August 15, 2024
Found in “Community news”
As much as we love flashing a route or the view from a portaledge, our favourite thing about climbing is the incredible community. We’re proud to be the destination for Canadian climbers since we hit the scene in the early 70s, but providing top-tier gear for crags and gyms is just one tiny part of our commitment. Before the days of indoor gyms, bouldering mats, stick clips or cams, we were climbers. We’ve cleaned up crags, built trails (also plenty of outhouses) and been access advocates for bluffs and mountainsides across Canada. We’ve championed new brands, field tested products and worked with pro climbers (shout out to MEC Climbing Ambassadors Sean McColl and Emma Contaoe) to get the details right. We’ve been giving back to the outdoor community since 1987, and we’ll continue to support organizations in their quest to get more people outside, like this year’s Tommy Caldwell Talks: Ride for the Planet event, which raised $5994.70 for Climbers’ Access Society of British Columbia (CASBC) and Van Queer Climbers.
This year in celebration of Global Climb Day, we’re hosting our very own Rock the Climb event. We’re pumped to be partnering with local climbing groups, brands and athletes to celebrate all things climbing in a few MEC store locations across the country. This month we caught up with some awesome climbing organizations and individuals working hard behind the scenes to protect wild spaces, bring outdoor access to local communities and improve the natural spaces where we get to play, crush and top out.
As climbing continues to grow in popularity our crags and mountainsides can become crowded, with approach trails and access areas experiencing heavier traffic every year. Luckily there are some incredible folks dedicated to preserving these natural spaces for future generations of crushers to come, while building easier access for today’s climbers all over Canada. We sat down with leaders and volunteers from these climbing orgs to learn more about what goes into preserving and promoting access to our favourite climbing spots – no surprise, it’s a LOT of work.
Photo credit: Alex Ryan Tucker, Squamish Access Society
“My first season climbing in Squamish I was amazed by all the freely available climbing resources and the well-maintained climbing infrastructure all cared for by volunteers. It was important to me to be involved as a way of showing my appreciation of the work done previously with the aim of maintaining and building on that.” - Emilisa, Board Member at Squamish Access Society.
Promoting climbing access
Safety, liability and environmental impact are three of the primary concerns that always come first when negotiating climbing access with land managers and owners. Since climbing orgs typically do not own the land where we’re climbing, establishing proper management plans and collaborating with all stakeholders is just as important as pushing hard for our climbers. As crags become more popular, we sometimes see restrictions and regulations put in place to ensure the natural environment is not disrupted. That’s why it’s so important to respect closing conditions, access conditions, any crag code of ethics and of course, following the Leave No Trace principles. After all, climbing in these incredible spaces is a privilege, and we want to ensure future generations get to enjoy chalking up walls and topping out boulders for generations to come.
Photo credit: Ontario Alliance of Climbers
Some recent success stories in climbing stewardship? “There has been a lot of construction along the Mamquam and Indian FSRs recently. We’ve been able to express the importance of this area to climbers and as a result the parking pullouts have been enlarged, and the dust mitigation work that has been done has also had a positive impact on the North Wall boulders,” says Alex, the chair of Squamish Access Society (SAS) in BC.
“By working together with land managers and stakeholders, we can all gain the benefits of accessing our outdoor spaces, and enjoy rock climbing in a healthy, safe and fun way that maintains the protection of our natural environment.” - Ontario Alliance of Climbers
Preserving climbing access
Every time we haul our crash pads, flash a route or hey, take a whipper or two, we have the folks doing all the work behind the scenes to thank for the preservation of our favourite fun zones. As we all know, climbers make excellent land ambassadors, just ask the Ontario Alliance of Climbers (OAC), who have had local climbers participate in clean ups, ecology studies and funded graffiti removal in parks so they can enjoy ‘the glen’. CASBC also hosts trail days, stewardship days, bolting clinics and trail clinics to help locals get involved and feel connected to the care of their local crags. WAG bags provided by SAS has also helped keep our crags clean from human waste, especially when you're so far from a washroom.
Sharing the know-how for caring for the planet is crucial to everyone being able to do their part in the outdoors – every little bit counts!
Volunteers build a path for the Smoke Bluffs climbing access (Photo credit: CASBC)
Photo credit: Alex Ryan Tucker, Squamish Access Society
Route development and maintenance
Nothing beats a community effort, but sometimes there are some really rad individuals making change happen on their own. At The Association of Bow Valley Area Rockclimbers (TABVAR) individual volunteers create new routes and they’re reimbursed for any expenses on routes that are top priority for the local community. Heads up, if you’re planning to develop routes in the Rockies, you better get comfy wielding a crowbar – routes in that area require a LOT of cleaning. Mainly volunteers also work on retrobolting and re-bolting existing routes, which always takes priority over new developments. For our climbers based in Quebec, you can become a certified route setter with the Fédération québécoise de la montagne et de l'escalade (FQME) by getting involved with your local climbing club and taking the necessary training. This way you’ll be well-equipped to clean up routes and establish new ones with all the necessary training.
Photo credit: JS Chartier-Plante, FQME
Notice a bolt or anchor that could use replacing in the Squamish area? Submit a report on the Squamish Access Society (SAS) website and they’ll do their best to rebolt what they can. SAS also works on bringing new life to older crags that may have fallen into disrepair. More operational crags means less crowds at each climb spot, which helps alleviate some of the environmental impact that comes with heavy traffic (oh, and more time on the wall for you).
To ensure the quality of new and existing routes, TABVAR ensures all routes adhere to the following regulations:
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The route should be safe for an on-sight lead climb by someone who is competent at the grade
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The route should be cleaned of all loose rock
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Pitons and nylon webbing are not acceptable as permanent fixtures on sport routes
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Avoid squeezing in routes close to or which interfere with established climbs
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Creating holds or attaching imported holds is contrary to accepted local practice
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Avoid building routes that create rockfall hazards over established routes or trails
Photo credit: The Association of Bow Valley Area Rockclimbers
Community involvement and support
Want to get involved with your local climbing org? Reach out! Send a message on socials or through their website to join as a member, or you can always donate to keep funding incredible initiatives and projects that put climbers first. This funding goes directly to rebolting missions, bathroom maintenance, trail improvements and tons more. Volunteering for trail maintenance, crag clean-ups, events and education sessions are also great ways to get to know other climbers and show your appreciation for the spaces where we get to send it. You can always connect with your local climbing club for more ways to give back to your community, chances are they’re already involved in some cool projects.
Fun fact: As part of a community involvement initiative, TAVBAR hosted a contest where they auctioned off the naming rights for a new route that a member had put up. The winning donation? $2,500! And so the route “Wish You Were Here” was born, paying homage to the naming convention of the wall which features personal history moments and song names (this one named after the Pink Floyd song).
Photo credit: The Association of Bow Valley Area Rockclimbers
Future projects and missions
Continuing to strengthen local climbing organizations through funding and legal support is the main focus for a few of our climbing orgs. “Shade shelters at some popular crags, expansion and upkeep of the WAG bag program, continuation of our anchor and bolt replacement program, and replacement of some bridges to access climbing areas in the Paradise Valley area,” says Alex, chair of SAS. “Ensuring the ultimate lifespan of the existing hardware in the Bow Valley,” is a priority for TABVAR. As more climbers are getting outside and gyms gain traction and popularity, representing local climbers will only continue to grow as a top priority. “We see our role expanding to ensure that their voices and concerns are heard,” says TABVAR.
Meet the orgs putting climbers first
Squamish Access Society
If you’ve chalked up in the Squamish area anytime since 2004, you can thank Squamish Access Society for that.
Ontario Alliance of Climbers
Founded in 2009, the Ontario Alliance of Climbers is an independent, volunteer non-profit organization that works diligently to keep climbing and bouldering areas open in Ontario.
Fédération québécoise de la montagne et de l'escalade (FQME)
This Québec mountain and climbing federation (FQME) supports the development of outdoor ski mountaineering and climbing sites, organizes the official sport climbing competition circuit and promotes safe practices and training programs in the outdoors.
Rock the Climb event details
Join us on August 18 to celebrate Global Climb Day at select MEC store locations. It'll be a day of climbing, brand demos, prize packs, giveaways and tons more. It’s going to be epic, so don’t miss out!
