Venturing onto real rock for the first time? Experienced outdoor climber? Whether you’ve been climbing outside for years or it’s your first season, we hope that you find some important information here to take into our outdoor climbing experience.
Please note that these videos were filmed in March 2021.
Transitioning Outdoors: Stewardship and Outdoor Etiquette
– with Hive Ambassador, Kate Hannibal
Transitioning to Outdoor Climbing for both Newcomers and Experienced climbers
- Try not to go for the hardest grade you’ve done indoors; take it slow, starting at lower grades
- Take time to get used to heights and get comfortable with the environment
- Long approach? Have a trip plan and let someone (who is not with you) know.
- Be aware of your surroundings
- Rockfall – yell ‘rock’ to help prevent injury (if you hear ‘rock!’ don’t look up at it!)
- Identify hazards – check rock quality, the safety of your own gear, quality of gear fixed on the rock
- Go over commands and communication between belayer and climber before anyone leaves the ground
- When setting up a top rope – use your own gear so as to not wear down fixed equipment
- The crag/outdoors is a community space
- Be aware of music and volume – not everyone might enjoy this
- Make sure to bring only well-behaved pets (if permitted) and be sure to pick up after them
- Be responsible for packing out any and all waste – note wildlife and bear warnings
- clean off tick marks and chalk on rock
- always be attentive to your climber while belaying – the crag can have lots of distractions
- Be a community steward
- Use spaces such as Squamish Access Society to research access updates beforehand (i.e. avalanche and weather updates)
**The Hive would like to add that the Squamish Nation have been stewarding these lands since time immemorial; follow their lead! Learn More about the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) Úxwumixw (Nation) here.
- Use spaces such as Squamish Access Society to research access updates beforehand (i.e. avalanche and weather updates)
Safety and Prevention
– with Ivan Yastrebov, from Coast Wilderness Medical
Focus on Prevention
- Have a trip plan
- Be aware of hazards
- Pack the essentials
- Learn how to arrange crash pads and spot climbers outdoors
- Know your gear and learn how to check fixed gear
First Aid Kit
- Think of your own experience/abilities
- Pack accordingly for the activity
- Critical care items – i.e. bleeds
- Comfort and care items – i.e. ice pack
Educate yourself
- Learn how to splint
- Train yourself on how to use first aid materials and if you don’t know how – don’t use them
Have a way to communicate and let others know of your trip plan
Know where cell reception is and have emergency numbers saved – BC Search and Rescue
Climbing Gym-to-Crag through an Anti-racist/Anti-oppression Lens
– Anaheed Saatchi, BelayAll co-founder
- Discussion on Climbing (as a sport) inherently erases Queer, Trans, Black, and Indigenous identities by its structural nature, but Climbing also has the power to be radically transformative because it’s vulnerable
- Squamish Nation has been a steward of this land for a LONG time – what could you learn?
- Climbing spaces are political – unless you’re hella privileged
- Educate yourself on diverse perspectives and experiences – google is your friend
- Be aware/considerate of the space you occupy and who’s around you – climbing should be for <3 EVERYONE <3
A big thank you to Kate, Ivan and Anaheed for their support at last year’s event.
We hope to run another in real life VERY soon!
Resources:
Spending time in our fave climbing spots is a PRIVILEGE, not a right. Take care of the land, and the community. These folks will help you care for other, the land, and/or yourself as you go from Gym to Crag: