I’ve been looking for a fun way to give back to the climbing community for a while now, since bouldering is much more than just a hobby to me now. The sport has given me so much in the form of friends, confidence, and this blog!
When I posted this drawing the other day it got such a lovely response, which was nice since I had so much making it, and it got the cams cogs turning in my head…
So, watch this space!
An exciting new venture is coming to A Girl Who Climbs soon
International Women’s Day 2017
Here’s to the role models both past and present who strive for gender equality in all aspects of life across this crazy world.
Today is a day to globally celebrate the lovely females in our lives, support each other’s achievements and continue the work for gender equality. Today is not a day to put men down or to have people haughtily ask the question, ‘when is it International Men’s Day then?’ There is an International Men’s Day, and it’s celebrated November 19th focusing on all the important issues for males like health, discrimination and once again finding equality.
Now that I’ve got that off my chest, what I really want to do is to say how awesome it is that we have so many inspirational female climbers. Lynn Hill, Alex Puccio and Shauna Coxsey to name but a few. Women excelling, working hard and essentially paving the way for future climbers. I feel lucky to be involved in a hobby which, despite being male dominant, has a great female community. From female climbing groups at the local crags and gyms to The Women’s Climbing Symposium, it’s nice to see and feel that presence ever growing. Plus, wonderful campaigns like This Girl Can are also there to help us cheer each other on.
On a side note, joining roller derby has genuinely made me feel more confident and empowered, and I am 100% positive that comes from it being a female dominated sport. Yet despite it having such a strong woman base, there is a place for anyone and everyone. I strongly suggest you check out your local team and give it a shot!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZoXyIxqFRc
Late January I headed out to Craig y Longridge with some friends for the first outdoor adventure of the year. Known as the stomping ground of Ian Vickers and Gaz Parry, Longridge is 100m of 20-degree overhanging quarried grit which makes it the place to get strong.
The Longridge crag backs on to Green Bank Park which was once all owned by the same landowner. However, after some resident complaints about climbers, liability worries and threats of filling in the crag, local climbers and the BMC stepped in. After a few long years they managed to settle a deal meaning Craig y Longridge is owned by climbers and the BMC. Yet since the homes are so close to the rock there are a few rules to keep the peace: no music, no dogs, and no climbing before 10am or after sunset. You can read more about the history here.
It was easy to drive and parking was no problem, in fact you can park right outside the venue in the laybys. As you can imagine January in the UK is bitterly cold and this Sunday was no exception. Due to the nature of the rock it’s perfect for traversing and of course there are loads of problems from low to high grades there too, making it a great venue for different climbing abilities. We didn’t stay too long and I didn’t climb anything as it was just far too cold for me, but it was still nice being there as I could help with spotting people as they tried a few climbs.
I’m really excited to head back in the warmer months, especially as I feel like I’m starting to grind through the plateau now which has given me some more confidence in my abilities.
Expect another Craig y Longridge post (with climbing) soon!
Well, very nearly! I hope you are all having a nice festive break or on your way to one if you’re still working. Here are few of my favourite climbing related people, websites, blogs and shops I enjoy virtually hanging out at when I’m after a climbing fix or relaxing.
Grab a brandy and mince pie!
HoldBreaker– www.holdbreaker.com
Amazing customer service and their website is packed with so much climbing information and I love their ethos: “We believe everyone’s struggle is the same, irrespective of level” #NoBetaNeeded
Beatmonkeys – www.betamonkeys.co.uk
I’m sure you’ve seen these cartoons already as they are always flying around the climbing community. The truth behind them is what makes them so funny and relatable, and sometimes just the thing you need to get you through the week
Rock Rags – www.rockrags.co.uk
For climbers by climbers. This site houses independent business’ and their clothing, all of which is climbing related and awesome
Fernweh – www.fernwehuk.com
Beautiful handmade knits and chalk bags that are so cute yet sturdy!
Eric Karlsson Bouldering – www.youtube.com/user/opuz1337
Great videos that range from techniques to general wall fun, I always feel inspired after watching these
Girl On Rock – www.girlonrock.co
Great blog on all things climbing, a nice way to spend 10 minutes with a cup of coffee
Wishing you a very merry climbing Christmas!
I managed to pick up a minor injury at the weekend whilst climbing. I was trying the same move over and over, which was a deep lock off on a volume. This makes it sound way more fancy than it actually was. Basically I was trying to pull down with my left arm, into a lock off, to help me move upwards. I felt a funny ‘zing‘ in my elbow, but after a small rest everything seemed okay. It wasn’t until later on when I went to put my arm through my backpack strap that I felt the horrible nerve pain.
After A Boy Who Climbs (who is a Sports Therapist) poked and pressed my elbow for a bit, he came to the conclusion that I had given myself Golfer’s elbow, which is basically tendonitis. This is the second time I’ve managed to damage myself in this way on this same arm, the first time being from an extremely graceful fall at roller derby. Some ice and rest has helped, but I must admit I’m still a little nervous to climb on it, so when Ed of Betamonkeys suggested using FlexEx to exercise, I figured why not!?
These little stretchy bands are surprisingly good and come in 3 difficulties. Plus they’re so small you can take them anywhere, making them perfect for pre-climb warm ups. I’ve used hair bobbles and elastic bands to mimic this type of thing before, but these bands are much easier to use. A proper review will follow!
No-one likes being injured, much less not being able to exercise and climb. However it’s only minor, and the down time is an important stage for healing, so that’s where I’m at for the moment.
Yesterday was A Girl Who Climbs first blog birthday! A whole year has flown by since I nervously put up my very first post. I’ve learnt and grown so much as both a person and climber in those 365 days, and hopefully that has shown through these weekly ramblings. Now that I think about it, it has been a pretty incredible year with some good achievements.
Thank you for following me along the way, no matter what platform it’s on. It’s just awesome to interact with everyone and to feel like part of the climbing community. Sharing my experiences as I learn is still very much the focus and reason for this blog, along with the hopes that it helps someone out.
So now that the reflective, soppy stuff is out the way, I wanted something to mark the occasion. You may have noticed yesterday that the crimp creature has had a make over to celebrate!
Thanks to Helen Dennett Illustration for this amazingly cute logo. You can check out all of Helen’s illustrations on her website. I’m so psyched with this little guy.
So here’s to another year of blog posts!
Happy climbing 🙂
A Girl Who Climbs 