- Ecuador -

“8vos a los 30s”

(use Closed Captions to see English subtitles)

A climbing project for indigenous women in Ecuador
|| by MBB ambassador Andrea Castillo piedra

Meet Andre Castillo, who has an extensive history in the Ecuador climbing community due to a number of pilot projects, establishments and initiatives she’s taken on to empower women through climbing.

8vos a los 30s is one of our 2023 Accompanied Programs.

^ Andrea (Andre) Castillo, at home in Ecuador.

Aside from being sponsored by Petzl, having her own climbing school, and pursuing research in women’s menstrual health, here’s a few more impressive titles she holds in her pursuit of community impact…

^ A photo of Andre with women during the Warmikuna Festival

Andre’s experience and work in the climbing community -

  • A Master’s Degree in Rural Development

  • CEO of Amankai Ecuador, a climbing and menstrual education center for women and the LGBTQ+ community.

  • Being the first Latina women team to climb The Nose.

  • “Latitud Cero Climbing RockTrip Ecuador” project, recognized by the UN for it’s impact in the underserved community.

  • “Escalando desde lo local” project, focused on indigenous communities.

  • Organizer of the Warmikuma Rockfest, the Women’s Climbing Festival of Ecuador…

You can see why we love her, and support her efforts in Ecuador!

See Andrea Castillo Piedra’s Full Resumé (.pdf English)

what is “Octavos a los treintas” (8vos a los 30s)?

Andre travels with indigenous women on annual 15-30 day international rocktrips, where they learn how to be autonomous and move in other countries. A film is made for every year to fundraise for the next year.

Each woman uses this experience to catalyze a socio-environmental project that engages their indigenous community with their climbing area.

The name of the project originates from Andre's motivation to one day climb 8th grade routes in her 30s, however, it is an analogy to the process involved in climbing routes of this level, and how complex it can be to organize an international climbing trip for people from rural communities in a country with high rates of migration, poverty, hunger and crime.

Letters of Recommendation (Translated in English)
Petzl Ecuador
FEDANE
Ex-Mayor of Cayambe

^ Photo: Fernanda, an indigenous woman, founder of Amarumi.

^ Photo of Fernanda in her traditional clothes in Ecuador

Episode #1: Fernanda Lechón
|| The project travels to chilean patagonia

In 2022, the first edition of the series was with Fernanda Lechón, who traveled to Chilean Patagonia where the group rock climbed, took their WFR (Wilderness First Responder) course and provided menstrual education workshops.

Ep. #1 premieres in June in Fernanda’s town of Pesillo and Quito.

Socio-Environmental Project:
|| Amarumi Cafe-Camping and la chimba climbing

8vos a los 30s is now applying for funding and fundraising for this project!

  • Social Impact: Completion of Amarumi as a community space

  • Environmental Impact: Dry bathrooms, trails, waste management

^ The local indigenous Pakará people of Kichwa territories with the Amarumi cafe sign