The Power Company Podcast: Prerna Dangi

Prerna Dangi provides a window into the evolution of climbing in India, and her efforts to break the mold as a rising professional climber

By The Climbing Initiative | August 30, 2022

“Rock climbing in India has had its own upbringing, fueled by local leaders—unlike mountaineering, where a lot of it was done by Western climbers. So as we do mountaineering in our own country, there is a lot of Western legacy that we carry, that our mountains' histories carry. Rock climbing has been this unique challenge and opportunity to develop this sport in our own communities, at our own crags, by our own hands.”

As a co-founder of CLAW (Climb Like a Woman), a community organization empowering women through rock climbing in India, and as a highly-skilled climber across all mediums (rock, ice, mountaineering), Prerna Dangi is the picture of an all-around climber and community leader. Now, she’s here in the U.S. on an epic trip to climb classic routes at iconic crags, expand the reach of her global climbing network, and receive guide training through the American Mountain Guide Association (AMGA). Ultimately, Prerna plans to bring her knowledge and experience back home to Delhi and beyond, where she has been at the forefront of community organization and development in the Indian climbing scene.

After shining on stage as one of the opening speakers for the 2022 International Climbers Festival (ICF) held annually in Lander, Wyoming, Prerna sat down with Kris Hampton, ICF emcee and host of the Power Company Climbing Podcast, to talk about her journey throughout the U.S., her personal climbing goals, and her aspirations as a community leader and organizer at home in India.

Prerna is touring the United States with support from The Climbing Initiative’s Climbing Leadership Fund, aimed to equip global climbing leaders with the knowledge and resources to build local climbing communities around the world. Click the button below to donate and support Prerna directly.