Equitable Climbing Program
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How It Works

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Our Equitable Program offers two streams: Instructional Courses and Mentorship. Together, they create a pathway that can take someone from their very first outdoor climbing experience to advanced technical skills, professional development opportunities, and long-term community connection. 

Our program evolves each year based on the funding and resources available. This allows us to respond to what our community needs while expanding opportunities as new funding becomes available. Some years may allow us to offer more courses, larger mentorship cohorts, or advanced training and leadership opportunities; other years may focus on maintaining core programming and building a strong foundation for future growth.

Courses

Our Instructional courses are skills-based learning experiences offered in partnership with Canada West Mountain School. Courses are offered free to BIPOC participants aged 19+.

Our flagship course, Intro to Rock, introduces participants to outdoor rock climbing in a supportive and welcoming environment. When additional funding is available we expand our offerings to include intermediate and advanced courses such as Follow the Leader, Take The Lead, and Take It Higher, which help participants build confidence, independence and technical skills for more challenging terrain. 

We also offer Silver Senders, a specialty two-day course designed for women and gender-diverse climbers aged 45 and up, helping older adults stay physically active and deeply connected to community as they move through midlife and beyond.

Our course offerings are not identical from year to year. We use available funding to determine which courses we can offer, how many participants we can support, and where additional opportunities for skill development and leadership can be created.

Mentorship Cohorts

Our Mentorship Cohorts are where skills deepen and community takes root. Cohorts are small, peer-led, and intentionally organized around experience level, goals, and availability.

Participants meet with their mentors throughout the climbing season, and rope climbing cohorts also receive two additional instructional days with a certified guide. The mentorship model creates ongoing support, accountability, and opportunities for climbers to continue progressing beyond a single course.

In 2026, we offered three mentorship cohorts:

• Beginner Rope Climbing Cohort:  for participants new to outdoor climbing

• Intermediate/Advanced Rope Climbing Cohort: for climbers looking to build mileage, develop technical systems, and explore pathways toward professional certification

• Be Boulder Cohort: a beginner-friendly bouldering cohort focused on movement skills, confidence-building, and community connection

The number and focus of our mentorship cohorts also change from year to year. We build cohorts around the needs and interests of our community, while working within the funding available to us. As funding grows, we can support more participants, offer additional cohorts, and create more opportunities for progression into leadership and professional development.

Who We Serve

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Our Equitable Program serves BIPOC individuals aged 19 and up. In practice, our community skews toward those who face the most compounding barriers to outdoor spaces. The majority of our participants identify as BIPOC women, 2SLGBTQIA+, and BIPOC young adults between 19 and 30. 

Why It Matters

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Rock climbing is often framed as a sport for everyone, a pursuit defined by grit, skill and perseverance. Yet access to climbing and outdoor spaces has never been equal. The cost of gear and instruction, transportation barriers, and the absence of culturally welcoming environments continue to prevent many people from participating fully. These barriers have contributed to longstanding gaps in representation, leadership, and access within climbing and the broader outdoor sector, shaping who feels welcome in these spaces and who is too often left out.

Representation doesn't happen by accident. It takes sustained, intentional investment, in instruction, in peer community, in removing the financial and cultural barriers that has kept so many people from the mountains. When funders support BIPOC Rocks, they are investing in more than a climbing program. They are investing in confidence, belonging, leadership development, and a more equitable outdoor sector.

We welcome partnerships with foundations and corporate partners who share our vision. To learn more about supporting our work, visit our Get Involved page or contact us at info@bipoc-rocks.com.

We have concluded our 2026 outdoor climbing program.