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2024 Mentorship Program
She Moves Mountains exists to empower and educate women (cis, trans) and gender minorities through technical climbing clinics and community events.
In the guiding industry, only 15% of working guides are women. Of that 15% only a small portion are Women of Color or from the LGBTQ+ community.
Program Details
Guiding as a career is full of hurdles; a large financial and time commitment, as well as the experience and skill to qualify for rigorous training programs. We established the SMM mentorship program to address, and counter, this disparity in our industry.
The program aims to provide an opportunity to explore what it means to be a guide in a supportive and encouraging environment. To create a space where you can shadow current instructors while having the opportunity to ask questions about the realities of becoming and being a guide. It is open to women (trans, cis) and non-binary climbers who feel comfortable in a space that centers women.
Participants will have the opportunity to shadow 4-8 clinics as assistants which may include setting up top-ropes, cleaning routes, monitoring belays, coiling ropes and helping with demonstrations.
We believe strong mentorship relationships and representation within the climbing community are invaluable, and we see our relationship with mentees as a partnership. In addition to support and guidance, SMM will offer 2-3 free workshops for participants to build necessary skills for tackling guiding certifications.
At the end of the season, we will select two mentees to receive full scholarship for an AMGA SPI Course and Exam, one of whom will be a woman of color.
There are ten spots for new applicants for the 2024 season. If you are interested in becoming a guide or instructor but are unsure about the initial financial investment, this is a great opportunity for you!
You must have availability to attend one of the mentee training days March 2nd or 16th at Smith Rock State Park OR arrange an alternative training with a guide.
Basic requirements are weekend availability (2-6) at Smith Rock State Park (OR) or Mount Erie (WA) from March to November, including a day of training at the beginning of the season. Ideally, candidates will feel comfortable leading sport at the 5.9 grade and above and have been introduced to the basics of traditional climbing. Most importantly, we want to use our resources and platform to help diversify the climbing community and reach underrepresented and marginalized groups, so if this mission speaks to you, we want to hear more!
The application deadline is January 31st and participants will be notified by February 15th.
