In celebration of Womxn’s Month, a few of the CityROCK Cape Town ladies (led by Brigitte Pegado) hosted a Womxn’s Crag Day on Sunday, 22 August.
Blue skies and crisp Cape air made for perfect conditions at Silvermine Lower Crag, and with eleven pairs of hands itching to get on the rock, the team make quick work setting up top ropes on:
- – Chicks Dig It Lank (13)
- – Serendipity (14)
- – Rough Rider (15)
- – Flakes (14)
Over the course of the day everyone got to enjoy a few climbs, with many of the attendees experiencing their first time on real rock and pushing themselves to new limits. The highlight of the day was a relaxed lunch (complete with banana bread and steamy rooibos courtesy of Brigitte) during which the group had a heartfelt discussion about the experiences and challenges of being a womxn who climbs – from body image and confidence, to finding the beta that works for you. A special touch was the inclusion of two men in the group – it was wonderful to see men supporting womxn and making an effort to understand their unique struggles (we’re all in this together)!
On her experience, Gabriella commented:
"Thank you to all the lovely ladies for an amazing experience. Definitely the right people to climb with. All of them made me feel incredibly safe and they always had something encouraging to say. Would for sure climb with this bunch again."
All in all, we couldn’t have asked for a better adventure. The gorgeous weather drew a perfectly-sized crowd to the crag – not so many that the routes were clogged, but enough to make for a lekker vibe. Plus, a proper cherry on top, a member of the Tears Animal Rescue team happened to be out for a climb with a two-week-old kitten she was bottle-feeding (i.e. the cutest crag animal in the world).
Keep your eyes open for the next CityROCK crag day and, until then, happy climbing!
Thank you to Francini van Staden and Tracey van Heerden for their beautiful photos.
