Climbing Iraq’s mountains only started around the year 2000, and that was just a handful of people. It wasn’t until eight years later that a climbing community started to form, but that just sparked a fire which exploded when Social … Read More
On March 5th I got a text message from Iraq, from Kamaran H. Rasul, that was just a video. I couldn’t really understand what was going on, bleary eyed from sleep, as I watched a bulldozer pass by on the … Read More
A couple weeks ago I picked up a call from De Klimspecialist Jasper de Jong. Jasper is an expert in climbing wall construction, climbing equipment, and an instructor for mountain rescue and medical assistance. He let me know that he … Read More
Last year I met with Patagonia about our First Climbing School in Iraq and they were stoked and wanted to help, recently sending us their new Black Hole bags (check them out below!). As a company known for supporting positive … Read More
Mountaineering is in its infancy in Iraq, with no professional programs and the first and only climbing equipment store in the country opening in April of this 2018. There are no trail maps, and no routes other than those known … Read More
A team of volunteers has come forward to donate an entire bouldering wall for the First Climbing School in Iraq project! International coordination for this part of the project was made possible by DHI Telecom and their support with the … Read More
CHANGING HISTORY: We simply cannot express the historic impact this school will have on all of the people in Iraq. For the first time in history, anyone in the country will have a resource to learn about climbing and the … Read More
Iraq, Kurdistan. Before 2014 only around 100 people climbed per year, now in 2019 the mountains see more than 2,000 people per month. This explosion of interest attracts an entire population that has never explored the outdoors before. Iraq does … Read More
This is the first part of the story behind #ShaxawaniIraq means #ClimbingIraq, the story behind The First Climbing School in Iraq. In this video, we take the time to hear from the women climbers in Iraq, who are discovering a … Read More
On September 7, 2019 Kurdish climber Hawraz Raza fell from a rock wall in a tragic accident. Several hours later he was pronounced dead at the Sulaymaniyah Hospital in Iraq surrounded by friends and climbing partners. News of … Read More