JACKSON HOLE WOMAN, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, October 12, 2016 - 27
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she landed in Jackson she decided to stay. While the Tetons lured her, she admits it’s not the easiest place to climb. “It’s hard to get out and climb,” Manero said. “The approaches are long.” For her one of the biggest disadvantages is trying to stay strong in the offseason, when the weather outside is wet and a gym is nonexistent. “Not being strong is the biggest thing that comes to mind,” Manero said. “I ski all winter and don’t really climb. I started this climbing season the weakest I’ve ever been.” The lack of strength can be made up, but one thing that can’t be is the shortage of climbing partners. For Jennifer Econopouly, who’s been climbing in Jackson for the past couple of years, the lack of partners has reduced how much she climbs and what she climbs. “If I wasn’t constantly praying for climbing partners, I wouldn’t climb here,” Econopouly said. The problem is not that there are no women eager to climb but that there’s not a ton of experience among them. “I find other women who want to climb, but we can’t climb together,” Econopouly said. “It’s a friend who wants me to teach her how to lead, and it’s like, ‘Whoa, let’s back up.’” For her the inability to not only train but vet potential partners led directly to an injury. “You can’t try out partners without a gym,” she said. “I busted my foot because my random Mountain Project partner was irresponsible. It would’ve been so nice to hang out with him in an Enclosure before we went out.” The last time Jackson Hole had a gym was three years ago when Enclosure closed. Since then the only options are the outdoor Teton Boulder Park at Phil Baux Park, a small climbing wall at Teton Sports Club in
the Aspens, and Teton Rock Gym in Driggs, Idaho. But those aren’t ideal. “We’re not always going to drive an hour to go pull plastic, so it’s definitely a hole in the community, and it’s preventing women from entry,” Econopouly said. Emily Bodner has been in and out of the Jackson area for 12 years. She said the climbing community is better than it used to be, but there are still obstacles to overcome. “The climbing community could be a lot stronger if we had a climbing gym, which clearly doesn’t exist,” Bodner said. Bodner said the skill level issue, which Econopouly echoed, is a big problem here. “There is a greater depth of people at the same skill level amongst males than females,” Bodner said. “Sometimes it’s hard to find a female that’s your equal.” That isn’t to say that women aren’t as good as men, just that there’s nowhere for them to train, whether individually or together. Other than the gyms mentioned above, there’s no solution to the problem. There are a couple of Facebook groups, MountainProject.com and other climbing forums. But unless you’ve managed to develop a strong social circle among climbers, there’s little chance you’re going to improve or find a good partner to grow and go adventure with. “I can’t develop a partnership because there’s not a gym for the climbing orphans of Jackson,” Econopouly said. “You’re either in or out, and when you’re out you can’t find partners.” Bodner said the only solution for women is to just put themselves out there. To say hi to other climbers, to organize group adventures and to just keep climbing. “We need to come together,” Bodner said. “So, we’ll have that depth so people don’t just want to climb with boys.”
Teton Pinky Promise Breast cancer screening rates are an important indicator of women’s health in our communities. Wyoming and Idaho rank lowest in the country. St. John’s Medical Center and five regional health partners developed Teton Pinky Promise to improve screening rates.
Visit www.TetonPinkyPromise.com to pledge to a talk to your health care provider about your risk for breast cancer a make an appointment for recommended screenings #GoPinkJH P.O. Box 428 Jackson, WY 83001
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