COVID-19 Update
Due to COVID-19, all official in-person Climb the Gap activities are postponed indefinitely. We will continue meeting monthly, virtually. Join our mailing list or follow us on Instagram for updates!
You can still support our work by contributing to our Gear Library or List of Offensive Route Names!
Contribute: Offensive Route Names List
We have compiled a growing, open-source list of racist, misogynistic, homophobic, ableist, and overall offensive route names across the nation and beyond, in an effort to ask FAs (First Ascensionists, the people who named them) and guidebooks to change these names. Climbing and the outdoors as a whole can be unwelcoming places to people who are not cis white men. Inaccessibility to outdoor knowledge and gear, inaccessibility to natural spaces, comments and actions from other outdoor recreators, and more can often make people in the "minority" feel unwelcome or unsafe.
Route names are just another example of that. While it may seem insignificant or innocuous, what we name these places has an impact on those who enjoy them, regardless of background. And for those of us who are outdoor educators who bring young people outside - we do not want to perpetuate a world where these examples of oppression and violence exist.
You can contribute route names to this list, as well as the guidebooks they live in. Make sure to read the FAQ in the spreadsheet before contributing.
Make an impact!
Our Beta Sessions are a way to increase opportunities for young people of color to experience climbing. It is our hope that by learning about climbing, these new climbers will have a better understanding of themselves, their communities, and the outdoors.
Since starting in December 2018, Climb the Gap has held 7 Beta Sessions with groups like Outward Bound Adventures, Academia Avance, Asian Pacific Counseling and Treatment Center, and Anti-Recidivism Coalition.
We’ve introduced 118 people to climbing, with the help of 58 volunteers - That means we’ve provided an in-kind value of $2,350 in belaying services, and Stronghold Climbing Gym has donated $2,360 in day passes and equipment rentals!
For upcoming sessions, check our calendar!
What to expect
Volunteer sessions are one-time, 2-hour sessions, usually held at Stronghold. All volunteers must attend a quick volunteer training, and be at least top-rope certified at Stronghold. You’ll meet some fun people, make new friends, and as an added bonus: For every three Beta Sessions you participate in, you’ll get a free day pass to Stronghold!
You can find out more about what to expect at a Beta Session here.
Interested? Fill out the form below!
If you’d like to coordinate a Beta Session for your group, please contact us.