Girls In The Game

Women pioneering alternative sports in India talk about their love for the outdoors, sports as an expression of femininity, and helping hundreds of young girls change the tide

- Anand Singh

“Rock climbing is like a meditative dance to me. It’s a sport that requires you to be present in the moment, fully aware of every muscle in your body.” This flip side of the seemingly gruelling sport made Bengaluru-based climber Gowri Varanashi fall in love with it. Varanashi tussled with the steep rocks of Badami, Karnataka, in 2018 to become the first Indian woman to execute ‘French Indian Masala’ – a daunting climbing route that very few women dared to attempt at the time.

A passionate environmentalist and avid climber (with numerous successful climbs in India, the US and Peru under her belt), Varanashi has been helping push the sport through her community-based initiative, Climb Like A Woman (CLAW). Varanashi and the CLAW core team – climbers Prerna Dangi, Mel Batson, Lekha Ratinam and Vrinda Bhageria have been working towards changing the way Indian women perceive the sport. “CLAW has never been about training people to become super strong. Our goal is to help women break the narrative they’re fed. We want to make them realise they can do these seemingly ‘impossible’ things and have fun while at it.” Varanashi’s advice to young women attending CLAW sessions is concise and effective. “I tell them to listen to their bodies and trust the process. There’s no point pushing too hard and sustaining injuries. Their goal should be to have fun climbing and develop a close relationship with their bodies.”