Once a week down Potash Road, a pink van marks the spot for rock climbers to join in at Women’s Wall Street Wednesday. Nearby is Maja Sowa, flaking out her rope in preparation to climb. Each week, Sowa volunteers hosting the group by setting up top ropes, lending out personal gear, and encouraging other women to lead routes. The community gathering officially began in the fall of 2020 and has only grown in size through word-of-mouth and the Moab Rock Climbers Facebook group.
“I want to inspire women to get on the sharp end and tip the gender scale in the climbing community,” Sowa said. “We try to create a space that is mostly feminine because there aren’t many of them out there. When you climb with other women who are crushers, it makes it seem more realistic that you can do it too.”
Sowa said the original idea for Women’s Wall Street Wednesday came from a conversation with a friend about creating a safe environment for women to gain climbing confidence in leading. This means the rock climber puts up a rope to the anchors ‘on lead,’ and can potentially take falls bigger than on top-rope, where the rope is already set-up.
“Throughout my time climbing, I’ve noticed how the community is mostly dominated by men,” Sowa said. “Men typically approach climbs with more force and strength, while women often are more graceful, thoughtful and dancey. Climbing with other women helps to show it’s not all about being the loudest on the wall.”
She added that in her experience, women are also naturally more cautious while climbing. An important part of the group’s success is helping other women overcome those fears and blockages by creating a low-pressure environment to climb. Climbing routes to the top is not necessary, nor is getting on every route.
“I want the motivation to come from inspiration instead of the fear of failure,” she said. “This group is not just for people who are beginning to overcome initial fears. We also have people show up who are pushing 5.12 grades and are learning to take falls on lead above their gear.”
In rock climbing, 5.12 is considered a challenging grade to climb, with falls a likely possibility.
She noted that regardless of the name, the group welcomes women, non-binary, and trans folks.
“We want this to continue to be a safe space for people to be themselves and express themselves. However, when dudes do show up, the feminine thing to do is to include them,” Sowa said.
For those who join every week, Sowa noted she’s seen progress in their skills and is happy when someone pushes past their perceived personal limitations. One such climber is Page Nelson, who moved to Moab this August.
“I led my first 5.10 here and carried that energy with me for a while—the confidence and overcoming fear,” Nelson said, adding that the space allows her to express emotions such as fear, instead of holding it back on a difficult climb.
“Women’s Wall Street Wednesday feels like a safe place to push my edges while climbing and it’s a good place to come and be in a community,” Nelson said. “I’m just starting to make connections that span outside of climbing and hopefully will be able to use the group to continue reaching out to people I’ve met here through the winter.”
Ciara Moon Parkman is another climber in Moab who frequently joins Women’s Wall Street Wednesday with a goal to continue making progress on various trad routes. This means there are no bolts on the rock, and traditional gear such as camalots are placed in the rock’s cracks for protection against a fall.
“Having the support from all the women here keeps the psyche up and pushes me to put up more routes on lead,” Parkman said. “Women on all climbing levels can join, which has created a sense of belonging and community for everyone. It’s cool, it’s silly. Fun is had. Shenanigans are had.”
Throughout the rest of fall and winter, other community members plan to continue the Wednesday meet-ups as weather allows.
The best way to stay up-to-date is to request to join the Facebook group ‘Women’s Wall Street Wednesdays.’ The climbing sessions are not professionally guide-led and individuals are expected to be at an intermediate level to belay, top-rope, and tie knots without assistance.
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Read the rest of this week’s edition:
Arches timed entry will continue in 2024
Trail Ambassador program receives LNT Gold Standard Designation
Cranksgiving only comes once a year
City parks master plan moves forward
Meeting at a glance: Moab City Council, November 14, 2023
Opinion: How do we remember Thanksgiving?
Opinion: Letter to the Editor—”Don’t let the Beaver Shaft uranium mine reopen in La Sal”
Moab History: Sufferage in Utah
Or, read through a pdf of this week’s print edition
