The Pink Period

I just finished listening to a podcast about getting more women into the sport of rock climbing. It was all about promoting "inclusivity," careful use of language, and making climbing accessible. And I am not opposed. I would love to see more women involved in all outdoor sports not just rock climbing. But, and isn't there always a "but" in my essays, I am not at all sure that the answer lies simply in providing feminine hygiene products in rock climbing gyms or avoiding gender charged terms. When we enter the realm of getting people into sports and activities they are not "really that into" in the first place, it is my experience that the newcomer to the sport is merely a transient visitor who never stays around for the long haul. This is not a gender issue, it is a human motivation issue.

My first foray into outdoor sports was scuba diving when I was 16. That was the earliest age a person could take instruction and get their open-water scuba diving ticket. Once I got my certification, I would badger my oldest brother - who could also dive and went on to become a marine biologist - to take me diving. Paying for the lessons had taken all my money and there was none left to pay for boat dives with commercial dive companies.

It did not take long to wear out my brothers enthusiasm, but luckily, before that had completely waned, I found the local dive club. The club had no female members and did not quite know what to do with one, but, they were inclusive in the way a bunch of guys can be and promptly made me the secretary of the club and started inviting me out diving regularly. Most weeks, I did two dives a week in all male company, at least until I had convinced my best friend to learn to dive and join me. Then the club had two female members.

After scuba diving came bushwalking and canyoning - there was a scattering of women but most trips were heavily male dominated. Then came mountaineering, rock climbing, ski mountaineering, alpine climbing, long ski traverses, and male partners, lots and lots and lots of male partners. Trips with guys are not like trips with women, you have to earn male respect. These guys all had wives and girlfriends, who would only come on the easiest trips. When I proved that I could ski, climb, carry a big pack, and do all the things that they did, they were appropriately inclusive. Most of the time, judging by the conversation, they forgot I was even female.

I had my pink period when I tried to garner around me a female peer group, women I could ski and climb with at the same level as I did with my male partners. At that time I had one or two solid female partners, but not in all aspects. One of my friends was a strong rock climber (at least on bolts) but she did not climb trad, did not climb in the mountains, and was a weak back-country skier. Another friend was a strong, and more importantly keen, backcountry skier and scrambler, but she did not lead climb and was only available for day trips.

During the pink period I joined a female climbing team at the rock climbing gym in town and started running female backcountry ski trips for my local club. Indoors, the other women kicked my butt. I was struggling on 5.9's and 10's while they were cruising 10d's, but outside, it was another story. The women, if they turned up at all, were timid, and I found myself doing the majority of the leading, route setting, trail breaking and decision making. I never really fit in and I never got over the feeling that the women were climbing and skiing because climbing and skiing - at that time and in that town - was cool. When they started talking about buying matching climbing clothes, I realised my pink period was over.

Sadly, most of my female friends from that era, certainly the ones from the climbing team, no longer climb or ski. The truth is, they weren't really that into outdoor sports. A few months ago my nephew wanted me to teach him to rock climb. I am not sure what brought this new interest on, I suspect the movie "Free Solo". We climbed together three times and now, less than six months later, as far as I can tell, he has all but given up rock climbing. Not because of his gender, but simply because he is just not that into outdoor sports. No amount of inclusivity will change that.