The fact that the presence of women on the mountain is still a minority in Brazil is nothing new. In the latest Abee (Brazilian Sports Climbing Association) census, with data from 2023, 67.3% of practitioners were men. But, since then, an increasing number of women insist on competing for space in this often toxic and misogynistic environment, which still sees us as the weaker sex.
Among the groups dedicated to changing these statistics, Mulheres e Montanhas does differentiated work that combines sport with self-knowledge — but far from the coaching nonsense of certain influencers, or the salvationist discourse of groups like Legendários and its successors.
According to Amanda Alvernaz, one of the group’s creators, Mulheres e Montanhas arose from her own experience of personal transformation “and the desire to bring this to more women not only as a tool for personal transformation, but to promote a more sustainable, more balanced life in connection with nature”.
The project was born in 2019 from conversations between friends — in addition to Amanda, Anna Gonçalves and Bia Haneda, who are still in the group today, to which Kellyns Cristina and Joanna Dorini were added — who wanted to go to the mountains “autonomously, independently”. “In the beginning, we went to the mountains and made short documentaries about our experience, but also about women we met along the way.” From the stories heard and the experiences absorbed, the idea of taking other women to this experience was born.
In 2021, they began to format the groups, which are divided between technical days, in which climbing and mountaineering knowledge is passed on, and more or less long expeditions. “We focus on the educational aspect, so women can learn more about mountaineering and experience this environment with more safety and autonomy”, explains Amanda.
The group offers three activity options. There are Immersive Journeys, “aimed at self-knowledge, at different levels of development and difficulties” that aim to “provide moments of reflection and maturation of being, through the practices of conscious mountaineering”.
Another option is the Technical Journeys, which, through practical experiences, seek to present the processes “that determine a safe, contemplative, educational, regenerative and evolutionary outdoor experience”.
And the third and most demanding alternative, the International Journeys, take women to experiences in the Andes Mountains, which in addition to perfecting high mountain techniques and snowy environments, allow for the exchange of cultures and learning with local guides and mountaineers.
The amount charged depends on the location and duration of each activity. and is detailed on the website. One of the details that makes all the difference in the dynamics of Mulheres e Montanhas is that, for those who want to start their life on the trails, but are not physically prepared to carry a backpack with all the camping and climbing equipment, porter services are offered. The groups are small, with a maximum of 10 participants, divided between freelancers and apprentices. Each person’s capacity, limits and experiences are detailed in a form that guides participation in each activity.
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