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Lucy was discovered in Hadar, Ethiopia in 1974. The several hundred pieces of bone, which make up 40 percent of her body, are the oldest hominin skeleton ever unearthed. It is 3.2 million years old.
In the Tigray region, a few miles from where Lucy was found, Caroline Ciavaldini is also testing the limits of human existence. The expert climber is vertically exploring some of the oldest rocks on the African continent, with the added challenge of being a new mom.
Ciavaldini’s physical prowess is extensive. She learned the sport by chance at school on her home island of Reunion, a French colony off the coast of Madagascar. Initially, he focused on competitive sport climbing. Ten years later, he moved into bouldering, cliffs, and multi-pitch climbing.
More than half her life has been about climbing, but now she is forced to learn a new skill: balancing her past passions with focusing on her son. Her husband, James Pearson, and their 15-month-old son, Arthur, accompany her in Tigray.
Pearson has an equally impressive climbing resume. Shortly after taking up the sport in his teens in England’s Peak District, he became one of the best climbers in the country. Since then, he has climbed in Borneo, Sardinia, Thailand, Italy and Tasmania. This is the couple’s first foreign climbing adventure as parents.
“We wanted to bring Arthur here to share our experience with him,” says Pearson. “But I think we ended up sharing his experience from Africa.”
Tigray was one of the oldest Christian cultures in the world. Ancient churches, carved out of sandstone pillars jutting out of the desert, are reminiscent of Petra. Some are 70 m tall. The local worshipers still go up to the churches today, without ropes or other aids. They have been doing it since the 4th century.
“I am not a religious person,” says Pearson. “But stepping on one of these towers and feeling the power that it brings, I think I can understand why they want to be there,” says Pearson.
Ciavaldini and Pearson’s home in Connaux, France, has its own covered climbing wall, but this is Ciavaldini’s first opportunity to climb since Arthur was born. “You can’t climb a lot with a baby,” he says. “You need someone to take care of it.”
Climbing sandstone as a new mother brings many lessons. The art of disconnecting the mind and concentrating on the task at hand is one of them.
Like all athletes, there is a critical moment when effort peaks and one begins to question one’s ability to continue. At that precise moment, Ciavaldini can’t help but remember Arthur’s screams as he stayed behind with his grandparents that morning. It makes her wonder if she’s doing the right thing, something every mother can empathize with.
First, the pair tackle the Sheba Tower, originally climbed by the British legendary Pat Littlejohn in 2005. The 150m tall Sheba is the most impressive tower in Tigray and has a huge crevasse that runs from floor to top. From above, a yellow panorama of the Ethiopian scrub desert stretches across the plains of Tigray.
The crumbling sandstone supports add an additional layer of difficulty to the Tigray Towers.
After their warm-up from Sheba, Ciavaldini and Pearson look for a challenge of their own. “We wanted to see how difficult the climb was going to be,” says Ciavaldini.
They find a tower that attracts them both, but there is a problem. Dams appear strong, but iron-laced sandstone is very unstable. In other places, the “dams” are simply loose sand. “The stone here takes things to another level,” says Pearson.
With Arthur in mind, Ciavaldini fights with the fibers of his heart halfway through. For the first time, you feel that it may be selfish to leave a baby behind for a potentially dangerous sport. However, back on level ground, the couple notice a new and unexpected element that Arthur brings to the journey.
Ciavaldini and Pearson have climbed in many countries but never before as parents.
As babies often do, Arthur attracts a lot of local attention. Ethiopian children play with him in the street and other parents stop to chat with Ciavaldini and Pearson. Through a child, human beings of different origins come together. “We don’t feel French or English, we feel human,” says Pearson.
Meanwhile, Ciavaldini concludes that “I think you can be selfish as a parent and have an affair, as long as you make sure your baby is having a great time.” Arthur was the real star of this adventure.
About the Author
Alex Myall
A travel journalist born from her own mini adventures in faraway destinations. What started out as a passion for guiding others to explore grew into journaling, blogging, and booking. Learn more at https://chasingdreamstravel.co.nz/
