The Ontario Crags Calendar aims to celebrate and highlight the wide variety of climbing that Ontario has to offer. We want to showcase everything from as many different crags, seasons, and climbers as possible — ICE, SPORT, TRAD and BOULDERING are all honoured here.  Let’s celebrate the diversity of our province and our community!  Valid photo submissions must have LANDSCAPE orientation (i.e. horizontal), and be of climbers at Ontario crags only (of course!).  In order to meet print standards, full size images must be clear and at least 8.5″x11″ at 300 dpi.

Submissions do not need to be dated from this year, but they DO need to showcase your love for Ontario climbing.  So make the most of this tail end of the season, or take some time to venture down memory lane and rediscover some forgotten gems!

The Crags Calendar helps us raise awareness and funds in support of Ontario access.  Please consider donating a photo!  Send your best shots to submissions@ontarioallianceofclimbers.ca by SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13TH for a chance to be featured.  Chosen entrants will receive a free copy of the calendar, credit complete with name and website, and a little slice of local fame

Please see additional rules of submission here:

Mark your calendar for the OAC’s first ever Virtual Town Hall!

Next Tuesday, we’ll be discussing how the ongoing pandemic is affecting climbing in Ontario, and what we as climbers can do. If you have any questions about the safety of climbing during this time, or how our actions will affect the future of access at our local crags, this is your chance to speak face to face with us.

Can’t make the meeting, but want a certain topic addressed? Send questions ahead of time to info@ontarioallianceofclimbers.ca. We’ll post a summary of the event afterwards.

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Meeting Details for the Zoom Webinar:
When: Apr 28, 2020 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topic: OAC Town Hall: Covid-19 & Climbing Access

Register in advance for this webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xixLz5VlSNWzaGp66GMRlw

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Check out these resources and see what fits into your schedule.  Stay healthy, stay strong, stay happy!

• Arc Climbing & Yoga has created a YouTube channel with a variety of training, yoga, and informational videos to keep you moving.
• Boulder Parc has created a Discord channel to keep the climbing community communicating with each other.  Join to chat with members and gym staff alike!
• Boulderz Climbing Centre held a virtual handstand progression challenge on their Instagram account, with prizes for the winners!  Follow them and keep your eyes peeled for more challenges to come. 
• The Cave posted a 6 episode series of climbing skill challenges that you can try using only equipment you can find in your house.
• You can get a personalized home training plan designed by Gravity Climbing‘s competitive team coach, Liz Maffett.  Contact her directly for more details!
• Hub Climbing has put on a variety of home workouts, all streaming on their dedicated Facebook Live Stream account!  Follow them to get notifications on the next session, or to watch videos that have already aired.
• Toprock Climbing hosts a dedicated core workout on their Instagram Live feed every Friday at 7pm, with additional workouts sprinkled throughout the week. You can also get a personalized hangboard plan set for you by contacting Kevin Allen!
• Follow Up the Bloc‘s instagram feed for a variety of home workouts from their personal trainers.
• And while not an Ontario gym per se, Gripped has been publishing a progressive stay at home workout series composed by Ontario climber Noah Walker.

Climbing, physical activity, and being outdoors are all ways to alleviate stress. With the inability to climb indoors, it’s easy to think that heading out to the crag is a safe and viable option right now.  But should we be climbing outside at this time?

We encourage everyone to be responsible and respectful of the population as a whole. Even if we feel well, we may be asymptomatic carriers and not know it. By traveling outside your hometown, you increase the risk of transmitting the disease to other communities, many of which are remote and have limited access to supplies and healthcare services. All provincial parks are now closed, as well as many other public services. Additionally, if we get injured climbing outside, we can increase the load on an already overburdened healthcare system.

Tommy Caldwell provided the Access Fund with the following quote: “I cancelled my upcoming climbing trip to the southwest, not because I think my family will get sick while we adventure in the desert, but because it’s the responsible thing to do to slow the spread and protect vulnerable people. It’s our responsibility to stay put. But it’s also a great opportunity to stay home with your family, practice low-impact living strategies, and get some fresh air.”  We’re in accordance with this line of thinking.

Many climbing destination communities are urging visitors to stay away. We ask that you consider how your actions can impact the lives of others at this time. We all want to climb, and getting some fresh air is crucial to staying both healthy and sane. But the crags aren’t going anywhere, and staying local is only a temporary sacrifice that will protect our community.

There are many resources coming out that will help us stay in top climbing shape while at home, and we’ll be sharing some tips and inspiration to keep you motivated! But for the time being, we’re willing to put the health and safety of our community before our own desires.  We hope you’ll join us.

Submit Your Feedback

Access Updates: Campden & Halton
On November 8th, OAC volunteers hosted the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) for a chilly but sunny day of climbing at Rattlesnake. It was a great chance for the NPCA to learn about climbing and the potential for sustainable climbing in areas like Cave Springs (aka Campden).On November 15th, Halton Conservation hosted a meeting attended by Randy Kielbasiewicz and Mike Makischuk of the OAC, Burlington Fire and the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority.  Topics included an updated evacuation plan for Mount Nemo created by the Burlington Fire representative, climbing access to the currently closed Campden Crag, and discussions regarding climbing at Conservation Halton Properties. 

OAC 2020 Calendar
The 2020 OAC Calendar has been printed & will be available in a MEC near you in just a few weeks. The calendar makes a great gift and all funds go towards projects like the Rattlesnake bolting project. Stay tuned for more details soon!

A special thank you to Dennis Barnes, Jessica Best and Bonnie De Bruijn for coordinating the calendar creation & to all of the photographers that submitted their beautiful photos!

There’s more to outdoor climbing than just roping up. 
We all have a role to play in keeping climbing access open to all of our favourite crags in Ontario.

If you’re already a lifetime member, thank you for your support! We’d like to ask you to consider a donation to further our work with the community and on the frontlines of climbing access.Make a donation to support Ontario crags and climbing

If you aren’t a member, please join us! We work hard to advocate for climbing and are on the ground keeping access open to over 1500 routes and boulders in Ontario. A lifetime membership is only $5, but getting in our good books is priceless.
Become a lifetime member

Member Exclusive: Giveaway Alert!
Win tickets to see National Geographic Live Mark Synnott: Life on the Vertical at Roy Thomson Hall on Sunday, Nov. 24th at 7pm. See the big wall rock-climber of the highest order. He’s made legendary first ascents of some of the world’s tallest, most forbidding walls, from Baffin Island to Pakistan. Today, he uses his skills to break scientific ground, reaching incredibly inaccessible environments in search of rare species. It’s all in the spirit of adventure and exploration to educate about these sites of strange, remote beauty.

The first 5 OAC members to email info@ontarioallianceofclimbers.ca by 1:30pm on Friday. Nov. 22nd. will each get a pair of tickets for this weekend’s show! Use “NGL Tickets” in your email subject line! 

Join Us at Reel Rock 14—Dec. 3rd
Join the OAC for Reel Rock 14, hosted by True North Climbing. You can catch this exciting lineup of films at the Ted Rogers Hot Docs Cinema on December 3rd. The first showing is at 7pm and, by popular demand, a second show has been added at 9:45pm.Want to get in touch with us? Maybe you have a question about something you read here. Or maybe you’re at the crag and need a little extra support on how to minimize your impact. Email us at info@ontarioallianceofclimbers.ca; we’re here to help!

As someone who visits our provincial parks, the province wants your feedback. Let them know what rock and ice climbing means to you, in your own words. Let them know if you’d like to see more Ontario Parks opened up for climbing activities. We would be pleased to work together with Ontario Parks to open up climbing access at more of our Provincial Parks.

Please go and fill out the survey, and pass it on to all your friends!
https://www.ontario.ca/form/survey-healthy-parks-healthy-people

The Ontario Crags calendar aims to celebrate and highlight the wide variety of climbing that Ontario has to offer. We want to showcase everything from as many different crags and seasons as possible — ICE, SPORT, TRAD and BOULDERING are all honoured here. Valid photo submissions must have LANDSCAPE orientation (i.e. horizontal), and be of climbers at Ontario crags only (of course!).

Please send your best shots to submissions@ontarioaccesscoalition.com by SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6th for a chance to have your photo featured and credited in the calendar! Chosen entrants will get a free copy of the 2020 calendar as well as a credit complete with your name and website.

Please see additional rules of submission here:

Thanks in advance for your efforts to support the OAC!

Meeting minutes can be found at here for those of you who could not make it:

We are also announcing our second community discussion to be held at Grand River Rocks next Wednesday, July 24 at 7pm!  Come on out to learn about local access issues and make your voice heard!

In response, the Ontario Alliance of Climbers would like to invite you to a community discussion about the important issues that are facing our beloved crag. Thursday, July 11th, we’ll be meeting at Climbers Corner in Collingwood from 7-9pm. 

The topics we’ll be discussing include:

1. The history and current state of rock climbing access at DG
2. DG’s primary access threats
3. What climbers are seeing when they visit DG
4. What we can do, as a community, to improve access
5. The formation of the Beaver Valley Climber’s Collective

So, come out for a few pitches and some productive conversation about the important issues that are facing our beloved Devil’s Glen!

We look forward to chatting with you!

The OAC is currently in talks with Ontario Parks to address their concerns regarding the impact of climbers in these areas. 
As these sensitive discussions progress, please continue to be great ambassadors for our sport by minimizing your impact at all Ontario crags. Steps you can take include:

• Avoid visiting these crags in large groups.
• Please visit other areas when possible. Ontario is home to many great climbing areas. Please do your part by spreading the love to other, less traveled areas! 
• Continue to practice good crag etiquette and leave no trace ethics. This also applies to human waste. 
• Be proactive in communicating best practices to other climbers.
• Do not visit these crags without the appropriate level of skill. 
• Reminder: Lions Head is an advanced crag and it is not suitable for new climbers.

For more information, read our Gym-to-Crag best practices.

We’ll provide updates as conversations with Ontario Parks progress.