A local rock climbing group is helping people reach new heights.
This past weekend, 16 newcomers participated in an introductory rock climbing course organized by the Sault Ste. Marie section of the Alpine Club of Canada.
The new climbers went out to Diamond Lake – a 40-minute drive east of the city – to try the sport with help from the experienced climbers in the Sault Ste. Marie ACC.
Officially formed earlier this year, the group is comprised of around 20 people who have long climbed the cliffs and crags spread throughout the Algoma Region.
“It was the culmination of so much work for us, which was so validating, super positive, that we had so many people come out,” said Katie Wright, Sault Ste. Marie ACC chair.
“This is a group of friends who are just trying to make something happen, and it felt so great that 16 people came out.”
In preparation for the course, the group cleared and bolted nine separate paths up the crag at Diamond Lake – with varying degrees of difficulty – for new climbers to try their hands at.
Climbers as young as nine years old participated in the course, with many making it a good distance up the rock face.
“They were getting really far up. I was really, really impressed and proud of everybody who came out,” Wright said.
One climber, who initially felt a bit unsure of it all, wound up doing quite well before the day was through.
“He was saying, ‘I don't know if I'm actually going to climb because I don't know what to expect, and I just wanted to come and check it out and see whether I felt safe,’” Wright said.
“He actually finished a couple of climbs, and he tried a whole bunch because he just felt supported and happy with the way we were teaching and the setup that we had, so that was like a really good moment.”
As a fairly extreme sport, Wright hopes offering courses to the general public will help get more people involved – and the Sault Ste. Marie ACC has all the gear needed to get going.
“We've got ropes; we've got helmets and harnesses, and we've got a group of people really passionate and really experienced to help you get started, so that is such a removal of a barrier to entry into the sport,” she said.
The climbing opportunities in the region are “really, really amazing,” Wright said, adding the climbing group “could be the start of something really incredible for Sault Ste. Marie.”
Wright said they take environmental stewardship seriously when climbing outdoors.
"For example, at the crag in Thessalon, there are peregrine falcons that nest there during May and June, and we make sure we don't climb at that time of year," she said.
Sault Ste. Marie ACC plans to offer additional introductory courses either later in September or in October. More can be found on the group’s Facebook and Instagram pages, or by contacting the group at [email protected].
Membership for the Sault Ste. Marie ACC is $46 per year, and people interested in taking an introductory course can do so for $25.
Members have access to discounted climbing sessions, invitations to ice climbing and ski touring trips, yearly multi-day climbing trips, discounts at certain stores, and more.
Wright thanked Fit Bodies Fit Minds, Outspoken Brewing, dig inc., and Steve Foster at R.E.A.C.H. for sponsoring the group.