Shawna West: Texas Lady Crusher's Member Spotlight

Name: Shawna West

Origin: Wichita Falls, TX Current Location: Austin, TX

Favorite Type of Climbing: Sport, bouldering, and deep water soloing.

Favorite Parks: Shawna really loves Yosemite National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Hueco Tanks State Park (but she has not been here in a while), and the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge.

Shawna first learned about bouldering as a freshman in college. She lived close to the Wichita Mountains in Oklahoma and a few of her boy buddies would bring her along for short day sessions. She did not really find a love for bouldering until a little later in life though. As a junior in college, Shawna facilitated ropes courses and adventure trips for teenagers. She didn’t know much about top-rope or sport climbing until booking a trip with Outward Bound in Colorado. That was when she fell in love with outdoor top-rope and sport climbing. Recently, she has become super jazzed about digging into trad climbing. Last spring she started building her first trad rack...now she just need to find a partner so that she can use it!

Since discovering climbing, Shawna has met some amazing women in climbing and developed very fond memories of her time with them. She has fond memories of Katie teaching her how to wiggle the cam loose after getting it stuck in a super tight crack. She has fond memories of Claire shouting gleeful obscenities from the belay when she led her first 5.11. She has fond memories of Selena’s patient voice coaching her through foot work and nervous Elvis legs. Shawna has had a handful of amazing female climbing partners in the last 15 years. Like, some real CRUSHERS! All of her fondest memories are with those partners

The comradery, mentorship, and unyielding support that her partners provided made her a better climber and a better person. They all took chances on her, they all took the time to help her overcome some very large obstacles, and they all cheered her on through some of her biggest battles on the wall and in life.

Shawna has found a deeper appreciation for the outdoors since she started climbing. For some, their spiritual space is mediation, church, art, dance, etc. Shawna’s spiritual space is the outdoors. She does not listen to music while climbing because she wants to be able to focus and connect quietly with her movements on the rock. Her favorite place to climb has been Hueco Tanks. She said there is something about the land and the energy of the rock that provided a feeling of connectedness to self and to the environment.

Shawna's advice to new climbers who don't know where to start is to take a class at your local gym or book a course through a guide service. She also recommends joining the Texas Lady Crushers for a day of guided climbing. Naturally, we agree. Joining a TxLC climbing day is a wonderful way to ease into the basics of climbing. You will meet other beginners and more advanced climbers, develop your skills, and learn about protective gear and how to use it safely.

A fun fact about Shawna that you would never guess is that she used to play drums in an all girl cover band. On occasion, she was known to practice the drums, in a miniskirt, without wearing underwear.