Why WHAM?
This one took us a while. Weeks of group brainstorming. We envisioned this festival and this space in a certain way and wanted the name to convey that. Something that reminds women that they are immense, that they can take up space, that their place is anywhere they want it to be. A name that portrays the POWER that lingers inside women and that builds when women gather. So we landed on WHAM: Within Her Are Mountains. An acronym that feels like it’s power in action.
The idea for an all-women, all-mountain festival is not unique worldwide, but this was AFRICA’S FIRST! Born out of the desire to create a safe space for women to explore, grow and connect. We chose Rocklands Basecamp because, well, it’s Rocklands, a place we love deeply. And we want more women to find that same feeling of belonging here, and in mountain spaces everywhere.
How It All Started
The idea for WHAM started with Naadirah, who came back from Europe with a spark. She couldn’t afford to go to the women’s festival in Fontainebleau and thought, why not create her own, right here in SA. She’s the furnace of the project for sure, and soon the WHAM team was born: Carmen from Womxn for Wild, curator of many all-womxn outdoor events, Mish (that’s me!) and Becks from Breathe In Experiences, with expertise in all things Rocklands, and Naadirah. That’s team WHAM, and in my humble opinion, we’re one helluva team.
Together, we built something we truly believe in, though that didn’t stop the doubts. “Do you think anyone will buy a ticket?” became our running joke and our biggest fear. Planning a festival that means something to you is terrifying. But we did it, we took up space. And when WHAM Fest sold out, we knew that fear had been worth it.
WHAM Fest 2025 - How It All Played Out
Team WHAM had only met up twice in person before the festival; the rest of the planning happened online, scattered across South Africa. So coming together the day before the festival in Rocklands was something special. This thing we’d dreamed up for a year was finally in motion.
As everyone started arriving on Friday, there was a distinctive shift in the energy at Basecamp. You could feel it, a quiet sense of significance, as if something important was about to begin.
Friday: Settling In and Showing Up
We kicked off with the epic We Move Up chikas, Anj Jones and Carmien Theron, leading a sunset slackline session. It set the tone for the festival, playful, unguarded, informal and exciting. The perfect invitation to try new things. Then came a meditative sound journey with Julie Metz, helping us soften, ground, breathe, and fully arrive.
That night, Naadirah broke the ice with a hilarious speed-date-style orientation game, followed by a hearty potjie dinner cooked by Elzaan, a Rocklands local and RAD beneficiary.
Saturday and Sunday: Movement, Courage and Connection
Saturday was immense. We started early with yoga, trail running, and medicinal plant walks, getting us moving, laughing, and finding our flow before diving into the main event: bouldering in Rocklands.
Between myself, Becks, Zoe, and Serina (local badass crusher babes), we guided climbers of all levels through a day of challenge, joy and pure stoke. Surrounded entirely by women, the energy was unreal, full of support, laughter, and courage in every direction. That’s what WHAM Fest is all about.
The day kept flowing with highlining and lino cut workshops, two experiences that felt like opposite ends of the same spectrum: bold and creative, grounding and expressive. A huge shoutout to We Move Up and Friends and Allies for rigging the first all-women highline in the Western Cape; the energy up there moved everyone who saw it.
We wrapped up Saturday with another delicious potjie dinner cooked by Elzaan, letting the day drift into the night as we danced beneath the Cederberg sky, DJ Gabzilla spinning the day’s energy into every beat.
Sunday was no small day. We began with sun salutations led by Amy Smith, then returned to the boulders for another round of climbing. Some women opted to soothe their muscles with a refreshing river adventure, while others stayed at base camp to complete their lino artworks. The day culminated in Contact Improv with Julie Metz. It was a perfect last workshop, a practice of trust, presence, and playful exploration, inviting us to meet ourselves and one another with openness and curiosity.
Then it was time for our closing ceremony before everyone hit the road back home. And a term called collective effervescence comes to mind, it’s a feeling of unity and joy that arises when people come together and have shared thoughts and feelings. It leaves you with this sublime feeling of awe. A deep feeling that you’ve been part of something. Sitting in the closing circle, tea harvested from the land in hand, we can’t think of a more fitting term.
Eternal Gratitude
A huge thank you to the 30 incredible women who joined us, trusted us and shared yourselves with us. And to our 6 extraordinary facilitators, you added so much heart and soul to this space, and we could not be more grateful for your help in growing our vision.
And lastly, a shoutout to our sponsors for your generous contributions. Hemporium, Vertigo Gear, Topside Climbing, Mama Alles, Culturelab, Nudefoods, The Apothecary and Buttanutt. Each of you added something that made the festival that little bit extra special, so thank you.
We’re still in denial that it’s all over. To call it a weekend feels silly, because a weekend is short, just a blip. But this festival, this thing, was monumental. It was a shift. And we can NOT wait for WHAM Fest 2026! Watch this space, cause we’re coming for you, Rocklands.
Mish and the WHAM Fest team.
Xxx
