Patagonia film 'Ascend': five Afghan women find a home in climbing

ByTravesía Pirenaica
Patagonia Ascend film, 5 Afghan women who find home in climbing

ASCEND is a story about women's emancipation and climbing as a common thread in the community.

April 2023 - April 2023 - April 2023 - April 2023 - April 2023 - April 2023 - April 2023 ASCEND was founded in 2014 in Afghanistan by Marina LeGree, with the desire to create opportunities for girls to find their strength and self-confidence through sport.

"Growing up in a male-dominated society, you are always reminded that you are weak. That's why I started climbing. To prove to myself that I am strong, mentally and physically," says Mina Bakhshi, one of the women who joined ASCEND.

"We went from being an organisation that empowered girls in Afghanistan to one that evacuates and reintegrates refugees," says Marina LeGree. "Girls who believe they can go their own way, make their own decisions - all that was taken away from us in one day.

Five women from ASCEND were relocated to North Carolina, where they put down roots and tried to find a new home through climbing. Yosemite Search and Rescue (YOSAR) climbers Merryn Venugopal and Michelle Pellette made a connection with the group to introduce them to the challenges of climbing in Yosemite.

"ASCEND's goal is that of empowering women through leadership and climbing," explains Alison Kaplan, Climbing Ranger at Yosemite National Park. "It seems that many of the women who have been part of this community have shared a desire to help other women and contribute even more to the climbing community.

Mina Bakhshi, Haniya Tavasoli and Rabia Hussain had a fair amount of freedom as women in Afghanistan, able to pursue their education, work and explore hobbies and interests. By joining Ascend, a non-profit organisation that teaches leadership and climbing to women, they had the opportunity to test their personal and cultural limits and explore the mountains of their home country. But when the Taliban took control in August 2021, Ascend became their only chance to escape a regime that would restrict their freedoms and future.

While the Ascend women were relocated to other countries with volunteer families from the Ascend network, often other climbers who wanted to help, Merryn Venugopal and Michelle Pellette, two members of Yosemite Search and Rescue, were also looking for ways to support climbers in need. They invited the women to spend a week in Yosemite, where they could meet safely and find solace in the climbing community. Now, as they build new lives in a country separated from their families, the women find that meeting other climbers in Yosemite is also a connection to home.