Matilda Söderlund’s climbing camp empowers girls to get on the wall

Challenge. Growth. Adventure. Applications are now being accepted for a climbing camp that trains girls for next-level climbing journeys.

This summer, Haglöfs is arranging a climbing camp in collaboration with Swedish pro climber Matilda Söderlund. Held in Stockholm at Matilda’s training gym Moumo, the camp is especially for girls who want to learn the fundamentals of bouldering and rock climbing and take their technique and confidence to the next level. The camp is free of charge.

“Women face unique challenges in the sport of climbing, including a lack of representation and fewer opportunities to find climbing partners,” says Matilda. “It’s rare to see an all-girl climbing crew. To change this, I think it’s important to create spaces exclusively for women. The goal with our camp is to create a space that allows women to support one another, learn from each other's experiences, and build a sense of community.”

Inviting more women to discover the joy of climbing

Matilda Söderlund scaled her first wall at 11 years old. In 2019, she became the first woman in the Nordics to climb a 9a route. And most recently, she broke a record again on the Rayu route in Spain as part of an all-female team. The fact that climbing is a male-dominated sport has never stopped Matilda from pursuing her dreams—but it’s still something she would like to change.

“While I've always enjoyed climbing with male climbers, there have been times when I wished there were more women present to share the experience with,” she says. “I've also found that women's achievements in climbing are sometimes overlooked, potentially making it hard to find female role models to identify with and learn from.”

In 2022, Matilda fulfilled another lifelong dream by opening her own climbing gym, Moumo, where she plans to build an inclusive community of passionate climbers. This is where Bergskultur Summer Camp will be held.

“Over the years the situation has improved a lot, and I feel the climbing community is increasingly supportive and welcoming of female individuals. I see this summer camp as a step further in that direction.”

From gym wall to trad climbing adventure in Häggsta

The camp is open to both beginner and intermediate female climbers between the ages of 16 and 25 and will take place over the course of five tailored weekend sessions, starting at Moumo and culminating with an outdoor climbing adventure in Häggsta where participants will put their hard-earned skills to the test on a real rock face.

The all-female team of camp instructors include Matilda Söderlund herself, as well as experienced coaches Ingrid Ellmin, Julia Chew and Viann Magid.

Now open for applications

The camp is now open for a limited number of participants and will be held between May 20 and September 16 at the climbing gym Moumo in Stockholm Sweden. It is completely free of charge, with food and climbing gear included as well as three months of membership at Moumo. It will be run in Swedish. Sign up here: | Haglöfs (haglofs-excite.com)