Ontario Alliance of Climbers

Last updated
Ontario Alliance of Climbers (OAC)
TypeLocal Climbing Organization
Founded2009 (2009)
Headquarters
Ontario
,
Canada
Members~2600
Website https://www.ontarioallianceofclimbers.ca/

The Ontario Alliance of Climbers (OAC, formally known as Ontario Access Coalition) is an independent, provincial, volunteer, non-profit organization that works to keep climbing and bouldering areas open in Ontario, Canada. The organization's stated purpose is to help conserve access to climbing by advocating protection for the climbing environment, by resolving access issues as they arise, and by proactively engaging with and educating the climbing community. [1]

Contents

Organization

The OAC represents approximately 2,600 members [2] and maintains deep relationships with climbing gyms, outdoor retailers, land managers and government bodies across Ontario.

In 2009, the OAC (then known as the Ontario Access Coalition) incorporated as a non-profit organization as a result of a grant from Mountain Equipment Co-op. Building from work completed by the Alpine Club of Canada's Toronto Chapter Access Committee in the 2000s, the OAC sought to further the goals of preserving access for Ontario climbers, stewarding wild spaces in Ontario whilst allowing for rock climbing to continue in a sustainable way.

In 2018, the Ontario Access Coalition rebranded as the Ontario Alliance of Climbers to better reflect its mission and members.

Major Projects

The OAC worked jointly with the Niagara Parks Commission to secure climbing access in the Niagara Glen Nature Reserve in 2011. [3] With significant demands on the region for recreation, the OAC and the commissioners developed a formal bouldering policy requiring climbing permits. The OAC continues to be an ambassador for the Niagara Glen, advocating for the preservation of sensitive vegetation and participating in research in pursuit of a greater understanding of the biodiversity of the region. [4] Key to this research is exploring how rock climbing can coexist with conservation.

The OAC was integral in the purchase of land at the base of Old Baldy in Beaver Valley (Ontario) in 2014, working with the Mountain Equipment Coop, the Alpine Club of Canada, Ontario Climbing, Bruce Trail Conservancy and the Nature League [5] [6] [7]

The OAC has spent considerable time securing and maintaining access to climbing areas on Niagara Escarpment and Bruce Peninsula. [8] With a high concentration of limestone cliffs, the area offers significant recreational potential for climbers and hikers which must be balanced with the preservation of the natural environment. In 2010, the OAC secured continued access to Halfway Log Dump, a bouldering area on the shores of Georgian Bay. [9] In 2017, the OAC negotiated continued access to rock climbing areas along the Niagara Escarpment via an amendment to the Niagara Escarpment Plan. [10] In 2020, access issues resurfaced with the removal of fixed anchors and bolts at Lion's Head Provincial Park, which has highlighted the need to balance land management with climbing access [11]

Recognizing the significant growth in outdoor climbers graduating from indoor climbing gyms, the OAC launched Gym-to-Crag and mentorship programs to mitigate the impact from new climbers on local climbing areas. [12] Efforts to balance recreation with preservation have been recognized by land managers, with the OAC seeking to limit climbers' impact on the environment [13]

The OAC, with the support of Conservation Halton, launched the Rattlesnake Bolting Project in 2018 to develop new routes and retrobolt existing unsafe traditional routes. [14]

The OAC has been a regular sponsor of the Southern Ontario Ice Climbing Festival (SOIceFest), an annual event in Maynooth, Ontario. [15] The event brings together ice climbers across the province for educational courses, climbing and community in support of local charities. The festival has also been supported by the Alpine Club of Canada, Mountain Equipment Coop, Arc’teryx, the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides, and Yamnuska Mountain Adventures, as well as local businesses in Maynooth.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bouldering</span> Form of rock climbing

Bouldering is a form of free climbing that is performed on small rock formations or artificial rock walls without the use of ropes or harnesses. While bouldering can be done without any equipment, most climbers use climbing shoes to help secure footholds, chalk to keep their hands dry and to provide a firmer grip, and bouldering mats to prevent injuries from falls. Unlike free solo climbing, which is also performed without ropes, bouldering problems are usually less than six metres (20 ft) tall. Traverses, which are a form of boulder problem, require the climber to climb horizontally from one end to another. Artificial climbing walls allow boulderers to climb indoors in areas without natural boulders. In addition, bouldering competitions take place in both indoor and outdoor settings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Climbing wall</span> Artificial rock climbing wall

A climbing wall is an artificially constructed wall with grips for hands and feet, usually used for indoor climbing, but sometimes located outdoors. Some are brick or wooden constructions, but on most modern walls, the material most often used is a thick multiplex board with holes drilled into it. Recently, manufactured steel and aluminum have also been used. The wall may have places to attach belay ropes, but may also be used to practice lead climbing or bouldering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niagara Escarpment</span> Escarpment in Canada and the United States

The Niagara Escarpment is a long escarpment, or cuesta, in Canada and the United States that runs predominantly east–west from New York through Ontario, Michigan, Wisconsin, and into Illinois. The escarpment is the cliff over which the Niagara River plunges at Niagara Falls, for which it is named.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glossary of climbing terms</span> For rock climbing and mountaineering

Glossary of climbing terms relates to rock climbing, mountaineering, and to ice climbing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Sharma</span> American rock climber

Chris Omprakash Sharma is an American rock climber who is considered one of the greatest and most influential climbers in the history of the sport. He dominated sport climbing for the decade after his 2001 ascent of Realization/Biographie, the world's first-ever redpoint of a consensus 9a+ (5.15a) graded route, and ushered in what was called a "technical evolution" in the sport. Sharma carried the mantle of "world's strongest sport climber" from Wolfgang Gullich, and passed it to Adam Ondra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock climbing</span> Type of sport

Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up, across, or down natural rock formations. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a usually pre-defined route without falling. Rock climbing is a physically and mentally demanding sport, one that often tests a climber's strength, endurance, agility and balance along with mental control. Knowledge of proper climbing techniques and the use of specialized climbing equipment is crucial for the safe completion of routes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fair Head</span> Dolerite mountain cliff, Northern Ireland

Fair Head or Benmore is a 5-kilometre (3.1 mi) long, 200-metre (660 ft) high, mountain cliff, close to the sea, at the north-eastern corner of County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The cliff's sheer and vertical 100-metre (330 ft) high dolerite rock face is shaped into distinctive vertical columns like organ pipes, which formed 60 million years ago when a sill of igneous rock was injected between horizontal Carboniferous sediments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clogwyn Du'r Arddu</span> Cliff and climbing area, Wales

Clogwyn Du'r Arddu, or "Cloggy", is a north-facing rhyolite set of cliffs located on the northern flank of Snowdon mountain. Cloggy is considered to be one of the best traditional climbing areas in Britain, and has been called "The shrine of British climbing", and a "crucible for the development of most of the finest climbers in Britain and the scene of many of their finest achievements".

The Mount Nemo Conservation Area in Burlington, Ontario is a conservation area owned and operated by Conservation Halton. It is popular with rock climbers in the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe, along with nearby Rattlesnake Point Conservation Area. Its five kilometers of hiking trails connect with the Bruce Trail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rattlesnake Point (Canada)</span>

Rattlesnake Point is an eco-tourism area located in Milton, Ontario, Canada and is owned and operated by Conservation Halton. Spanning roughly one hundred square kilometres across and near the Niagara Escarpment in Halton Region, the Rattlesnake Point area is home to many golf courses, country markets and equestrian training and boarding facilities. It is a popular scouting area.

Quartz Mountain is located in Greer County in southwest Oklahoma. It is the namesake of Quartz Mountain Nature Park and its eastern flank is enclosed by the park boundaries. It is near the cities of Mangum, Oklahoma and Altus, Oklahoma. The park is open to the public year-round for rock climbing, hiking, boating, camping, nature observation and photography, and environmental education and interpretation. The mountain overlooks scenic Lake Altus-Lugert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eldorado Canyon State Park</span> State park in Colorado, United States

Eldorado Canyon State Park is part of the Colorado State Park system. It was established in 1978 and is located in Boulder County near the city of Boulder. The park consists of two areas, the Inner Canyon and Crescent Meadows. The park encompasses 885 acres (3.6 km2) with a variety of recreation opportunities available. Eldorado Canyon is home to one of the world's most accessible and comprehensive rock climbing areas. This state park is open during daylight hours only, visitors are expected to leave before dusk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eldorado Mountain</span> Mountain in Colorado, United States

Eldorado Mountain is a mountain summit on the eastern flank of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 8,344-foot (2,543 m) peak is located 8.1 miles (13.1 km) south by west of downtown Boulder, Colorado, United States. The mountain is largely in Boulder County but it straddles the border and its southern flanks are located in Jefferson County. Its name was probably borrowed from the nearby community of Eldorado Springs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farley Ledges</span>

Farley Ledges, 1,067 feet (325 m) is a bluff knob located on the southeast side of Northfield Mountain in eastern Franklin County, Massachusetts. The ledge is notable for its extensive rock climbing ascents; it rises 700 feet (210 m) above the small village of Farley and has been used by rock climbers since the 1930s. The Western Massachusetts Climbers Coalition has been active in purchasing land to preserve access to the mountain; 2007 purchases included a parcel along Route 2 developed into a trailhead with a parking lot and access corridor to the ledges. The 110-mile (180 km) Metacomet-Monadnock Trail ascends the wooded north side of the ledges where Briggs Brook Falls tumbles from the ridgecrest; a marked rock climbing access loop trail departs from the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail to traverse both the summit of the ledges and the extensive boulder field beneath.

The term liquid chalk, or sharkchalk, refers to several different kinds of chalk:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niagara Glen Nature Reserve</span>

Niagara Glen Nature Reserve is a nature reserve located near the Niagara Whirlpool along the Canadian side of the Niagara Gorge. It is one of the best preserved remaining example of Southern Ontario's original Carolinian forest. The park is operated by the Niagara Parks Commission, an agency of the Ontario government. The park features overlooks of the whirlpool and gorge as well as several hiking trails through the Carolinian forest. The nature reserve protects a pristine area of the Niagara Escarpment. The nature reserve is open to the public daily, as long as weather permits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sasha DiGiulian</span> American rock climber

Sasha DiGiulian is a professional rock climber. She won the gold medal at the 2011 International Federation of Sport Climbing World Championships in Arco, Italy, for Female Overall, placed Silver in Bouldering and Bronze in Duel. Sasha won multi-year PanAmerican championships and is a three-time US National Champion. She has climbed over 30 First Female Ascents as well as over a dozen significant First Ascents, including "Rolihlahla" in South Africa, a Big Wall in Brazil in 2016 and The Misty Wall in Yosemite in 2017. In 2011 she redpointed multiple 5.14c (8c+), onsighted two of 5.14a (8b+) and four of 5.13d (8b). In 2013 she was the first American woman to redpoint Era Vella 5.14d (9a), and established the First Female Ascent of Alpine Big Wall route, Bellavista, 5.14b (8c). In 2015, she became the first woman to free climb Magic Mushroom (7c+), one of the most difficult routes on the north face of the Eiger. In 2017 she did the first female ascent of Big Wall in Madagascar, Mora Mora (5.14b/8c), climbing it with Edu Marin in what was also the second free ascent of Mora Mora.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midnight Lightning (climb)</span> Bouldering problem in Yosemite, US

Midnight Lightning is a 7.62-metre (25.0 ft) grade 7B+ (V8) bouldering problem on the granite Columbia Boulder in Camp 4 of Yosemite National Park. It is considered to be one of the world's most famous bouldering problems. Ron Kauk made the first ascent in 1978.

Steve Bechtel is a rock climber, coach, and author based in Lander, Wyoming. He has been important in developing climbing around the region since the 1990s. Bechtel is considered a prime suspect in the unsolved disappearance of his first wife, Amy Wroe Bechtel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean Bailey (climber)</span> American rock climber (born 1996)

Sean Bailey is an American professional climber. He represents the United States at IFSC Climbing World Cup in lead, and has two podium finishes at Boulder World Cups, including a win at Salt Lake City in May 2021 and three in lead, including two gold medals, at Villars and Chamonix in July 2021.

References

  1. ↑ "OAC Home". Ontario Alliance of Climbers.
  2. ↑ "OAC 2020 AGM Recap". August 26, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Near Niagara Falls, a 'secret' bouldering spot grows in popularity". The Globe and Mail. November 9, 2017.
  4. ↑ Mills, Chris (February 27, 2015). "Bouldering Totally Rocks". Niagara Escarpment Views. Niagara, Ontario: Niagara Escarpment Views. pp. 28–31, 42–44.
  5. ↑ "Climbers & Conservationists Unite!". www.mountainlifemedia.ca. May 4, 2015.
  6. ↑ "CA purchases land near Old Baldy in Grey Highlands". Toronto.com. October 9, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Old Baldy Access Victory". www.ontarioclimbing.ca.
  8. ↑ Hildebrandt, Gloria (May 28, 2018). "The Changing Cliff Face of Climbing" (PDF). Niagara Escarpment Views. Niagara, Ontario: Niagara Escarpment Views. pp. 42–49.
  9. ↑ "Major Access Victory in Ontario". www.gripped.com. May 19, 2010.
  10. ↑ "Ontario Access to Remain Open to Niagara Escarpment Crags". www.gripped.com. February 10, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Lions Head's Latvian Ledge Remains "Closed" : OAC Statement". Gripped.com. July 24, 2020.
  12. ↑ "The perils of taking indoor rock climbing outside". thestar.com. November 24, 2017.
  13. ↑ Melnick, Zach (director) (December 31, 2020). Striking Balance - Niagara Escarpment (Television production). Niagara Escarpment: TVO.
  14. ↑ "Thanks to Ontario Alliance of Climbers for Rattlesnake Updates". gripped.com. May 17, 2019.
  15. ↑ "Festival will bring hundreds of ice climbers to Maynooth in February". kawarthanow.com. December 9, 2018.
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