Jumping Off Rocks in Banks Lake, WA!

DATE: JULY 7TH - 9TH, 2018

LOCATION: BANKS LAKE, WA

AUTHOR: SARAH HAENSLY

STAGE: SUMMER CLIMBING TRIPS

CLIMBING TYPE: DEEP WATER SOLOING / SPORT CLIMBING

This past weekend spent in Banks Lake was my first outdoor climbing trip in Washington. I’d have to give it a 10/10. The weather was beautiful, the group was great, and I was introduced to a new part of Washington that I probably would not have had the chance to visit otherwise. 

Saturday morning we all met at Banks Lake, where we rented a pontoon boat for the day. We took the boat out to go explore unknown territory, and to find new climbs. Without any book guiding us, we managed to find some awesome boulders. While it’s a little freaky to be climbing over water, it was a new experience for all of us, and everyone seemed to enjoy it. When we weren’t climbing we were eating cheetos and veggies & hummus. Regardless of if the time was spent in the boat or climbing boulders, it was a great opportunity to get to know some female climbers and to celebrate the start of a sunny Washington summer. 

The following day we went out to do some sport climbing right next to the lake. This has to be one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever climbed. The routes were fun, and I learned plenty of new tips regarding anchors and safety. I would definitely love to go back to explore some more climbs in the area, as I found the routes really enjoyable. 

I’m excited to check out more NSM trips in the future!

Welcome to Mazama

The ladies bringing it together after an awesome day climbing at Fun Rock at Mazama, WA!

DATE: JUNE 23RD, 2018

LOCATION: MAZAMA, WA

AUTHOR: GAYA HELSBY

STAGE: SUMMER CLIMBING TRIPS

CLIMBING TYPE: SPORT CLIMBING / TOP ROPING

No better way to welcome the summer solstice than a combination of climbing, sunshine, river bathing, and sisterhood! We knew prior to the trip that the weather in Mazama would be in the high 70's/ low 80's, so I packed a gallon jug of water and my river clothes to stay cool and hydrated. 

Following the 5 hour drive filled with laughs and deep talks from Seattle to Mazama, my carpool reached the campsite after dark. We pitched our tents and set up camp by the river, aided with the luminescence of our headlamps. One of our members, Raechel, who lives in the area graciously made sure navigation and directions were clear for all the carpools to follow and make it there safely. Reliable Raechel :)

The next morning we packed for the day and headed out to the crag, Fun Rock. And what an appropriate name this was, as the approach was less than 5 minutes with little to no elevation gain. If you're looking for no-funny business and just to hop on some routes directly, Fun Rock is your Mazama go-to.

This trip was a milestone for me--in that I had taken one of my biggest lead falls on a 10.b at Fun Rock. I never did get to finish leading that route, but the fall felt like an accomplishment in itself. Even more of a delight was earning a huge sense of trust and respect to my belayer, for giving me a soft-catch to such a big fall. Kudos to Siserra!!

Speaking of Kudos, huge thanks to Megan for refreshing us on anchor building, knots and double triple quadruple checking that we were all safe out there. She spent the majority of her time mentoring those who were curious in sharpening their skills.

We ended the day with a dip in the frigid river to wash off all of the muck we accumulated from a day of sweat, chalk, and dirt followed by an impromptu dinner at the Mazama Store. The sun was shining and didn't set until about 10pm. Upon the return back to the camp site, we reflected on our highs, lows, and climbing goals of the day-- with the common theme of feeling supported, accomplished, and hungry to learn more. I love the encouragement and ambition that the members of this group exude. I love the wisdom and sense of good stewardship that Megan passes on. I love everything about this weekend. 

First Outdoor Climbing Trip - 2018

All the ladies posing at the top of the access to Sunshine Wall after an awesome long day of climbing!

DATE: MARCH 10TH, 2018

LOCATION: VANTAGE, WA

AUTHOR: ELIZABETH STENSRUD

TRAINING STAGE: POWER

CLIMBING TYPE: SPORT CLIMBING / TOP ROPING

It's difficult to write a trip report that isn't just one long thank you, because gratitude was the overwhelming emotion I felt after my trip to Vantage with Never Stop Moving. It was a day of firsts for many of us; for my part, it was my first time at Vantage, first time climbing outdoors, and my first time sport climbing since learning to belay a week earlier. 

Considering this, I probably should have been a little nervous and intimidated when I woke up that morning, but after the last few months I spent training with the NSM team, it didn't occur to me that the day would consist of anything but fun and learning. My instincts were right! The more experienced climbers in our group were beyond generous with their expertise, explanations, and gear. As I attempted my first climbs, I felt encouraged and excited, thanks to the patience of my belayer and the advice shouted from below. 

It was a stunningly beautiful day and the Sunshine Wall was crowded, but everyone was perfectly content to enjoy the weather, views, and each others company. All in all, I came away from Vantage feeling thankful for the NSM community and inspired to train harder for future trips!

Women's Beginner Lead Climbing Clinic

The ladies practicing taking lead falls on an overhanging wall at Exit 38. 

Date: June 24th, 2017

Location: Exit 38, North Bend, WA

Author: Janessa Zucchetto

Clinic Host: Audrey Sniezek, Professional Rock Climbing

Climbing Type: Sport / Lead Climbing

Last month I was privileged to attend a NSM lead clinic at Exit 38 hosted by Audrey Sniezek. The clinic began with a short lesson on gearing up, instruction on clipping, and some critical details about lead belaying. Following our introduction, we completed two warm up climbs where we practiced leading from the safety of a top rope belay (each climber tied into two ropes). After an informative lunch break, we put our bravery to the test on a nice 5.9 that had a small but distinct roof about seven clips up. The mission: lead the first seven clips then take some falls. First a small fall—with the clip at your waist, then progressively larger falls. All the ladies challenged themselves to take falls a little bigger than they were confident to take, and worked to accomplish their individual goals. Throughout the clinic, Audrey answered our questions in detail—she shared with us her own preferences and philosophy on various aspects of climbing. For me, the clinic accomplished two things: 1) I took my first lead falls outside—this has made lead climbing significantly less scary for me. And 2) I acquired knowledge that allows me to belay with much more skill and confidence (something that I did not expect to get out of the clinic). I appreciated that Audrey was responsive to our concerns, and was patient in helping us work through fears of leading and falling. Audrey is extremely knowledgeable and puts a great emphasis safety. I would not hesitate to attend another one of her clinics!

Smith Rock State Park

Hannah leading up a pitch with grace and confidence!

Date: May 27-29th, 2017

Location: Smith Rock State Park, Terrebone, OR

Author: Katy Chekouras

Training Stage: Performance

Climbing Type: Sport Climbing

The place simply has gravitas, red rock shifting up out of the ground to frame Mt. Hood, with the river winding through the valley, a hawk circling and the peaks calling.   

"You can't fall if you don't climb. But there's no joy in living your whole life on the ground." 

And so we went exploring, a pack of women ready to support each other from sharing gear and beta to belaying and encouraging.  The group shifted from day to day as people helped each other with different goals from first multi-pitch ascents, to lead climbing or a day off down the lazy river.   Overall an amazing experience and a wonderful way to get out with a community started in the gym and then grown outdoors.

Spring is Upon Us - Mount Erie

The ladies of the trip getting together before calling it a day!

Date: May 6th, 2017

Location: Mount Erie, Anacortes, WA

Author: Wendy Israel

Training Stage: Performance

Climbing Type: Sport Climbing

What a day for climbing! With clear skies and a projected high in the 70s, the NSM crew met at the Mt. Erie parking lot bright and early on a Saturday morning. We were not the only ones taking advantage of the great weather, while waiting for everyone to arrive, we talked to a Search and Rescue training group, a Young Life group and heard rumors of a huge group of Boy Scouts also in the area. But after short, but steep hike down to the Powerline Wall, we only shared the area with a few other small groups of climbers. The views from this crag are stunning!!

We had all levels of climbers on the trip and after introductions everyone self-sorted themselves into group based on what routes they wanted to climb. We had groups working on top-roping 5.8s - 5.9s and others crushing 5.10s on lead. Everyone I climbed with was super focused on climbing safe, answering each other's questions and providing support and encouragement. It seemed like everyone had a great time climbing at their own level but with just the right amount of encouragement to push past their comfort zones just  a little.

This was my first outdoor trip with NSM and I was incredibly impressed with every aspect of it and I can't wait for the next trip!!

First Outdoor Climbing Trip - 2017

Ladies of NSM top roping at The Feathers

Date: March 18th, 2017

Location: Vantage, WA

Author: Gaya Rakhim

Training Stage: Base

Climbing Type: Sport Climbing

Vantage never ceases to amaze—from its diverse routes to its remote picturesque-ness, Feathers showed a welcoming time for the ladies of NSM who were experienced, novice, and everything in between. I always had a bit of stage fright while climbing, especially since this trip was my first outdoor lead. For a number of us women on the trip, Vantage would be where we crushed our first outdoor leads. 

We started off the morning on one side of the Feathers, climbing pitches where we lead, set and cleaned routes for practice until the first-time leaders got comfortable. It was great being in the presence of diversity in climbing skill levels, while at the same time having such a supportive and helpful environment all around. Having just taken a sport-climbing series course, the NSM Vantage trip was the perfect introduction for my gym to crag learning experience. As fellow climbers passed on their knowledge and introduced us to gear and proper equipment handling, each piece of gear gave me a larger take-away of what is pertinent in climbing—for instance one of the ladies our group brought a beta clip, where its functional use is to clip in the first quickdraw without having to free climb to the first bolt and run the risk of decking and experiencing a fall without being clipped in. This showed me the humility that even experienced climbers in our group have in safety and respect for outdoor elements. 

Throughout the day, we went from pitch to pitch, sending routes and enjoying the sunny views over the cliffs and canyons. I could see the improvements in everyone’s climbing technique—including my own. By the end of the trip, I can attest to the increase in confidence and love for the sport that climbing with such a strong and supportive group of women gave me. This was my first time with NSM and it left such a great impression on me. I look forward to many more awesome times to come!

Climb Smart - Joshua Tree, CA

Stefanie and Kristin posing at the Dino's Egg Boulder

Date: October 14th-16th, 2016

Author: Stefanie Hindmarch

Training Stage: Strength

Climbing Type: Bouldering, Clinics

It was finally time to embark on the trip we had been waiting for: Joshua Tree. For months, we had been burying our heads in climbing books, finding flights and preparing for the sunny weather and warm rock of Southern California. From SeaTac airport, we flew to Los Angeles and after some swift service at the car rental (just kidding, it took 2 hours, don’t rent with FOX) we were on the road. After a few hours of driving and a gourmet dinner at In-N-Out, we arrived at the campsite. We pitched our tents at record speed at 2 am and fell asleep almost instantly for a blissful 5 hours.

Friday morning, we completed registration and were debriefed on the Climb Smart festival clinics. Driving into Joshua Tree National Park, the group’s excitement rose quickly despite our lack of sleep. The desert landscape, covered with amazing rock formations and joshua trees, felt like another planet compared to the wet and green of Washington.

We spent the first morning at an anchors clinic, where we learned some cool knots and anchor techniques, as well as the importance of being ERNEST (equalized, redundant, no extension, strong and timely). The clinic was definitely worth attending, but we were all eager to climb so skipped afternoon clinics and went to open climbing instead. The sharp crystals combined with cool cracks made the first few attempts challenging but so much fun.

Saturday and Sunday we wanted to climb as much as possible, so we went off bouldering on our own for the most part. We got to play with a really fun traverse and some unique boulders. A few of us also went to a slab and crack climbing clinic, which was a great way for us to improve our technique. Climbing in Joshua Tree was definitely hard, but, at least for me, made me want to work harder and really improve my climbing skills.

In the evenings, we had dinner and checked out all the awesome gear booths at the festival. Lots of free goodies and chances to win kept spirits high. We also got to see presentations from accomplished climbers, which inspired us to climb and train even harder. On Saturday night, we were lucky enough to experience an astronomy show with a supermoon, which we enjoyed thoroughly.

Overall, it was an awesome trip and Joshua Tree is such a cool place to climb. I hope that we get to go back in the future (hopefully armed with trad skills and equipment!) and I look forward to more trips with NSM.

Bouldering at Leavenworth, WA

Anna N. on Sunny and Steep

DATE: April 15TH, 2015

AUTHOR: Anna n.

TRAINING STAGE: performance

CLIMBING TYPE: BOULDERING

For the second outdoor trip of the season, a group of five from Never Stop Moving (NSM) made their way up the Icicle Canyon. Unlike the first trip to Vantage, the focus of the trip to Leavenworth was to boulder, for some people it was to boulder for the first time!

The day began early, leaving Seattle at 6am to make it to Eight Mile Campground at 8:30. The first stop for the group were some warm up problems on the Egg Boulders. After everyone had flashed the warmup route, we moved around the corner to a slabby V2. The granite was sticky, perfect for everyone to try a harder route. Everyone in the group tried, pushing through tricky balance moves and jumpy nerves from trying something new. I was incredibly impressed to see the confidence in everyone's climbing. After everyone had tried the slab, we moved one route to the right, up a fun arete. Again, everyone tried and everyone topped out! Shortly after we moved down the road to the Sword Boulder area. We all got to try some crack climbing and more slab with fun finish crimps on the Underwear Rock. To end our day, we headed to the Forest Lands to try one of my current favorite problems in Leavenworth; Sunny and Steep. It was so much fun to watch everyone work on the problem in a different way. I think everyone also surprised themselves on how far they got. To finish the day, we drove back into Leavenworth for a well- deserved local beer before heading back to Seattle.

The trip was a testament to how much everyone has improved since January. In addition to the visible increase in skill and strength, the increase in confidence was very apparent. In my opinion confidence is simultaneously one of the most important and most challenging skill to cultivate in any situation. Since climbing with other women and NSM, I feel like my confidence in my own climbing has improved so much, and, judging from everyone's climbing in Leavenworth, I think others feel the same. The way I think about confidence is summed up perfectly by this quote from Sheldon Kerr, professional skier and mountain guide and all-around badass woman:

"Think of confidence as a practice, like yoga or forgiveness or taking the stairs. Some days its is hard, and some days it is easy and that's OK, but you still have to do it"*

NSM have given me an opportunity to practice my confidence along with technical skills to make me a better climber. I know the trips to come will be just as awesome and I can't wait!

*This quote is from the article “Closing the Confidence Gap with Sheldon Kerr” that appeared in Outdoor Reaserch's Verticulture blog, definitely worth a read!