Date: March 20 - 21st 2021
Location: Vantage, WA
Author: Kayla Wroblewski
Training Stage: N/A
Sport: Rock Climbing
Climbing Type: Sport Climbing & Top Roping
This was my first experience with Never Stop Moving and my first time climbing outside. I have been climbing in gyms, mostly in Kansas City and Seattle, for 3 years and hadn’t made it outside until this trip! Seattle has been tough to navigate with the year-long quarantine and, after several frustrating attempts to join male climbers outside, I took the reins and found NSM through researching online. It was absolutely what I needed for my first venture into outdoor climbing.
I was super nervous, with such a long build-up to the outdoors, and the small group on this trip eased every concern I had and made me feel completely comfortable with the climbs we were exploring. Jum, our fearless trip leader, started us off at the campsite with some intro’s and goals we all shared for the trip. Julia, our trip coordinator, offered a ton of support and helpful information about staying involved with NSM.
Although I learned to climb with sport climbing, I came to this trip with about 2 years of committed bouldering as my area of expertise. The experience of climbing with these 4 sport climbers was wonderful! It was super stimulating for me to compare techniques, realize my own strength in an outdoor context, and remember the difference between processing the routes with a harness and without.
As a boulderer, I couldn’t contribute and help belay safely but the group adjusted effortlessly without any hesitation, and taught me skills about lead climbing, knot tying, and safety practices. I also observed as the group reviewed and practiced setting up anchors and got used to being on the wall outside again at the start of this season.
We began climbing at the Feathers, starting with 5.6 and 5.7 routes, getting the swing before hiking a bit across Vantage’s beautiful high desert landscape. We squeezed through a rocky slot canyon of sorts in the walls, hard for big packs to get through, to be spit out near the Rod of God climbing area where we climbed several routes: a 5.6 and a fun 5.9. We were also confronted with a rocky social challenge, personal to me, that was conquered through the continued support of the climbing women on this team, for which I am forever grateful.
Blessed with sunlight we continued on to the King Pins and set up some 5.7 and 5.8 routes with a breathtaking view and the development of gail force winds. By the end of the King Pins we were getting tired and headed back to camp in the strong winds. The next morning we had a lovely, slow start and made it back to the Feathers to practice technical skills of setting up anchors on some approachable routes that enabled that practice well.
The Sunday of this trip was also my Birthday so this was no small weekend for me and I’m so thankful to have had the opportunity to experience it. This Vantage NSM weekend has me ready to climb outside, through both bouldering and sport, as much as possible and has me completely sold (did I ever doubt it?) on the value of women climbing together, learning together, and supporting each other. Huge success in my opinion!! And an incredible birthday gift.