Juliet Eirikis (she/her)

Scholarship Recipient | 2022 Flash Foxy Fall Fest - North Conway

Photo courtesy of the author.

A HUGE thank you!

I’d stopped climbing for almost a year after experiencing harm in the climbing community. I attended Flash Foxy to reignite my passion for rock climbing. 

This weekend was my re-introduction back into climbing, this time with a community that feels safe, supportive, and inclusive. Through Flash Foxy, I realized that I had not fallen out of love with the sport itself, but rather (some) of the people within the sport.

Flash Foxy was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced in the world of climbing. The typical crags I’ve climbed tend to be male dominated, or I’ve mostly seen male-identifying climbers taking the lead on routes, pushing harder grades, or having more knowledge and expertise. At Flash Foxy, women and genderqueer climbers were the badass crushers, the instructors, the guides, and the culture. I’ll never forget a moment at the crag watching 5 badass women leading routes simultaneously. It was so liberating and empowering.

I’m returning from Flash Foxy with a renewed passion for climbing. I’m inspired to learn how to lead trad, because I saw women at Flash Foxy who I see myself in and relate to doing it. I’m inspired to lead more routes to have more autonomy over what routes I climb. I’ve also made a lot of new connections and I’m eager to rejoin the climbing community surrounded by folks who I share identity with. 

Flash Foxy is truly a special place, a much needed and welcomed reprieve from the staleness of ‘old climbing culture.’