ASCEND, on political refuge and solace found in climbing

ASCEND, a new short film by Patagonia named after a non-profit climbing organization primarily working in Afghanistan, follows three Afghan women throughout a week-long climbing journey in Yosemite.

The  three climbers were fairly autonomous for women in Afghanistan, but when the Taliban returned to power in the country in 2021, the three women chose to escape the restrictive regime with the help of their climbing community.

Ascend – the organization – is dedicated to helping young women develop leadership skills through community service and sport climbing. Not only does the non-profit offer the space and mentorship to gain technical climbing skills, Ascend provides formal classroom training focused on critical thinking, teamwork, trust-building and both inter-personal and wider societal conflict resolution.

Check out the film below, and if you’re looking to learn more about these women’s journey from Afghanistan to Yosemite, you can also read a Patagonia article here.