I first took up climbing during my careless school days in a small tribal dominated area of Patalkot in Chhindwara (Madhya Pradesh) district. Though professional climbing started little late from Garhwal, Uttrakhand from a Glacier known as Dokriani bamak. I successfully scaled the highest mountain peak Mount Everest on May 22, 2019. I last climbed Mount Kosciuszko, Australia in March 2020. This was the year when I got married and thought of family planning. I am continuing my fitness training during my pregnancy days.
Alison Jane Hargreaves always intrigued me to stick to climbing even during pregnancy. She was six months pregnant with her first child when she climbed to Eiger (Alps). She is among those rare and first climbers who reached the summit of Everest without any support of Sherpas or even bottled oxygen on 13 August 1995.
Do you think climbing is good during pregnancy?
Yes, of course as long as you can avoid big fall. It is my maiden pregnancy so it is a unique experience for me. But it has become as an adventure for me as I take regular training and enjoy activities like climbing.
My healthy nutrition habits, strength training and other activities keep me pushing beyond my lifelong goal of ‘climbing beyond limits’, though I know pregnancy triggers a sudden thought of staying away from such goals.
I am lucky to be supported by my husband who keeps on motivating me and maintaining my climbing equipment’s; like full body harness. It makes me more excited about climbing now.
If I am to explain ‘Pregnancy and Climbing’ in simple terms, I would say climbers need core strength so that their bodies could stay close to a climbing wall, mountain or whatever and maintain stability. In my case, I think this core strength has made me more comfortable when I think of my delivery which is due in a couple of days from now. I hope and am confident this strength would also shorten my postpartum recoveries.
Climbers need strong shoulder; arm and knee strength and all pregnant women also need the similar strengths to deliver.
Though I have now stopped the climbing, I think a woman can climb till she is eight months pregnant. I also think my baby feels comfortable when I think of climbing. A simple reason is that, a climber has to be mentally relaxed. I cannot sit ideally or lie down on bed in a do nothing situation – this would make my life really horrible. With vision of my goal of climbing all the highest peaks of seven continents, I have to keep moving ahead anyhow. Keeping this vision, I have so far completed summits of the tallest peaks of three continents of the world. In 2019 itself, I promoted two of the most prominent Indian festivals by showcasing Indian culture around the world including Diwali which I celebrated at Mount Kilimanjaro of the African continent and on occasion of colorful festival Holi in same year, I spread beautiful colors at the highest peak of Mount Kosciuszko in the continent of Australia. Besides, I also hold the Guinness World records for promoting the Himalayan Mountain Range worldwide during an online eventorganised by Coimbatore-based Transend Adventures and Snow Leopard Adventures on August 15, 2020.
On a positive note I also can confidently say, continuing to climb made my pregnancy easier. I maintained an activity that I enjoyed and I feel like the baby liked it when I climbed. Your child also takes “education in womb’ like that mythological character Abhimanyu.
At the same time, I would advise the women climbers not to take up climbing when belly bump becomes bigger as you need more muscle strength in abs. It may become little difficult while lifting legs because your bump comes in way.
Although normal weight gain during pregnancy may not go up more than 12-15 kg, our deep abdominal muscles and back muscles put strain on pelvic floor. It may be stretched and weakened when you have large belly bump, say, an eight months pregnancy.
My nutrition needs have also changed. I take more protein, fruits, greens (as I am strict vegetarian) and multiple portions.
I never skip my regular exercise routine that involves a full yoga session, to maintaining forearm and finger strength, stretching of neck and back. However I remain careful about putting strain on abdomen muscles.
Those who want to take up climbing during pregnancy till few initial months of pregnancy should keep simple rules in mind; avoid pressure and strain on abdomen. One should use full-body harness. And do not pick those sites where you can face big falls or trauma to your belly.
Further any activity that can put extra pressure on abdomen or pelvic floor should be avoided. Feet first climbing should be chosen since hanging on arms could be riskier and stressful for abdomen.
Before start any climbing, train yourself in a proper way and look into your progression provided your body tolerates the activities. But prime rule is to maintain core strength and flexibility.
Pregnancy is an amazing experience. You can maintain core strength by using Hangboards.
Remember climbing is not an athletic activity but it offers so many perks; exercise, activity and outing. So climb on!
– Mountaineer Bhawna Dehariya Mishra
