For Women By Women

She Moves Mountains

She Moves Mountains was founded at Smith Rock State Park in July of 2017. She Moves Mountains was founded at Smith Rock State Park in July of 2017.

about

We exist to empower and educate women—including cisgender and transgender individuals—through technical outdoor clinics and community events. 


While are focus is on women, we welcome all gender minorities who feel comfortable in a space that centers women. 

say hello

Meet Our Guides

Lizzy VanPatten

Lizzy VanPatten

After years of climbing all over the United States and Patagonia, Lizzy started She Moves Mountains as a means to confront the lack of female presence in the climbing and professional guiding world.
   
AMGA Single Pitch Instructor - First Aid / CPR

Maiza Lima

AMGA Single Pitch Instructor - First Aid / CPR

Maiza Lima

Originally from Brazil, Maiza started her climbing journey when she moved to Washington and started exploring alpine climbing in the Cascades. After a couple years of walking uphill, she realized how much fun she had sport climbing. Now she loves climbing steep routes and has even developed a few of her own at her home crag in Great Falls, Montana. She’s excited to develop more routes, empower other women to learn about bolting, and help with rebolting efforts at her local climbing areas. Maiza recently discovered how much she enjoys guiding. She loves bringing the stoke, making people laugh, and sharing her expertise with climbers. More often than not, she has the opportunity to learn from her clients as well. She guides in single pitch terrain, and she thrives when coaching folks through steep routes or technical face climbs. As a guide, she’s also motivated to help women gain more confidence to be themselves in the outdoors. Availability: Smith Rock: spring/fall, depending on availability Washington State destinations: summer Contact Maiza to arrange a day of private guiding for up to 6 people.
   
AMGA Apprentice Rock Guide - AMGA Single Pitch Instructor - Wilderness First Responder

Katie Paulson

AMGA Apprentice Rock Guide - AMGA Single Pitch Instructor - Wilderness First Responder

Katie Paulson

Climbing first caught Katie’s attention as an awkward teenage tomboy and over the last 17 or so years has evolved into her greatest passion. Katie began guiding with She Moves Mountains in spring of 2018 and couldn’t be more excited to be a part of this company. Her favorite clinics to teach are Leading Trad, Crack Technique and, of course the Yoga and Climbing Retreats! She is also available for private multi-pitch guiding and instruction as well as self-rescue skills! Whether you’re a beginner, looking to experience outdoor climbing for the first time, someone looking to hone specific skills with the support of a guide, or a visiting climber in need of a stoked and attentive belayer, Katie will cultivate the day out to fit your needs. Her specialties include crack technique, traditional climbing, self-rescue and multi-pitch skills. Each day of private guiding comes with exciting scientific conversation regarding the local geology... free of charge! Katie is also a certified yoga instructor, ask her about including climbing specific yoga to our guiding day. Climbing Highlights: Beckey-Chouinard- 5.10+, Grade IV- South Howser Tower, Bugaboos, BC West Face of Colchuck Balanced Rock- 5.11 C0, Grade IV- Leavenworth, Wa. The Incredible Hulk- Positive Vibrations- 5.11a, Grade V- Eastern Sierra, California Aiguille Extra, East Face- 5.10, Grade IV- Eastern Sierra Availability: Joshua Tree: March/November Moab: April/October Smith Rock: May/September Washington State destinations: June-August
   
AMGA Single Pitch Instructor - AMGA Apprentice Rock Guide - Wilderness First Responder - Leave No Trace Trainer - Guide Like Liz Scholarship - AMGA First Ascent Charitable Scholarship

Katie Griffith

AMGA Single Pitch Instructor - AMGA Apprentice Rock Guide - Wilderness First Responder - Leave No Trace Trainer - Guide Like Liz Scholarship - AMGA First Ascent Charitable Scholarship

Katie Griffith

For the last decade, Katie has made the outdoors her classroom as an outdoor educator and climbing guide. She got her start as a backpacking expedition leader, taking youth on multi-week romps through the mountains. As rock climbing became a larger part of her life, she quickly started sharing it with others as a guide. Katie is curious about the intersections between climbing and life; she learns a little more about herself every time she ties into a rope. After wearing many hats in the outdoor industry, from competitive youth climbing coach to field science teacher to mountaineering guide, teaching women’s clinics with She Moves Mountains feels like the perfect fit. There is a unique, positive energy created when women learn together, and she’s motivated by helping women develop the skills to become self-sufficient climbers. Katie now splits time between Joshua Tree, CA and Index, WA. She’s available for skills clinics and private guiding, single-pitch and multi-pitch climbing. She especially enjoys working with all-women’s groups and youth climbers. Availability | Joshua Tree: October - April Washington State destinations: May - September Smith Rock or Moab with advanced notice
   
AMGA Single Pitch Instructor | Wilderness First Responder 

Rosa Padilla

AMGA Single Pitch Instructor | Wilderness First Responder 

Rosa Padilla

Originally from South Florida, Rosa discovered climbing 9 years ago with a friend at a community center in Memphis. Once she tried climbing outdoors, she was hooked! Her favorite climbing adventures are long moderate multi-pitch trad routes on a cool, sunny day. Rosa guides year round at Smith Rock, teaching everyone from first-time climbers to those ready to take the next step into sport or trad leading. As a guide, Rosa feels fortunate to witness others become empowered by challenging themselves to do something they believe to be outside of their limit. This brings a smile to her face every time. She loves sharing this passion with those willing to try it. Availability | Smith Rock year round Contact Rosa to arrange a day of private guiding for up to 6 people.
   

Brie Chartier

Brie Chartier

When Brie taught herself to climb in her early 20’s, she fell in love with the serenity and focus of climbing. That led her to explore other vertical realms like mountaineering, ice climbing, caving, and canyoneering. She always dreamed of guiding people into the mountains but lacked the community and confidence to see herself as worthy of being a guide; she put that dream aside for twenty years. Brie came out about her gender identity three years ago, and that was the catalyst that reignited her desire to be a climbing instructor.
   
AMGA Apprentice Rock Guide -AMGA Apprentice Alpine Guide - AMGA Single Pitch Instructor - Wilderness First Responder - Instructor Training Course, American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education - Professional Level One, American Avalanche Association Companion Rescue, American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education  

Amber Smith

AMGA Apprentice Rock Guide -AMGA Apprentice Alpine Guide - AMGA Single Pitch Instructor - Wilderness First Responder - Instructor Training Course, American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education - Professional Level One, American Avalanche Association Companion Rescue, American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education  

Amber Smith

Amber’s life is driven by her curiosity. As a young person, Amber was curious about Central Asia, geopolitics, and foreign language. She traveled the world and made home in Turkey and Tajikistan. As an undergrad, Amber found a new curiosity: climbing and outdoor education! Since then, she has avidly climbed rock and alpine routes throughout the Western United States. Before graduating, Amber wrote her Honor’s College Thesis on what she calls ‘Feminist Outdoor Leadership:’ a guide to facilitation strategies for inclusion and participant empowerment in outdoor adventure. In 2016, Amber began her career as a professional climbing instructor. You can find her guiding alpine and mountaineering objectives in Washington’s North Cascades from May through September and crack climbs in Southern Utah during the spring and fall. In the wintertime she enthusiastically teaches avalanche education courses for AIARE. Amber is dedicated to community building, honest communication, and interactive learning. She looks forward to playing outside with you!
   
AMGA Apprentice Rock Guide - AMGA Single Pitch Instructor - Wilderness First Responder

Diem Duong

AMGA Apprentice Rock Guide - AMGA Single Pitch Instructor - Wilderness First Responder

Diem Duong

Diem (Zim) is passionate about rock climbing and the outdoors. She first started climbing while working in Yosemite National Park as an environmental educator and backpacking guide. With the backdrop of the El Cap and Half Dome, climbing pretty quickly became an inseparable part of her life. She fell in love with the beautiful places and the community that come hand in hand with climbing. When she’s not working as a rock climbing guide and climbing store manager, you can find her adventuring in Squamish and all over Washington. There’s nothing she loves more than spending a beautiful day out on the rock followed by good friends & good food. Originally from California, she’s always chasing sunshine. She absolutely loves crack climbing and sharing the joy of climbing with others! With a breadth of experience in education and climbing, her focus on providing quality instruction and fostering a positive learning environment will make for an awesome day out! Availability: Diem is based in Seattle,WA and is available with advanced notice. Contact Diem to arrange a day of private guiding for up to 6 people.
   

Sarah Regan

Sarah Regan

Could you give up? If you do you'll be wishing you hadn't, if you don't you have to actually try. But you can't just hang there forever. This is where you need more than a belay, more than a guide, more than an instructor. You need an ally that will encourage you to work through those dark head spaces and push yourself to the top. Sarah's approach to guiding will enable you to figure out your mental weaknesses in climbing and work through them step by step at your own pace. Sarah seeks to intertwine her knowledge of human psychology with the art of climbing to break down the barriers that hold us from our true potential both on the rock and in life. Sarah is constantly creating lists of her goals and objectives and taking them down. She has been on a 5.12 sport climbing spree in all of the Western states from Wyoming to Nevada and is currently following her new love for 5.10 trad/multipitch. She believes that our head has a tendency to disconnect itself from the body under feelings of anxiety and oppression, and that climbing can be an incredible tool for learning how to reconnect the head and body. So, what's holding you back? Sarah is an AMGA Single Pitch Instructor, working on her Rock Guide certification, and is attending grad school to become a fully licensed Mental Health Counselor and Adventure-based Therapist. Sarah holds a degree in Sociology from the Evergreen State College and is a certified Body Positivity facilitator. Contact Sarah to arrange a day of private guiding for up to 6 people.