Try-Hard Faces from the �´ǳ��’s Climbing Festival

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Published: Mar 29, 2019 Updated: May 17, 2022

Last weekend marked the fourth year of the Women's Climbing Festival in Bishop, California. The 300-woman festival stemmed from a “mutual desire by many women to a space for fellowship, conversation, connection, and climbing,” according to founder Shelma Jun. Today, a significant part of the annual meetup is now dialogues (a panel, workshops, and personal conversations) that deal with important discussions about intersectionality, racism, sexism, privilege, body-shaming. But at its core, the �´ǳ��’s Climbing Fest is about women climbing with other women. And to celebrate, I spent the weekend capturing a series of photographs of women trying hard on boulder problems outside of Bishop.

Photo: Summer Winston boulders at the Happys. �´ǳ��’s Climbing Fest participants though the original problem’s name — (Vikki Glinskii)

March 22 marked the first day of the fourth annual Women’s Climbing Festival in Bishop, California. The 300-woman gathering features panels of women having important discussions about topics like intersectionality, racism, and, privilege. Expert-led workshops and clinics teach participants various climbing techniques. At its core, the WCF is about women climbing with other women, which meant that everywhere around us were women grimacing and muscling their ways up bouldering problems. Here are the best try-hard faces of the WCF.

Photo: Summer Winston, a graphic designer and professor in California, climbs at the Happy Boulders. WCF participants thought the original problem’s name, “Up Her Skirt,” (V2) was outdated, so we decided to call it “Up Yours, Misogyny” instead.

Katherine Vanderford having to summons the energy to stick a big move on Bleached Bones V3/4 in the Happy Boulders. — (Vikki Glinskii)

Katherine Vanderford, a climber based out of Chattanooga, Tennessee, summons the energy to stick a big move on Bleached Bones (V3/4) in the Happys.

Laura Catherine Edmondson on a gritty crimp at the Happy Boulders. — (Vikki Glinskii)

Laura Catherine Edmondson, climber and leader for Brown Girls Climb, on a gritty crimp in the same bouldering area.

Artist and climber Ash Williford goes full extension on the Girlfriend Boulder.

Gabriella Clark came from Australia (by way of Canada) to make the most of her first �´ǳ��’s Climbing Fest and send at the Happys. — (Vikki Glinskii)

Gabriella Clark came from Australia by way of Canada to attend her first WCF. Here, she climbs at the Happys.

Erynne M. Gilpin, founder of @indigenouswomxnclimb, channels laser focus at the Happy Boulders. — (Vikki Glinskii)

Erynne M. Gilpin, founder of Indigenous Womxn Climb, channels laser focus on a problem.

Climber and producer Abbey Smith on the unforgiving crimps of Junior’s Achievement (V8) in the Buttermilks.

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Try-Hard Faces from the �´ǳ����’s Climbing Festival

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Try-Hard Faces from the �´ǳ��’s Climbing Festival