On the evening of June 3rd about 20 ladies attended the SheJumps into Climbing Outdoor Education event at Peak Experiences in Richmond, Virginia. It was a fun way to learn new skills, meet new friends and have a great time with fellow female outdoor enthusiast while spreading the word about SheJumps!
As the ladies arrived they were outfitted with a harness and given basic instruction on climbing. The women then spilt into smaller groups to make the most of the hour and a half of climbing which gave everyone several chances to climb different routes in the gym.
Sisterly love didn’t stop these two from racing up the ladder together!
The event was an excellent opportunity to learn the basic skills and techniques of rock climbing in a fun and relaxed environment while making new friends and catching up with ladies from the past!
It was great to watch the ladies supporting one another!
Some of the women were even brave enough to try the 50’ wall!
It was interesting to learn that the various routes all have names and a difficulty rating much like ski trails. We quickly found that as the numbers and difficulty increased, the size of the handholds decreased! It was fun to challenge ourselves, and great to have the support of other women below, as we tried our best to make it to the top without “cheating” by switching to an easier route!
The ladies were captivated as the staff of Peak Experiences put on a demo showcasing some impressive climbing skills!
By the end of the night our arms were burning, but we all had a fantastic time!
Several participants picked up new SheJumps Girafficorn t-shirts and stickers. There should be another increase in Girafficorn sightings in the Richmond area thanks to everyone’s generous support!
Thanks to all of the ladies who joined us. It was so much fun climbing with everyone. All of the ladies did an amazing job and there were more than a few sore arms the next morning!
We’d like to give a huge thanks to Heather and the staff of Peak Experiences for helping SheJumps put together this amazing Outdoor Education event. Thanks again to all of the wonderful ladies in attendance for coming out and supporting SheJumps. We can’t wait to see each of you at future SJ events!
(Photos by: Kelly Drewnowski)