United We Climb

4 minutes reading time

I recently went on a United We Climb bouldering session in the Peak District. I won’t lie, I was hoping to do some top rope climbing as it was something I had already done and was ok at. 

I’d first tried indoor bouldering two weeks prior to this trip with Yasmin Lazuras, a paraclimber, who I had gone south to London to interview. Seen as she was in my neck of the woods she invited me to an outdoor climbing weekend in the Peak District. I’d done outdoor rope climbing once before so thought I would be ok.

I even did some indoor bouldering in between those two weeks naively thinking it would give me a slight edge. It didn’t… no one tells you indoor bouldering DOES NOT prepare you for outdoor bouldering. I didn’t send a single climb.

But it was still such a comfortable and empowering experience that I’m desperate to do again.

Organised outdoor activities are a bit of a iffy one for me.

So often I’ve done an organised activity and although I’m happy for trying it I probably wouldn’t do it again. Normally due to the fact that it was hard to keep up, I didn't feel entirely safe/supported, or can’t guarantee I would be ok if my abilities were lower that day. 

Often when you book onto something there’s cancellation policies etc. “Feeling really tired today” often doesn’t mitigate the fee for cancelling at the last minute. I get it, people need to get paid to live in this world. But I can’t always afford to lose that money. 

The other factor is that “feeling like a burden” thing I’ve mentioned before. Even if an activity is free, the fear of my pain/fatigue levels getting past a point I can tolerate is hanging over me. I’m very aware that if I need to stop for a long period of time or turn back that might inconvenience other participants or the organiser. As a result I'll probably try to persevere through, making it a painful experience I don’t want to repeat. 

That wasn’t even remotely an issue when I went bouldering with United We Climb. First of all I was already with two paraclimbers. If it felt like a safe space for them then that put me at ease. But from the get go Rachel Briggs (founder of United We Climb) was making adjustments to ensure we could all enjoy the day. 

When I met them in the car park at Stanage Edge, Rachel was hauling all of the crash mats onto her back (along with her own backpack). Like I said never done outdoor bouldering, but from passing climbers whilst hiking I was under the impression that each climber would carry a mat, rather than one climber carrying 2-3. But it seemed Rachel understood how that might tire us out more than it would her. 

Part way up the ascent one of the other climbers had a bit of an issue with their health. We stopped and sat for a while, we listened to what she was currently experiencing and what she needed. Rachel even got some small mats for myself and the climber to sit on whilst she rested. 

Straight away Rachel suggested I take that climbers bag which was quite heavy with her trad climbing gear in, and Rachel then carried my bag (which had waterproofs and my climbing shoes so was a lot lighter). 

We set off again with no problems and I remember Rachel turning around and saying something like “this is what equity looks like”. She hit the nail on the head.

It was the perfect example of equity. Rather than sharing the collective weight equally, we supported each other and adjusted who carried what so that we all had as equal a chance as it could get. 

This type of support is something I do with my partner all the time. He understands that by carrying more of the load I can participate better and for longer. But it’s never something I’ve been comfortable to ask from others. It’s embarrassing and you worry people might think you’re being lazy or selfish. So for it to happen so naturally in a scenario like this was beautiful to witness.

It just shows that sometimes it can be small adjustments in people’s behaviour or efforts that can make a total difference in someones experience for the better. 

That climber absolutely SMASHED the rest of the day by the way.

Untied We Climb works towards supporting equitable experiences & opportunities in climbing and the outdoors. It’s community centred and equity focused. Although Rachel Briggs is the founder there is a whole team of diverse voices with a vision to make a change. 

You can take a look at their website here and find them on Instagram at @unitedweclimb