VIE EN MONTAGNE PAR/BY MOUNTAIN LIFE - ÉTÉ/AUTOMNE 2020 | SUMMER/FALL 2020

27 Émilie’s blistered fingers probed the granite wall. The wind whipped her rope around. Her pulse was racing. Perched a hundred metres above Baie Éternité, she kept telling herself that she could do it—that she would conquer La Cavale , a 5.13b-climbing route on Cap Trinité. “This is a really treacherous route. There are only a few bolts. You secure yourself as you go,” remembers the climber. Although she ventured on this climb just for kicks away from the competition scene, Émilie Pellerin is one of Quebec’s most accomplished female rock climbing athletes and is pushing the limits of what it means to take to the sky. And she’s not alone—Quebec boasts several other talented female climbers. The seasoned Annie Chouinard also has several harrowing 5.14 climbs under her belt, including the challenging Come On in Orford. She makes up for her five-foot-one-inch reach with her iron will, creativity and focused training regimen. “The way women can move their hips, their flexibility, is a real advantage,”notes Matthieu Des Rochers, Sports Director for the Fédération québécoise de la montagne et de l’escalade (FQME). He mentions the incredible focus and balance they display on their gravity-defying climbs. Mélissa Lacasse, who was a rock climbing coach for over 15 years, adds that beyond physical abilities, having technical foresight is key—if you can’t break down the climb, then you won’t get very far. With so much going for them, our only wish is to see more high-level female rock climbers scaling the rock faces of la Belle Province. Where are they hiding? Climbers Soaring to New Heights words :: Sophie Lachance