The July 22 Mountaineers meeting will feature a talk by Helga Schimkat. You’ve probably heard of rock climbing and seen some movies or video clips but perhaps you are curious about how it works and what people get out of it. Her presentation will discuss what it is that rock climbers actually do and where they do it. Helga Schimkat has been climbing for six years, from gym bouldering to traditional and sport climbing on real rock. She will talk about the types of rock climbing, the gear climbers use and where they go, in New Mexico and elsewhere, including Nevada, Utah and the iconic Dolomites of northern Italy.

Helga Schimkat lives in Santa Fe with her husband and four cats. She spend a lot of time rock climbing in the out of doors. She still does some birding, hiking and backpacking but climbing commands most of her attention. Helga says “When I finish a climb and look up at the wall I just climbed, whether it be the sandstone of Red Rock National Conservation Area, the basalt of White Rock, or the conglomerate of El Rito, I am awed every time that my climbing partners and I went up that wall by our own power and skills.” She also enjoys the camaraderie and support of her climbing friends as well as the dedication of the larger climbing community to the sport. 

Helga is a lawyer who worked in a variety of capacities including lobbying and otherwise assisting environmental and animal nonprofits. She’s lived in Santa Fe thirty-two years and enjoys traveling to other countries and continents, often with seeing wildlife as the primary inspiration for a trip.

We welcome all to this Mountaineers’ meeting, held on the usual fourth Tuesday of the month. The social hour, with cookies, begins at 6:45 PM and the program at 7:00 PM. The presentation will be in-person at Los Alamos Nature Center; the slides will be live-streamed on Zoom. Registration is required to Zoom and recommended for in-person – we would love to see your smiling face. Registration details are available at https://peecla.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/peecla/event.jsp?event=57344&.

Helga pursuing her passion.