Through the coordinated efforts of the OAC and the Niagara Parks Commission (NPC), the Niagara Glen now formally permits bouldering. With the new establishment of a formal management plan for bouldering many in the bouldering community are questioning why they would pay for access to something that has been free for so long. In response to these questions the OAC has reached out to the NPC and asked for clarification on the fee. The Niagara Parks Commission has provided a statement that explains the need for the fee, why boulderers and not other users pay, and how the funds collected from the fee are used:
“Bouldering Activities in the Niagara Glen
During the 1980’s, The Niagara Parks Commission moved to limit the recreational pursuit of cliff-face climbing within the Park, by restricting it to emergency and maintenance purposes only. At the same time, the Commission continued to allow the recreational activity known as bouldering to take place. Over the years, bouldering has increased in popularity and the Niagara Glen has become a noted world-wide bouldering site. The need for a more formal program to oversee this activity was therefore needed to protect the physical, cultural and ecological integrity of the Parks and Niagara Glen.
Following consultations with the public, the Ontario Access Coalition (OAC) and other interested groups, new rules were developed to permit the continuation of this sport in the Niagara Glen. Annual Bouldering Permits will now be issued to encourage safe access by users, while protecting the greatest concentration of Species at Risk, which are found in Ontario within the Niagara Glen. However, there are costs in doing so in terms of staffing, insurance, legal, monitoring, mapping and maintenance, which Niagara Parks would not otherwise experience, if it did not allow this sanctioned activity to occur.
As a self-funded agency of the Province of Ontario, The Niagara Parks Commission operates in a commercial manner with revenues raised reinvested back into the Park to support its much needed stewardship and preservation activities. The bouldering community, by way of this new permit fee, will also be contributing to the responsible continuation of the sport and protection of the most sensitive aspects and nature of the Niagara Glen.”
Climbing in the Niagara Glen was first recorded in 1922. After nearly 100 years of free access to Niagara Glen the recent growth of the sport has resulted in the need for change to allow bouldering to continue to grow. In Ontario and around the world the climbing community and land managers are challenged with how to incorporate environmentally responsible activities on their land. The OAC continues to believe climbing to be a low-impact self powered recreation opportunity. We encourage climbers and boulderers to follow our code of ethics in promotion of Leave No Trace practices. Please support this partnership by purchasing your annual bouldering permit at the Butterfly Conservatory this Fall/Winter; hours of operation here: http://www.niagaraparksnature.com/things-to-do/butterfly-conservatory.html
More bouldering info at: http://www.niagaraparksnature.com/things-to-do/bouldering.html
From the director of PURE and CORE, Chuck Fryberger, get ready to infiltrate four of the biggest scenes in the world of climbing.
The Ontario Access Coalition is happy to bring The Scene to Ontario! Tuesday, October 25, 7pm. Showing at “The National Film Board” 150 John Street, Toronto (walking distance from MEC Toronto: http://g.co/maps/345ru ). Tickets available at the door only – $10 for OAC members, $12 for non-members – with DVDs and Blu-Ray to buy after the show.
Filmed in stunning 4K Ultra High Definition, get ready for a fast-paced ride through the centers of the climbing universe. Check out the preview here: http://www.TheSceneFilm.com .
Areas featured:
Moab, Utah – a mellow desert town surrounded by massive sandstone towers, where climbers test the limits of danger while still maintaining a strict traditional ethic.
Boulder, Colorado: the undisputed social hub of US climbing, with sponsored athletes of every discipline living in a city packed-full of talent, competition, and progressive ideas.
Innsbruck, Austria: with possibly the highest concentration of talent in the world, the competition climbers here fight not only for the tops of podiums, but also corporate sponsorships and mainstream success.
Catalunya, Spain: with near-limitless potential, Northern Spain has claimed the title of sport climbing capital of the world, and is now home to climbing’s largest population of elite sport climbers.
Featuring: Chris Sharma, Steph Davis, Nalle Hukkataival, Rob Pizem, Dave Graham, Matt Wilder, Pat Goodman, Dani Andrada, Anna Stohr, Alex Johnson, Kilian Fischhuber, Cody Roth, Much Mayr, Ramon Julian, Paxti Usobiaga, and Daila Ojeda.
Check out http://www.niagaraparksnature.com/things-to-do/bouldering.html for the latest information on the new bouldering program at the Niagara Glen!
Details from the Niagara Parks Nature website: Bouldering Permits will be available for purchase ($20 fee and signed waiver required) at the Niagara Glen Nature Centre (previously known as The Feather in the Glen), located at 3050 Niagara Parkway, Niagara Falls, Ontario. Permits can also be purchased at the Butterfly Conservatroy, located at 2565 Niagara Parkway, Niagara Falls, Ontario.
Completed waiver forms must be signed and returned to either the Nature Centre or the Butterfly Conservatory for verification.
Please have photo ID with you when submitting your form.
The following is a list of resources you can download relating to bouldering in the Niagara Glen:
- Bouldering Waiver Form
- List of Rules
- Map of Sanctioned Trails and Closed Boulders (COMING SOON!!)
The long awaited announcement of the Niagara Parks Commission’s (NPC) bouldering policy will be made at 10am on October 1st at the Niagara Glen Nature Centre (the building containing the new nature centre and store that is above the Glen). The OAC has provided recommendations and suggestions to the NPC over the last couple of years. Our understanding is that this will be a one year trial launch of the bouldering policy. Due to the timing of this announcement a more formal launch will also be made in the Spring when the Nature Centre reopens.
There will be a permit required to boulder in the Glen, which includes a signed liability waiver and an annual permit fee of $20. Initially waivers and permits will only be available at the Nature Centre (which will be closing for the season) and the Butterfly Conservatory (year round). The NPC is working to downloadable waiver forms on their website. The OAC still has some concerns about the specific details and implementation of the policy but the OAC is encouraged by the NPC’s willingness to both listen to our concerns and continue to work with the OAC. The OAC is very optimistic that a mutually agreeable final plan will emerge over the next year.
We will be posting the new policy as soon as it is made public.
Please show your support for the NPC and OAC by being one of the first boulderers to purchase you permit!
Official annoucement here: http://ontarioaccesscoalition.com/downloads/Niagara-Glen-Bouldering-Advisory.doc
Updated announcement: http://ontarioaccesscoalition.com/downloads/Niagara-Glen-Bouldering-Announcement.doc
More info here: http://www.niagaraparks.com/
Additionally, the Friends of the Glen are organizing a Glen hike and clean up, for anyone interested, to coincide with this announcement.
The Crag Access list download document has been updated with the latest access information. You can download the detailed pdf for full information here.
The OAC researches and discusses climbing access directly with Park and Conservation staff, land owners, and other resource managers to provide the climbing community with the most accurate access information. The download includes updated access information for popular areas such as Lion’s Head, the Swamp, and Devil’s Glen amongst others.
Please note that while the webpage is being populated with the most current information, climbers should refer to the downloadable pdf document for info about Ontario’s crags and boulders during this time. The careful reader may have also noticed that ice climbing areas have been removed from the list. A separate dedicated document is being developed to inform best practice for those that enjoy swinging tools into the frozen medium! Keep checking back – there’s more to come!