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Zhelia | ژیلیا

@bznoka.__

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Kurdish rock climber ☀️
Medical researcher, writer, activist
Bashur, Kurdistan | U.S.

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گرینگ نیە چەند بڵێن پێمان ناکرێ، خۆم ئەزانم کچی کورد هەموو شتێکی پێ ئەکرێ❤️☀️💚

(کاکە ئەوە ئەی ئای نیە توخوا وا مەرێن پاش ئەو هەموە ماندیبوونەی تێیچوو😂)

It doesn’t matter how much they tell us we’re not capable, I know Kurdish women can do anything. ❤️☀️💚

#kurdish #kurdishgirl #rockclimbing #kurdishclimber by @bznoka.__

Life these days is filled with much less climbing and much more hard work. I’m struggling to stick to a set training schedule and I’ve been mostly just following what I feel is fun each day. It’s all different, and I’m still adjusting to it all. I’m grateful to have a good climbing gym to go to, but man do I miss rock climbing and training hard. But I just remind myself: life has its seasons, and this one won’t last forever 💕

Anyways, completely unrelatedly, here are the 2 times I dressed up and did something fun lately💃🏻 by @bznoka.__

Living my Barbie dreams fr 💕

It’s wild how sometimes, big failures can turn into the best time of your life. Never in a million years would I have imagined this life for myself growing up. I wouldn’t have even imagined this 6 months ago. But never in a million years would I give up the last few months of my life. Although it was borne of heartbreak and defeat, it ended up leading me into some of the best experiences I’ve ever had.

Ten sleep, you have my heart. I’m so grateful for all the friends I’ve made here who have expanded my psych about climbing and life. And grateful for finally sending some 12s 🤪

Center El Shinto 5.12b ✅

📸 @namelessdirtbag

#barbieworld #kurdishclimber #kurdish #womenwhoclimb #dirtbag #ofsorts?? #rockclimbing #tensleepcanyon by @bznoka.__

‎بزنۆکە لە سرووشتی خۆیدا!

‎پێشاندانی دیمەنی بەردەوانی ژیلیا عارف، لەلایەن فیلمسازی بەتوانا محمد ڕێکانی’یەوە چرکێندراوە.

‎سەردانی ماڵپەڕەکەمان بکەن بۆ بینینی تەواوی چیرۆکەوێنەکە!

Bznoka in her natural element!

Featuring incredible footage of Zhelia Arif climbing, captured by the talented filmmaker Mohammed Rekani. (@m.rekani)

Head over to our website to check out the full photostory! by @bznoka.__

لەکاتێکدا وەرزشی بەردەوانی بۆ شاخەکانی کوردستان تاڕادەیەک نوێیە، بەڵام چیاکان خۆیان بۆمان ئاشنان.
بەردەوانی بۆ ژیلیا وەک گەڕانەوەیە بۆ شوێنێکی ئاشنا، ڕەگ و ڕیشەی ئەو هەمیشە لەو کەلەبەرانەدایە کە بۆ سەرکەوتن دەستیان پێوە دەگرێت. ئەو هەمیشە دەڵێت: ”کاتێک بەردەوانی دەکەم، بیرکردنەوە لە هەر شتێکی تر ئەستەم دەبێت. زۆر سەرقاڵ دەبم بەوەی قاچەکانم لە کوێ دابنێم، کڵۆمی داهاتوو لەکوێ گیر بکەم و چۆن بەسەر شڵەژانی لەناکاوی ترسدا زاڵ ببم. ئەم نوقمبوونە قووڵەی ناو ساتەوەختی ئێستا، هێواش هێواش ئارامیی بەو جەنجاڵییە بەخشی کە لە دوای کۆچکردنمەوە لە سەرمدا هەبوو. بۆ چەند خولەکێک لە یەک کاتدا، هیچ شتێکی تر بوونی نەدەما جگە لەو ئاستەنگەی لە بەردەممدا بوو.“ هەر بەم شێوەیە ژیلیا بووە یەکێک بەردەوانە ناسراوەکانی باشوور.

تازەترین چیرۆکی وێنەیی ئێستا لە ماڵپەڕەکەماندا بەردەستە، کە لەلایەن خودی ژیلیا عارف ”بزنۆکە“ نووسراوە. سەردانی بەستەری بایۆ بکەن بۆ خوێندنەوەی.

وێنەکان لەلایەن: حەسەن مەلا

While the sport of rock climbing is relatively new to the Kurdistan highlands, the mountains themselves are deeply familiar to us.
Rock climbing feels like returning to a familiar place for Zhelia, her roots always lie in the cracks of the mountains she clutches on to for a climb. She always says “When I’m climbing, it becomes impossible to think of anything else. I become too busy wondering where to place my feet, how to latch my next hold, and how to cope with a sudden surge of fear. Being that deeply engaged in the present slowly began to ease the turmoil that had lived in my head since immigrating. For a few minutes at a time, nothing else would exist, but the problem in front of me.” and that is how she has become one of the first widely known climbers in Başur.

The latest photostory is now available on the website, written by Zhelia Arif “Bznoka” herself. Click the link in the bio.

Photos by: Hasan Malla by @bznoka.__

Anti-style & favorite-style all in one✨ by @bznoka.__

Even in our darkest times, may we stay amazed by the beauty and wonder of this world ✨

Another year of not believing my eyes 🤩 by @bznoka.__

Em kurd in ji Kurdistanê

Zor spas ji bo @bznoka.__

T-Shirts by @haramwithsugar

#kurdish #kurdî #kurdistan #kurdi by @bznoka.__

Excerpts of an article I wrote for @melaninbasecamp tying together themes of Nawroz folklore, rock climbing, and the reality of being Kurdish during times of war.

🔗Link in bio

Photos by the incredibly talented @grittypics by @bznoka.__

English:
A small preview of the amazing pics taken by @grittypics for an article I wrote for @melaninbasecamp. Can’t wait to post the climbing pics✨

Thanks to @rojeenk for dress alterations & @glenn_frank for being our photo assistant.

کوردی:
پێشەکی وێنە جوانەکانی @grittypics گرتبووی لۆ وتارەکەم لەگەر @melaninbasecamp . بە پەرۆشم لەو زووانە ڕسمە بەردەوانیەکانتان پیشان دەم ✨

سوپاس لۆ @rojeenk لۆ گۆڕانکاری کراسەکەم لۆ پەتی بەردەوانی، و سوپاس لۆ @glenn_frank لۆ یارمەتی لە ڕۆژی ڕسم گرتن by @bznoka.__

Pics from my AGMA Single Pitch Instructor (SPI) course 🤩🤩🤩

I pushed off getting into leading trad for 8 years….until this year!!! I decided to take the SPI course so I can take a deeper level of knowledge & expertise back to Kurdistan & Iraq with me when I move back. This forced me to start trad climbing, & it’s been wayyyy more fun than I expected!!

With the U.S.-Israel war on Iran affecting my family & home, my plans to move back to Kurdistan this summer had to be postponed. I’ve been looking forward to this for years, so it’s been really devastating, especially combined with my worry for my family back home. But the absolute brutality & difficulty of trad climbing has been an amazing outlet! The past few months, I went from leading 1 route max a day because it was so mentally draining, to whipping on gear while screaming at my limit. It might sound weird, but it’s been awesome being so scared & pushing so hard with my entire body that I feel like throwing up once back on the ground. It’s a beyond powerful feeling to achieve something that feels so brutal and impossible.

After some trad leads, it was time to take the course. This past winter, I received a grant from @browngirlsclimb & @climbing4change to pay for the SPI class (those classes aren’t cheap 🥵 thx BGC <3). One month ago, I finally took the class with @appalachian_climbing_school and had an AMAZING time with Wes & my classmate.

It can be so hard and annoying to become a beginner again in a sport you’ve finally gotten comfortable in. But I’m so glad I pushed through the learning curve & started climbing trad. Now onto passing the exam & all the adventures ahead 🤩 by @bznoka.__