Women take their place in the outdoors, whether it’s hiking, camping, Nordic skiing or climbing. And when it comes to ice climbing, Nathalie Fortin pays particular attention to it with her Des femmes et des lames community.
Nathalie Fortin is one of the best ice climbers in Quebec. She loves this sport, which she has been practicing for twenty years. “I like commitment, I like pushing myself,” she says. And spending a day outside in winter is not the same as in summer. There is always a satisfaction of having, in a way, conquered the bad weather. »
She particularly likes the changing appearance of the ice cream. “It’s different from the rock because in general the route stays the same. In ice, we are really linked to factors that nature has in store for us. Ice does not always form in the same way. Year to year, or even week to week, it’s not the same path. It’s always a learning curve. »
PHOTO OLIVIER DUMAS, PROVIDED BY NATHALIE FORTIN
Nahtalie Fortin at work at Montmorency Falls
open the way
Over the years, Nathalie Fortin has clearly seen that there were fewer women than men who climb ice. “I wanted to break down that wall with clinics,” says Nathalie Fortin. It gave them the opportunity to learn, then to find partners. »
She wanted to create an additional initiative with a community on Facebook, Women and Blades. Participants have access to a larger pool to find partners and to organize projects.
While climbing schools – Laliberté-Nord Sud, Passe-Montagne, Attitude Montagne, Aventurex or Chamox – offer various specialized ice training courses, Nathalie Fortin sees them as complementary. Her workshops and the Des femmes et des lames community bring together only women, which gives them a particular color. The way of learning is different.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY NATHALIE FORTIN
The first part of the climbing clinic takes place in the warmth around the fire.
It’s really magical the energy that emerges from these moments between girls. We know it’s a safe space, we’re going to express our fears, our vulnerabilities.
Nathalie Fortin, about the group Des femmes et des blades
“The girls tell me why they like to climb together: not feeling performance pressure, not being judged, being encouraged,” continues Nathalie Fortin. I want it to be a positive community, where everyone is accepted. Just because you climb less hard or you climb harder doesn’t mean you have to have a tag. »
In his workshops, Mme Fortin takes into account the physiological differences between men and women. Since these are often less physically strong, they need to pay more attention to technique and save more energy. Nathalie Fortin gives them tips for this purpose. Just as she suggests tips for fighting the cold.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY NATHALIE FORTIN
The women are attacking a wall of the Montagne d’Argent, in the Laurentians.
The cold barrier
“A lot of my girlfriends say it, the cold stops them. There are plenty of things we can share. For example, sometimes people overtighten their boots. When you’re not climbing, you can loosen them, it improves blood circulation. »
It also involves wearing mittens and a down jacket to belay the person climbing.
“Often, in winter, we don’t eat,” notes Nathalie Fortin.
However, eating and drinking increases blood circulation, the blood has a better chance of going to the extremities. Those clinics, and the Women and Blades community, it’s a place where we share that stuff.
Nathalie Fortin, from the Women and Blades group
PHOTO PROVIDED BY NATHALIE FORTIN
Good humor reigns during the ice climbing clinics.
In general, the women who take part in Nathalie Fortin’s workshops have already done rock climbing or climbing in the gym, “but that’s not a prerequisite,” she says.
Nathalie Fortin dreams of seeing women storming the ice falls, but also the high mountains. “Me, that’s what brought me to the mountains. Because once you know how it works, ice axes and crampons, it’s naturally that you want to go to the mountains, to go mountaineering, to live adventures. »
Suggested video
skier of the year
Norway’s Tonje Kvivik has been declared skier of the year at the iF3 film festival. Here’s why.
digit of the week
1902
Skater Madge Syers won the silver medal at the London International Figure Skating Championships in 1902, a competition traditionally reserved for men.