What we have experienced with past “Own It” retreats is that women supporting women while climbing creates very special bonds that truly accentuate the leader/belayer relationship. While in ‘the zone’ climbing out of one’s level of comfort and having such a wonderful crew of lady crushers all around is an experience beyond expression. By keeping our time together single-gendered ideas and strategies towards whatever level of success is desired tend to flow in a more kinetic manner. The group as a whole builds upon one another’s strengths forming a very special cohesion, a natural karma that remains long after our time together is concluded.
Climbing with us
This retreat creates an educational space for women to truly understand their strengths while building the necessary skills for self-sufficiency all the while climbing classic routes within three world-class destinations.
These days of climbing and learning are specific to women for the gains of knowledge and (as important) experiences that will last a lifetime.
The retreat days are about climbing three completely different world class destinations while learning together as a fully supportive group. It is all about gaining a complete understanding of climbing-skillsets that are taught by the best guides all the while climbing amazing routes within spectacular world class locations.
You will have the opportunity to learn skills safely and properly. Then practice, practice and practice some more. You will OWN each individual climbing craft and have the confidence to know you understand and are completely proficient with the latest and most modern standards that all PCGI and AMGA climbing guides teach for 2023/4.
This is an opportunity for women to build skills specific to rock climbing with other like-minded women led by our experienced and highly trained staff.
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About The Host
Anyssa Lucena and Simeon Heimowitz
Anyssa has always loved the outdoors and fell instantly in love with climbing in 1995 during a kayaking trip in Maine that included a day of rock climbing. Since then, she has climbed fifth-class routes all over the world. Anyssa is also allured by the challenge of the alpine world and has summited numerous peaks including the Eiger and the Matterhorn. Anyssa believes that spending time in nature is the perfect way to learn about yourself, heal your soul, and develop ways to grow inside. The lessons learned while immersing oneself in nature are both obvious and subtle and continually reveal something new about oneself at the exact moment when you need it.
Simeon is a licensed rock climbing guide, member of the Professional Climbing Guides Institute (PCGI), Wilderness First Responder, guidebook author, and started the first not-for-profit in Mexico to connect young adults with autism to the freedom of mind and body that only rock climbing can bring. He has been climbing since 1996 and has taught multitudes of people how to climb and stay safe in the vertical world for the better part of twenty years. Simeon is active in several climbing coalitions throughout the northern continent and believes in protecting open space for the enjoyment of future generations. Simeon is also a prolific route developer and has routes with his name on them all over the northern continent. You can find these routes within the guidebooks of the Red River Gorge in Kentucky, the Adirondacks in New York State, as well as Mount Charleston outside of Las Vegas in Nevada, Ralph Stover State Park in Bucks County Pennsylvania, and the New River Gorge in West Virginia. Simeon also has lots of fantastic routes in El Potrero Chico, Culo del Gato, Bernal, Aculco, and Jilotepec.
Simeon learned to climb at the High Rocks Vista in Bucks County PA. While there he figured out the bolted routes were either real bad, real old, or both. This started the itch to develop well-protected hard routes. This itch as with other developers becomes an all-out case of hives! From Stover, he climbed extensively within the Delaware Water Gap recreational area before moving on to the Gunks in 1997. His desire to share the fine art of climbing systems to keep everyone safe and his love of Mexico propelled him into a life as a professional rock climbing instructor in 2005.