Why Girls Go Extreme - well done piece on girls and climbing

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Terry

climber
Spokane
Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 12, 2009 - 11:31am PT
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,580017,00.html

Props to all the ladies having a go on the rock!
couchmaster

climber
pdx
Dec 12, 2009 - 11:41am PT
Well props here as well....but...LOL snicker...

"Her climbing partner, Rosie Vanek, an American who works for the international aid organization, The Global Fund, traveled some 10,000 miles from her home in Geneva to climb with Annie and a small group of women in Yosemite"

Guffaw...LOL!!!!!!
WBraun

climber
Dec 13, 2009 - 12:26am PT
Chicks can't climb.

When they grow up they do fly ......
Prod

Trad climber
Dodge Sprinter Dreaming
Dec 13, 2009 - 08:43am PT
Needs more pics.
Peter Haan

Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
Dec 13, 2009 - 09:29am PT
Tami,

the author of this FoxNews piece is Becky Diamond.
reddirt

climber
da subarwu
Dec 13, 2009 - 09:50am PT
that author's name sounds kinda pornish...

anyhoo, I stumbled on this last night:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzuFft64578

It's only 2+ minutes on youtube but I'd love to see the whole thing. Can't seem to find anyone who sells it though.

TranGOgirls is a movie about three Slovenian climbing girls - Tina, Tanja and Sandra - that put their strength, experience and dreams together to reach, as a first all female party, the very magnificent granite needles of Trango Towers in the beautiful mountain area of Karakorum, Pakistan in September 2006.
The movie focuses on two themes: the expedition and the different views on female alpinism.
See the struggle and the victory of three girls who have a lifelong affair with climbing, mountains and a big commitment to both of them.
Original movie length: 29:45. Camera: Tanja Grmovšek, Andrej Grmovšek, archive Grmoclimb, Jure Niedorfer; editing: Jure Niedorfer; directing: Jure Niedorfer, Tanja Grmovšek; music: Pasadena-Roda, QZN-Hand rolling.
Ed Hartouni

Trad climber
Livermore, CA
Dec 13, 2009 - 12:11pm PT
Given the readership of that particular news outlet, it is possible that female climbers are a revolutionary change in the culture....


"Longtime climbers and guides say it is now common to see women in pairs or in groups climbing moderate and even extreme routes, all without a man in sight." sorta been this way for a while, hasn't it?

This seems a bit strange: 'Rosie explained, “it can be a huge confidence and self esteem builder, and a learning experience about yourself.”' My experience is that women and men climb for similar reasons, that is, an athletic and mental mastery of the challenges the environment presents when pursuing climbing. Pushing the boundaries of what is possible.

and the last paragraph is disappointing...
'Later, Annie reflects on her climbing experience observing that men are often encouraged to participate in sports and in actions in which they take risks. “I think women have fewer opportunities in life to give themselves that challenge than men do because culturally they aren’t encouraged. How many female race car drivers are there? Or doing any risky sport - where you are pushing the limits of what your mind will think is possible? When do you get to feel that powerful?”'

so it's all about power?

and no mention of the Baffin Babes? They are bad ass!
Ghost

climber
A long way from where I started
Dec 13, 2009 - 12:29pm PT
A woman needs a man in the same way a fish needs a bicycle.
dustonian

climber
Foresta
Dec 13, 2009 - 02:41pm PT
I see your point Tami, and it's well-taken--sure the writing is silly and outdated. But come on, this is FOX News!--the article is a quantum leap forward for mainstream media writing about climbing. They even got the definition of "free climbing" right! Is this possibly a first??
Off White

climber
Tenino, WA
Dec 13, 2009 - 04:33pm PT
You know, The Nutcracker, "five hours of intense climbing." And hey, here's Ms. B. Diamond on lead!


Mighty Hiker

climber
Vancouver, B.C.
Dec 13, 2009 - 04:42pm PT
The Baffin Babes will be coming - all four - to make a presentation at the mountain film festival here at the end of January. Perhaps I'll provide an introduction - in Norwegian.
Mason

Trad climber
Yay Area
Dec 13, 2009 - 04:50pm PT
I see your point Tami, and it's well-taken--sure the writing is silly and outdated. But come on, this is FOX News!--the article is a quantum leap forward for mainstream media writing about climbing. They even got the definition of "free climbing" right! Is this possibly a first??

That is the downright, sad truth.

Human beings are so far behind the evolution curve it's a joke.

I agree 100% with Tami. The fact that it is the year 2010 and we are still talking about how women have -finally- broken through the chains of oppression and started rock climbing is kind of a joke.

I took a Women's studies class a couple of quarters ago as part of a stupid upper division GE requirement for graduation and I laughed.

The fact that so many groups want to be seen as victims and given recognition as part of their "struggle" in history is just a reflection of our medieval state of mind.

Fox news is just looking for a story because their ratings are horrible and no one will watch them. They're owned by Newscorp which in itself is a joke of a company. Have you seen their stock price? They are trying to garner an audience by hiring extremely hot female anchors and female news journalists for their Fox Business segments and that doesn't even work. It just shows how backwards they are in their thinking. They have a segment on women's lib, but then their reporters were former models.

Captain...or Skully

Social climber
Top of the 5.2-5.12 Boulder
Dec 13, 2009 - 06:15pm PT
5 hours on the nutcracker?
Did she get lost?
(I've been lost before, different place....that sucks)

I'm with Tami.....ALL the gals I know are ALREADY "extreme".
WooHoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
bookworm

Social climber
Falls Church, VA
Dec 13, 2009 - 07:34pm PT
hey, did you all know that the washington, dc area has two of the best (i.e. most critically acclaimed) shakespearean theater companies in the WORLD? and that little staunton, va, has another?

probably not, unless you're a member of the shakespeare community, meaning those who read his plays, study his plays, read about his plays, read about people who study his plays, and, of course, attend his plays...an international community that i'm willing to bet outnumbers the international community of climbers...after all, there are far more people who make a living off of shakespeare than off of climbing

yeah, the article in the op might make us chuckle, but the article is not intended for climbers...try to imagine when you were first introduced to the sport...if you were anything like me, you devoured everything you could find and were amazed at the sport's long, colorful history

the critics of the writer/article are akin to those on this site who mock newbies for asking newbie questions or making newbie comments...why not just enjoy the writer's obvious excitement and appreciate her attempts to get it right?
Ed Hartouni

Trad climber
Livermore, CA
Dec 13, 2009 - 08:45pm PT
we re-wrote Julius Cesear in 8th grade, we retitled it "Heart Cesear" I think that re-writing borrowed heavily from The Firesign Theatre... "Et tu Brute (this aftershave is available for a limited time at the Forum for $5.99)"

It was notably adolescent in its humor... but I think we got an A...

check out theChick History Thread I believe Melissa's idea was to talk about all the women climbers... not just the famous ones.... the thread dates back to early 2005...

Over the last couple of years I have been honored to meet quite a few notable climbers, who happen to be women: Sibylle Hetchel, Ellie Hawkins, Mari Gingery, Mariah Cranor, Jo Whitford, Tami Knight, Mimi... so good to know more climbers with great stories and wonderful accomplishments.


dustonian

climber
Foresta
Dec 13, 2009 - 09:40pm PT
Alright, alright--Tami and Ed are right as usual. I guess I just give Fox too many props for trying and my expectations are already through the floor for that kind of story. I gave up a long time ago and take it for granted the tone and content will be patronizing and inaccurate. I'm glad there are still a few idealists around who think it could be better!

Plus, I climb with Annie and Rosie (from the article) so I find myself sympathetic towards this "well done peice" of hard-hitting journalism... if only Stephen Colbert had joined them in those "5 intense hours" on the Nut-racker for this insider's report!!

LuckyPink

climber
the last bivy
Dec 13, 2009 - 11:39pm PT
publicist wrote it , i bet
Jan

Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
Dec 13, 2009 - 11:45pm PT
Tami-

Maybe you Canadians are different, but there was no women climbing technical stuff in America with each other back in the 1960's. There were barely any women climbing with men then and as far as I know, Chela Kunasz was the first woman to lead in Yosemite. I do recall hearing rumors about Elaine Mathews back east, but don't know if she led in those days or not.

The fact is, a substantial number of men, particularly in California, would not even climb with a woman, claiming that no woman could hold a leader fall. When I got my wrist broken by having it shoved into a haul bag after the guy I was with took a 40 footer while I was belaying in slings, and I held the fall with a broken wrist, no body could say to me that I couldn't catch a leader fall. However, some of Yosemite's leading lights of the era would still would maintain that in general women couldn't do it.

If you never faced that kind of prejudice, that's wonderful, but to say it didn't exist, is to deny women's climbing history.
saa

climber
not much of a
Dec 13, 2009 - 11:58pm PT

Just for women to giggle... http://www.youtube.com/user/heibiondo83

cheers to all.
dustonian

climber
Foresta
Dec 13, 2009 - 11:59pm PT
Granted, it happened with Hans Kraus, but Bonnie Prudden cranking 5.9 in the Gunks in 1952 is still pretty damn impressive (from Wikipedia):

"In 1952, the pair were attempting a new climbing route on the cliff known as The Trapps. After attempting the crux overhang, Kraus backed off, handing the lead to Prudden. She was able to find a piton placement that had eluded Hans at the crux, and went on to claim the first ascent of 'Bonnie's Roof'. Since then, she has stated that she and Kraus always climbed as equal partners, always swapping leads."

I like how this emphasizes they were equal partners, regardless of gender.

Then of course there were Sibylle Hechtel and Bev Johnson doing walls together in the 70s, and Bev's solo of Dihedral Wall...



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