Announcing the Rattlesnake Spring Fling!  We’ve been doing our best to keep things under wraps, but it’s time we spill the beans.  What we had been previously advertising as a Rattlesnake Crag Stewardship Day is actually going to be the OAC’s first Rattlesnake Spring Fling — our kick off to the start of the climbing season! 

Come join us on Saturday June 1st. This event is open for all climbers, and clinics are offered for anyone who’s never climbed outside before.  If you want to learn how to transition from the gym to the crag, this is the perfect opportunity for you! 

Come meet us, your advocates for access to all climbing in Ontario, and partake in our Annual General Meeting. 

We’ll also be unveiling a fresh makeover to the Rattlesnake area with several freshly bolted routes from 5.5 – 5.10!

It’ll be a day of climbing, learning, fun, and celebrating all Ontario has to offer.  

Available Clinics:

Rock Talk Mentorship Series Clinic: Communicating to Encourage Lasting Change FREE

You probably care about Ontario climbing. More and more people are leaving the gym and going to the crags. This is an incredible opportunity for us to pass along our values and traditions to the next generation. We have power to shape the behaviour of new climbers so that they respect the space and climb safely. 

From discouraging guitars and boomboxes to encouraging safe anchor setups, we will discuss and practice communication styles that have been shown to be helpful in changing people’s behaviour. There is a good chance you already have a good array of tools and techniques that work well for you. This is a chance to hear about one more and then you can decide if you want to use it. The clinic is based in behaviour change science and represents some of the most cutting-edge approaches to encouraging behaviour change.

Clinic time: noon – 1pm (before the AGM)

Intro to Rock $40/person

Open to all ages and abilities, this is a great opportunity to experience real rock climbing on the Niagara Escarpment. Certified guides and all necessary climbing equipment will be provided, no experience necessary.

All On the Rocks Climbing Guides clinics taught by professional climber Leslie Timms (owner of On the Rocks) and PCGI certified guides Adam Mitchell and Julie Weisz.

Clinic time: 9:00am – 12:30pm & 1:30pm – 4:30pm
Space is limited.
To register, email info@ontherocksclimbing.com or call 705 888 8723  

Fall Safe  $40/person HST included

Face your fear of falling on lead, become a better lead belayer and more efficient climber in this course catered to current lead climbers. Learn about outdoor lead fall hazards and proper lead belay methods in a variety of scenarios. Learn about fear management and how to overcome the mental hurdles of lead climbing. This course will offer a variety of tips to help you become a more confident and safe sport climber, so you can take your climbing to the next level.

All On the Rocks Climbing Guides clinics taught by professional climber, Leslie Timms (owner of On the Rocks) and PCGI certified guides Adam Mitchell and Julie Weisz.

Clinic Time: 1:30pm – 4:30pm

Space is limited.
To register, email info@ontherocksclimbing.com or call 705 888 8723  

Sport Climbing – Gym to Rock Clinic $99+HST

This 1/2 day clinic is being offered by ONE AXE Pursuits.  The clinic will review the skills needed to make a safe transition from sport climbing in the gym to sport climbing outdoors, including: how to safely lower off a climb; stick clipping the fist bolt; stick clipping past a crux on the climb; outdoor safety hazards; and the outdoor climbers code of conduct.  Clinic participants must be indoor lead climbing certified.

Clinic times:  8:30am – 12:30pm &  1:30pm – 5:30pm 
Spots Available: 8 people per clinic
To register, email info@oneaxepursuits.com

The OAC invites all members to partake in our 2019 Annual General Meeting on June 1, 2019. It’s a great opportunity to ask questions about the organization and our on-going projects, in addition to sharing your input on the future direction of the OAC.  We’ll be holding the election for board membership, talking about the past year’s accomplishments, and discussing what’s on the horizon.

The meeting will be held at Rattlesnake Point Conservation Area (7200 Appleby Line, Milton, ON L9E 0M9 — Upper Pavilion) on Saturday June 1st at 1:00 PM. There will be a discounted park entrance day pass for all attendees!  OAC membership is required for the discount. Come out to participate in the OAC Rattlesnake Point Stewardship Day activities.

To be eligible to vote at the AGM, one is required to be a member of the Ontario Alliance of Climbers. To allow for the processing of new members, please ensure applications are submitted prior to May 15th. Please visit our membership page at https://www.ontarioallianceofclimbers.ca/supporters/individual-membership/ for further details.

The OAC is very interested in increasing its capacity by attracting new ideas, leadership, and energy. At this meeting, we will elect three members to the Board of Directors (for a two-year term each). As always, we are also looking for portfolio managers and general volunteers. While members can be nominated to the Board at the AGM, any nominations submitted by May 15th will have their profiles distributed to the membership in advance. This will facilitate a structured voting process. Interested members are encouraged to contact the OAC in advance.

Potential board members should have:

• An interest in (learning about) outdoor climbing access issues in Ontario
• A varied skill set with a self-starter attitude
• A positive, proactive team-based approach to problem solving

As a board member the individual will:

• Attend monthly board meetings
• Lead projects and/or access portfolios
• Participate in developing and executing the OAC’s strategic goals

Further details will be provided to members 14 days prior to the AGM. If you do not receive notification by email, please send us a note (info@ontarioallianceofclimbers.ca).

The OAC is pleased to be presenting the Southern Ontario Ice Climbing Festival! If you’re an avid ice climber or someone who’s never tried it before but think kicking crampons and swinging ice axes into frozen water could be your climbing destiny, then this fest’s for you!

We’ve also got all the really good stuff like cool prizes, hot meals, and icy cold drinks in the small town of Maynooth, Ontario. Only a hop, skip, and a three hour jump from Toronto, you’ll definitely want to bring your friends because this is a weekend to remember (and carpool karaoke is better with a friend). More of the lone wolf ice climbing type? We’ll have tons of clinics and belay buddies ready for you.

Mark your calendars for February 8 – 10, 2019 and keep an eye out for registration opening in a couple weeks. Clinic spots fill up fast, so you want to stay glued to @soicefest or the SOIce Facebook page for all the latest and be ready to pounce when the big announcement comes.

The Ontario Access Coalition has been proudly serving the Ontario climbing community for the past 9 years.  We have worked closely with landowners to ensure continuing access to beloved areas, advocated for proper crag etiquette amongst climbers, and promoted mentorship as the climbing population is booming.  We’ve helped establish bouldering as a celebrated activity at the Niagara Glen, held yearly crag stewardship days, and purchased land to keep climbing open at Old Baldy.

Our mission has always been to keep climbing and bouldering areas open.  The issue of access is at the forefront of our existence, and has been squarely incorporated into our name.  Today, we are eager to announce that we have a new name to go by: The Ontario Alliance of Climbers.  Our goals are the same as always — we are an organization of climbers dedicated to keeping this sport alive and thriving in Ontario.  Our name change does not signal a change in direction; rather, it prioritizes the fact that we are a climbing community, and that we strive to represent all climbers, of all disciplines, in Ontario.  With this new name, our identity as a climbing-focused entity is solidified, and we are better recognized by landowners and other organizations we work with.

Conveniently, you can still refer to us as the OAC.  We have been working hard to serve the climbing community for years, and we are excited to continue doing so under our new name.  You’ll notice that our social media accounts are already being updated, and you can find our new website at https://www.ontarioallianceofclimbers.ca/.

Keep an eye out for new communications coming from the Ontario Alliance of Climbers in the future!

We will be holding a Turtle Crag Information Session at Black Rock Coffee & Bar this Saturday, September 29th, at 6pm. We’ll be discussing the recent land access issues which have come to light concerning Turtle Crag, what we’re doing to help, and how you as climbers can affect the future of climbing in Ontario.
Patrick Lam will be leading the discussion, but come prepared with any questions you may have about climbing in Ontario and Turtle Crag in particular.
See our Facebook event for more details.

NO Climbing at Turtle Crag until further notice.  A representative of the OAC has met with the landowner, and we are working towards a solution together. We hope to have updates soon. Until then, it is vital that climbers avoid climbing at the Turtle to prevent further damaging relations.