We Move Mountains Scholarships

She Moves Mountains exists to empower and educate women and non-binary folks through technical climbing clinics and community events. We want all climbers, regardless of their financial status, to have the opportunity to join us. 

We've created two types of scholarships, one based on financial need and the other to increase the representation of historically marginalized individuals in the climbing world. Details on the second program TBA.

Financial Need Scholarships

From gear and classes, to transportation and free time, being able to rock climb (especially outdoors) requires an immense amount of privilege. In order to help lower the financial barrier to entry, She Move Mountains provides unlimited partial scholarships to all of our skills programs.

Our qualification process is simple and we trust that individuals will be truthful about their financial situations to allow our Scholarship Program to serve those who truly need it.

Scholarship recipients must live within an 8 hour drive of the clinic location and identify with at least three of the following statements:

  • I have accrued credit card debt in order to meet my basic needs.
  • I have found difficulty accessing and affording healthcare.
  • My income supports my loved ones, as well as myself, and I cannot often do things for myself.
  • I am unemployed or underemployed, and it is not by choice.
  • I rarely have expendable income for entertainment, travel, and/or eating out.

Additionally, recipients must confirm that without this scholarship they could not afford to attend.

Who attends on a scholarship will not be disclosed to the guide and there is no follow-up required. 

With this scholarship, climbers can attend the 1-day clinics below for $35 and 2-day clinics for $50.

Apply Here

Intro to Outdoor Climbing

Trying something new is scary. Especially if that something new requires you to hang from a rope nearly 100 feet off of the ground.

Who you learn to climb from can have a huge impact on how you see the sport and your place in it. We work hard to create an emotionally and physically safe space where participants are accepted and supported exactly as they are.

We have chosen this clinic for our scholarship program because the first step is often the hardest and we want to make participation as easy as possible for anyone who wants to give rock climbing a try.

Anchors & Rappelling Climbing

Building a safe climbing community takes time. Having the knowledge of how to build and clean anchors gives a climber the skills to be a competent climbing partner to a lead climber. It also provides a baseline for evaluating the technical safety of future climbing partners.

Additionally, due to its technical and nuanced nature, cleaning anchors is one of several skills that should absolutely be taught by a professional. While there are quite a few skills that can be learned from friends, this is not one of them.

Intro to Lead Climbing

Lead climbing is often the next big step in a climber’s progression. It requires more than just learning how to clip bolts — it asks climbers to understand rope management, lead belaying, communication, falling, and how to make safe decisions while moving above protection.

Who you learn to lead climb from can have a huge impact on how safe and confident you feel taking that next step. We believe lead climbing should be taught with patience, repetition, and clear instruction so participants have space to practice the systems before putting them fully into action.

We have chosen this clinic for our scholarship program because access to quality lead climbing instruction can change what feels possible for a climber.

Intro to Leading Trad

Traditional climbing is one of the more technical and nuanced forms of rock climbing. Instead of relying on fixed bolts, trad climbers learn how to select, place, and evaluate removable gear while making thoughtful decisions about movement, protection, and risk.

Learning to lead trad requires a strong foundation. The systems are detailed, the gear is expensive, and the consequences of poor placements can be high. Because of that, we believe these skills should be taught by a professional in a structured environment where participants can ask questions, practice, and receive direct feedback.

We have chosen this clinic for our scholarship program because mentorship in trad climbing can be difficult to access.

a little goes a long way

Help fund climbing education for more women.

Contributions to the We Move Mountains Scholarship Fund help reduce the cost of skills clinics for climbers who could not otherwise afford to attend. Every dollar contributed goes directly toward scholarship recipients.

If you would like to provide a scholarship to a program not listed above, please send an email to lizzy@shemovesmountains.org. 

Thanks so much for being here, and for supporting the empowerment of women through rock climbing, backpacking, and outdoor experiences.Â