Climbing for a reason
Two Chilean climbers have started an activism project aimed at bringing climbing to the world’s most remote and disadvantaged communities, which, however, are fortunate enough to live near rocks perfect for climbers. The last project in chronological order took them to Musoma, Tanzania.
Isn’t it always like this? That those who climb, climb for a reason?
Well, Lucho Birkner and Mateo Barrenengoa have one more: their association, which is called precisely Climbing for a reason, seeks, in different parts of the world, to give support to local communities or people in need through climbing. To do this Lucho and Mateo have carried out projects in Pakistan, Mexico, Nepal and Chile, and now they are focusing their efforts in Tanzania, specifically in Musoma.
Here Lucho and Mateo have in fact begun to collaborate with the Jipe Moyo Center organization that runs the orphanage of the same name and houses more than 100 boys and girls of different ages with pasts wracked by mutilation, rape, malnutrition and human trafficking. The organization in question is located on Lake Victoria in the town of Musoma, an area surrounded by large blocks of granite, which makes it the perfect place for activist climbers. The ultimate goal of the project will be the construction of an artificial wall within the center, the opening of a bouldering and sport climbing area, where both practical and theoretical workshops can be held, and where all the boys and girls of the center can be given the opportunity to approach climbing. The Jipe Moyo Center was founded some 20 years ago by Sister Chacha, a clergywoman who has dedicated her entire life to saving girls from genital mutilation and who, over time, has expanded its reach to take in children of all kinds from the first year of life to the age of seventeen. A lot of volunteers pass through there every year, and someone noticed the granite formations and rocks, which are everywhere in Musoma, and suggested to the Climbing for a Reason people a new location to give practical application to their project.
Climbing for a reason is indeed looking for remote and ever-changing destinations where the climbing is undeveloped but the rock is of impressive quality. In fact, one of the side goals of the project is also to provide an opportunity for both tourism and lifestyle development for people who live in front of perfect walls and may not be aware of it because they have never seen a referral in their lives or because no one has ever introduced them to climbing. What has struck activists and volunteers positively is the fact that many of the boys have proven to be very gifted: even, for four of them, there is hope of being able to find technical-sports sponsors who could give them the opportunity to travel and train. It is an undeniable fact how climbing, as a sport in itself, particularly lends itself to social projects of redemption and empowerment as it represents a daily challenge that forces Train not only the physical but also the mental: “Climbing can be a powerful life tool not only for the physical and mental aspect, but also a great way to earn money, especially if you live right across the street from places that can become very popular once you get on the climbers’ radar.” Lucho and Mateo explain. “We who are mountaineers and travelers spend most of our time in these kinds of places around the world, and the thing we noticed is that usually the people who climb are just foreigners. What happened with the locals? Climbing for a reason wants to give give these people the opportunity to see the gem in front of their eyes, but also to understand the rules of the game so that they can grow as climbers and, why not, one day tomorrow take people climbing, make it a profession.”
Musoma from this point of view is a climber’s paradise: the rocks are simply fantastic, of excellent quality and perfect for climbing. In addition, there are so many of them that you have the opportunity to try your hand at new routes all the time. The scenery is also from another planet: there is a huge lake to swim in, lots of wilderness all around, and every sunset is simply special. In addition, the center is close to the Kenyan border, and Serengeti National Park is only a few hours from Musoma, so traveling climbers can combine climbing with a visit to one of the world’s most famous national parks where they can get a close look at lions, elephants, zebras, buffalo, and all African wildlife. “We are setting up the country’s first climbing community here: led by the boys from the Jipe Moyo Center orphanage it will offer travelers not only the artificial wall for training but also the rental of crash pads for bouldering and everything they need for sport climbing. What happens in many oceanfront locations is that local kids learn to surf at a young age, and when they grow up and see foreigners coming, they set up stores, rent surfboards and act as instructors. We said, why can’t this be replicated with climbing as well? Many of the kids housed in facilities like Jipo Moyo Center don’t have families anymore, so they don’t have big opportunities to write their future: dreaming of going to college, becoming doctors or lawyers, but with climbing you can teach them that getting in touch with nature and becoming a climber can bring you other dreams, which are achievable right in front of your house.”
In addition to a possible job opportunity for the center’s youth, climbing also has other positive implications for those who have had a difficult life up to that point, marked mostly by violence and abuse: the sport helps to leave behind everything negative that weighs us down and to focus 360 degrees on what you are doing.
“Climbing can change your life. This phrase was said by a man from Suriname who had benefited from one of our first projects. Some children we taught to climb seven years ago in India, for example, are now closing 8a’s and have their own business with which they take foreigners to learn and mentor them. This makes us proud, because climbing can really change lives, especially for those who need it most. Some of our kids also have very sad past stories of abandonment and abuse, many have told us how climbing and yoga allow them to not think too much about the past. After a day of climbing or yoga they go to bed happier, wake up peaceful, and focus more on school the next day. The kids themselves have confided this to us. Some of them may take climbing as a useful tool in their lives, others maybe just as a pleasant interlude, but that’s great too because these kids have never had many opportunities to play outside, play sports or spend a day out in the Serengeti National Park.”
Mateo Barrenengoa, besides being a climber to an activist, is also one of Chile’s best outdoor filmmakers, so the final output of the whole project will be a documentary aimed at telling both the reality of the Musoma boys and the progress made: “What mainly drives us is the desire to pass on our passion; this is definitely the most important thing. It is so strong that it is almost indescribable, but it is what makes us get up in the morning with an incredible zest for life: and we are able to pass this positive energy on to both the children and the local community. Children who sometimes had a hidden smile are now smiling most of the day: they can dream of something, even if it is something small, like climbing a piece of rock. When we see them trying a route for 3 days and then succeeding overflowing with joy, we don’t need to ask too many questions about the goodness of what we are doing.”
