climbing grade I never thought I would achieve. I admit that I’m, perhaps, so strong and passionate an advocate of equality, so vocal about the inequalities I perceive, that the men around me can feel under attack and then defensive. This holds back the advancement of equality, because in this defensive situation, no-one is learning new ways of thinking or doing things. I felt today was a good day to reflect on the positive stuff and how men have made a difference in my climbing life.
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...
Read MoreWCS 2016 // Review // The Talks!
It’s hard to imagine the team at Women’s Climbing Symposium could improve their events from the previous years but we think they did just that. WCS 2016 saw 400 women from all over the country (and around the world too!) gather together to hear motivating and informative talks, learn some invaluable skills in workshops and network with like-minded super psyched people.
As always it was a star studded event with headline speakers Lisa Rands, Jo Pavey and WCS’s very own Shauna Coxsey, not to mention the plethora of high end climbing crushers like Leah Crane, Mina Leslie Wyjastyk and Suz Dudikn, to name but a few! This year there was theme of goals and so it was great that some of the speakers included women that pushed the boundaries of societal expectations and choose their own paths in life, among them outdoor leader Libby peter, nutritionist Rebecca Dent and entrepreneur Rachael Briggs.
Our very own Zoe gives us a taste of what some of the talks were like…
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