Early Bird Tickets for this year’s Beaver Valley Climbing Festival are here!

Come party with us August 14-16 and celebrate all that Ontario climbing has to offer! We’ll have overnight camping, yoga, dinner, music, vendors, and guided clinics — PLUS our famous raffle, full of so much gear you to win, you won’t know what to do with it!

This year’s BVCF is brought to you by the OAC in partnership with Patagonia — we’re so psyched to hang with you!

Early Bird tickets are available to Active Annual OAC Members until June 5th. Tickets open to the general public on Friday, June 5th at 7:00am. You’ll want to get yours before it sells out!

Need another incentive to get your ticket now? If you purchase an Early Bird ticket before June 5th, you’re automatically entered to win a Patagonia prize pack! The grand winner will receive: a Patagonia Black Hole pack, Terravia hip pack, Trad cap, AND a $25 gift card to spend Wild Rock Outfitters! One winner up will also receive a $25 gift card for Wild Rock Outfitters.

Not a member yet, but want to secure your spot before it sells out? Get your membership today and you can get your BVCF ticket right away!

The amendment to the Devil’s Glen Provincial Park Management Plan has officially been approved!

This is a major milestone — not just for climbing access, but for how outdoor recreation and conservation can work together. The updated plan includes policies to formally authorize and manage rock climbing in the park, creating a path forward for safe, sustainable access. This is a big step forward, and it sets an important precedent for climbing in provincial parks across Ontario.

This outcome reflects years of work and being a good partner with Ontario Parks, the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, and the Ontario Alliance of Climbers (OAC). It’s also a testament to the climbing community’s commitment to stewardship, safety, and respect for the environment.

We’re excited for what comes next! The OAC looks forward to continuing to work alongside Ontario Parks to support implementation — through education, stewardship, and responsible use.

Thank you to everyone who contributed, supported, and stayed engaged throughout this process. Your actions have had a direct effect on climbing access in Ontario!

More details to come soon. You can read up on the decision details at the official ERO page.

Fresh off the presses – the 2026 Ontario Crags Calendar has arrived! Featuring local climbers photographed by local photographers, the OAC calendar is a tribute to everything Ontario climbing has to offer.  With a mix of climbers, crags, and disciplines featured, this is our annual fundraiser and celebration of climbing across the province!

Calendars can be obtained for a donation of $25, plus the cost of shipping via Canada Post*.  All proceeds from calendar sales go toward promoting, advocating for, and maintaining open access all across the province.

Get your copy now before they sell out! 

Want to save on shipping costs?  Pick up a copy at any of the following Ontario locations:

Basecamp Climbing – Bloor West and Queen West locations

Boulderz Climbing Centre – Etobicoke, Junction, and Mississauga locations

Climbers Corner

Climb Smart Shop

The Core Climbing Gym

The Guelph Grotto

Ontario Gear Co

Toprock Climbing

True North Climbing

Help us understand the Ontario climbing community by telling us about yourself, where you climb, and what your hopes are for Ontario climbing access. The survey takes less than 15 minutes to complete.

Complete the survey by midnight on November 30th to be entered into a draw to win a free OAC T-shirt!

Congratulations, climbers! The Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) has heard your voices. Thanks to your letters and advocacy, they are proposing an amendment to the Devil’s Glen Provincial Park Management Plan that would formally recognize rock climbing at DG.

Amendment ERO 019_8238 is a massive milestone and a direct result of our collective action. The proposed amendment is open for public comment until September 19, 2025. Supportive comments are a vital part of the approval process — we need every climber to act now.

What You Can Do:

1. Click here to visit the Environmental Registry website for Amendment 019-8238 (ERO 019-8238).
2. Read the amendment overview—it’s short and accessible.
3. Use your voice! Tell the Ministry why climbing matters to you.
   You can mention:
   • Your experiences at Devil’s Glen
   • Your commitment to conservation
   • Why you support a balanced approach to recreation
   • Looking for more ideas and examples? Check out ClimbInParks.ca for some suggestions!
4. Hit “Submit.” That’s it. You’ve made a difference!

Your comment becomes part of the public record — and part of the decision-making process. Don’t underestimate the power of showing up. Everyone should comment: you don’t have to be a climber in order to have an opinion on this. Ask your friends and family to support you and your fight for access! Ask your neighbours to share their thoughts on balanced conservancy. Tell your out-of-town belay partners that they can help secure access to climbing in Ontario for their future visits.

Devil’s Glen is just the beginning. Amendment ERO 019-8238 lays the groundwork for partnerships with Ontario Parks that could open the door to more climbing opportunities across the province. A collaborative path forward starts here—with climbers supporting conservation while advocating for responsible access.

When you comment on this amendment, you’re not just protecting access at DG. You’re helping create a model that could support climbing at other provincial parks in the future. Let’s build this future together.

Support climbing in provincial parks.

This exciting new initiative is designed to directly support the incredible route developers who work tirelessly to keep our outdoor climbing areas safe and sustainable.

The Bolt Fund will help cover the costs of replacing old or worn-out bolts and anchors, ensuring the longevity of our favourite climbs.

How you can get involved:

Are you a route developer? Learn how to apply for reimbursement for your essential gear by reading our Bolt Fund Initiative Overview. We’re also launching a new way for you to Report Bad Bolts! If you see hardware on a route that needs some attention, and feel ill equipped to remedy it yourself, report it to us!

Love safe climbing? Consider becoming an OAC annual member or donate directly to support this important initiative.

Let’s work together to protect our climbing future!

The Spring Fling is a day spent contributing to crag maintenance and strengthening our relationship with Conservation Halton.  We’ll spend the morning picking up trash, celebrate our hard work with lunch, and then spend the afternoon climbing.  Register now to participate in this day of giving back to the climbing community!

Sunday, June 8th, we’ll be picking up trash at two crags just like last year – Rattlesnake Point, and Mount Nemo!

Come join us in this day of giving back, meet some new climbing friends, and enjoy the sunshine!  This event is open to all ages — and yes, we can sign volunteer forms for anyone trying to log volunteer hours

Or, visit Ontario Gear Co. or Climb Smart Shop to pick one up in person!

If you subscribe to our newsletter, you should have received our 2024 Winter Occasional recently, with a recap of the year. Did you miss it? Here’s what happened!

2024 Climber Survey

Every year we put out a survey to learn about the everchanging climbing community. We launched our annual survey at the end of November, and we’re keeping it open until January 3rd. Help us get to know you better, so we can represent you better!

Click here to fill out the survey now. You could be a winner!

Ewan W. and Taryn K. were the lucky respondents randomly selected to win $50 MEC gift cards for filling out the survey. We will have another prize drawing on January 3rd for some OAC t-shirts, so make sure you fill it out now if you haven’t yet! It only takes 5 minutes =)

2024 OAC Annual General Meeting

This year’s AGM was held in November, and saw us elect Tori Silvera and Tyler Coffin as the OAC’s newest Directors. Congratulations, and welcome to the Board!

Please join us in extending a big thank you to Randy Kielbasiewicz and Mike Makischuk for their many years of service on the Board. Keep an eye out for them on the wall!

We had 36 attendees for our virtual meeting, and covered highlights from crags across Ontario. Some notable news items include:

– The release times for Turtle Crag permit booking will move to 7pm in 2025 to better serve the majority of users.
– A reminder that NO topouts at the Niagara Glen are permitted on any boulder, in order to preserve vegetation with increased climber traffic.
– The OAC is working with the Alpine Club of Canada on options to improve access at Eagle’s Nest in Bancroft.
– There has been a TON of new development in the Ottawa Region, Sudbury and Thunder Bay. Put these places on your list for next year!

You can watch the full recording of the AGM on our YouTube channel by clicking here.

Volunteer with us!

Are you passionate about helping us secure access to climbing in Ontario? We’re always looking for more volunteers to help out! Right now we’re looking to fill a few specific volunteer roles:

Newsletter Author

Perma-potties Project Manager

Beaver Valley Climbing Festival Organizer

Message Jeremy at jeremy.fortier@ontarioallianceofclimbers.ca if you’d like to get involved!

This is a great opportunity to ask questions about our organization and to share input on our future direction. We’ll also be holding the election for board membership, talking about recent developments, and speaking about what’s on the horizon.

Details for the virtual meeting will be announced October 24 via official email to all OAC members.

If you would like to run as a candidate for the board of directors, please submit your bio to info@ontarioallianceofclimbers.ca by end of day October 22 in order to have your bio included with the formal meeting announcement. You may also submit your name for the election during the meeting on November 7th.

Hope to see you all there!

Also, it’s that time of year again!

Photo submissions for the 2024 Ontario Crags Calendar are now OPEN!!

We’re looking for a variety of photos showcasing the diversity of Ontario climbing: different crags, different people, different seasons, different disciplines (ice, trad, sport, AND bouldering!). Show us what you got!

Submissions are open until the end of the month, closing at midnight on October 31. Send your photos to submissions@ontarioallianceofclimbers.ca. All entered photos will be subject to the full Terms of Submission, found below:

We’re asking you to write David Piccini, Ontario’s Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks, as well as your local MPP.

Tell them to allow Ontarians to rock climb in our provincial parks! By doing so, they will help boost tourism, expand recreational opportunities, and collaboratively conserve and care for nature with the community.

Use our pre-written forms found at the campaign site, or copy and paste to send it directly from your own email for a greater impact.

We need EVERYONE on board for this. Fill it out, get everyone you know who climbs to fill it out, and then ask your friends and family to speak up on your behalf! We’ve made it as easy as possible for them to send a letter in just a few minutes.

Make sure you CC climbinparks@ontarioallianceofclimbers.ca on your email if you send it on your own! It’ll help us keep track of how many letters go out. We’ll also be raffling off prizes to campaign participants, and your CC’ed email will be your proof of participation!

Don’t wait, send an email now!