You might not think a scary climb up a rocky cliff above the freezing waves of the North Sea would be the most relaxing of pursuits.
But for the Granite Girls, an Aberdeen-based all-women climbing group, it’s their favourite place to be for both body and soul.
They organise indoor and outdoor climbing sessions to allow north-east climbers to share skills and practice and provide information for beginners to get the proper training to start their climbing journey.
In June 2023, Granite Girls held their first-ever meet-up at the Pass of Ballater – a well known climbing spot in the north-east.
Since then co-founders Phoebe Sleath, 27, and Keely Mackinnon, 28, have built a group of around 80 women with a range of climbing abilities and skill levels.
Both of them have been climbing for seven years and enjoy climbing outdoors when possible, which is dictated by the weather and tides.
Phoebe said: “We had a great day together and it was really sunny. I think we all realised how much we were gaining from being as a group together and pushing ourselves but in a really healthy way.”
According to them, along the north-east coast is ideal for outdoor climbing.
Phoebe said: “Aberdeen is actually one of the best places in the UK for outdoor climbing, I think. It’s one of the best cities, definitely.
“I love all of the South of Aberdeen Sea cliffs because they’re so close to get to and also Meikle Partans.”
The group formed primarily through word of mouth.
Keely, who works at Craigdon Mountain Sports, was approached by multiple customers interested in climbing and the group formed from there.
Climbing is a ‘brain and body workout’
Phoebe and Keely are eager to share the benefits of climbing on their mental and physical health.
Keely’s passion for climbing stems from getting outside to appreciate the area she’s climbing in and the people she’s with. Some of her climbing memories include seeing dolphins at the Cove sea cliffs and bonding with friends.
She said: “It’s an incredible sport to get involved with.
“It’s a very social sport because in most climbing you need to have some sort of partner. But also it is actually one of the best sports for exercising your entire body.
“I really enjoy the problem-solving side of it. Even when you’re climbing inside, knowing safety-wise that you’re doing everything right and figuring out what route makes the most sense – it’s like a brain workout as well as a body workout.”
‘You feel so proud of yourself and your body’
Phoebe, a geology PhD student, is inspired by her surroundings while climbing along the coastline and enjoys watching members of the group improve their skills and gain confidence.
Phoebe added: “There’s so much sense of achievement; you feel so proud of yourself and your body and I think that’s such a good thing to feel.”
“I think the sense of achievement of getting to the top of a route is really nice.
“Learning any skill is so empowering, especially something that feels quite scary and climbing is seen as quite an extreme sport which it doesn’t have to be.
“I think that’s really empowering for women especially when it’s seen as a traditionally masculine sport.”
Climbing is ‘still a bit of an old boys club’
Phoebe and Keely have noticed that climbing is “still a bit of an old boys club” and aim to encourage women to climb by creating a female-exclusive environment to develop their skills and learn from each other.
“Very rarely in outdoor pursuits, do you have a collection of women together. So that’s just really nice, just hanging out with girls that have similar interests.” Keely said.
“You think of climbers as a certain shape, but anyone can do it. You just learn to do it differently.
“You should feel comfortable around us and there’s no judgement. As long as people are enjoying themselves, that’s the important thing.”
Despite a love of climbing being at the core of the group, Granite Girls meet-ups often combine a variety of interests.
Phoebe explained: “Especially when you’re climbing outside, there’s a lot of time in between each route.
“So what I do and what some other people do is we take our sketchbooks and do art at the crag.”
Sometimes their outdoor sessions are wrapped up with a picnic and a catch-up. During the colder months, the group hold indoor sessions at Transition Extreme in Aberdeen and get brunch together afterwards.
Instructing sessions are a must for beginners
For those considering climbing as a hobby, Phoebe urges them to seek the proper training to get started as safely a possible.
The group doesn’t provide safety training but helps guide new climbers to the correct facilities and instructors to ensure they begin their climbing journeys responsibly.
“My advice would be to book a session with an instructor to learn the skills to get started indoors.
“Because to know what is safe is really important. You can encourage friends to come with you or you can join clubs like Granite Girls.
“I facilitate instruction through qualified instructors. It’s been great to do the introduction to climbing sessions with Cove climbing.
“He takes charge of the safety – we provide the information and arrange the meet-ups.”
Possible future plans for the Granite Girls could include a trip further afield to climb in Skye, or even hosting a weekend climbing festival.
Granite Girls have also teamed up with Wavy Wahines to fundraise for The Wave Project and Scottish Mountain Rescue through a charity ceilidh. The event will take place at Fittie community hall on 22nd November.
Conversation