Archive for the 'News' Category

2012 Ontario Crags Calendar

Published on December 17, 2011 in News. 0 Comments

Hey you! Do you forget what day it is? Do you often day-dream of climbing? Are you looking to figure out when long weekends are for planning the next road trip? Do you like great pictures of climbing in Ontario?

Voila! The 2012 Ontario Crags calendar from the OAC are on sale now at the Toronto MEC to meet your needs. Loaded with photos from some of the areas’ best photographers, the calendar features beautiful scenery and sports action at a variety of Ontario crags! Check out great shots from Grey County hot spots: Devil’s Glen, Old Baldy and the Swamp. Drool over bouldering at Niagara Glen and Halfway Log Dump, and be inspired by the incredible shots of Skeleton Lake and Lake Papineau. Get your psych on month after month in 2012! Here’s a sneak peak inside:

A huge thanks to the photographers who donated their images to the project and the OAC volunteers who worked tirelessly to make this happen! There’s a limited number available so be sure to head to Toronto MEC and pick up your calendar today for only $16.95 + tax. Funds raised from this project go directly to keeping access open at Ontario cliffs, boulders and ice.

NPC offers explanation of fee and waiver management plan structure at Niagara Glen

Published on November 2, 2011 in Access and News. 0 Comments
Through the coordinated efforts of the OAC and the Niagara Parks Commission (NPC), the Niagara Glen now formally permits bouldering.  With the new establishment of a formal management plan for bouldering many in the bouldering community are questioning why they would pay for access to something that has been free for so long.  In response to these questions the OAC has reached out to the NPC and asked for clarification on the fee. The Niagara Parks Commission has provided a statement that explains the need for the fee, why boulderers and not other users pay, and how the funds collected from the fee are used:

“Bouldering Activities in the Niagara Glen

During the 1980′s, The Niagara Parks Commission moved to limit the recreational pursuit of cliff-face climbing within the Park, by restricting it to emergency and maintenance purposes only.  At the same time, the Commission continued to allow the recreational activity known as bouldering to take place.  Over the years, bouldering has increased in popularity and the Niagara Glen has become a noted world-wide bouldering site.  The need for a more formal program to oversee this activity was therefore needed to protect the physical, cultural and ecological integrity of the Parks and Niagara Glen.

Following consultations with the public, the Ontario Access Coalition (OAC) and other interested groups, new rules were developed to permit the continuation of this sport in the Niagara Glen. Annual Bouldering Permits will now be issued to encourage safe access by users, while protecting the greatest concentration of Species at Risk, which are found in Ontario within the Niagara Glen.  However, there are costs in doing so in terms of staffing, insurance, legal, monitoring, mapping and maintenance, which Niagara Parks would not otherwise experience, if it did not allow this sanctioned activity to occur.

As a self-funded agency of the Province of Ontario, The Niagara Parks Commission operates in a commercial manner with revenues raised reinvested back into the Park to support its much needed stewardship and preservation activities.  The bouldering community, by way of this new permit fee, will also be contributing to the responsible continuation of the sport and protection of the most sensitive aspects and nature of the Niagara Glen.”

Climbing in the Niagara Glen was first recorded in 1922.  After nearly 100 years of free access to Niagara Glen the recent growth of the sport has resulted in the need for change to allow bouldering to continue to grow.  In Ontario and around the world the climbing community and land managers are challenged with how to incorporate environmentally responsible activities on their land.  The OAC continues to believe climbing to be a low-impact self powered recreation opportunity.  We encourage climbers and boulderers to follow our code of ethics in promotion of Leave No Trace practices.  Please support this partnership by purchasing your annual bouldering permit at the Butterfly Conservatory this Fall/Winter; hours of operation here: http://www.niagaraparksnature.com/things-to-do/butterfly-conservatory.html

The Scene Film Tour coming to Toronto on October 25!

Published on October 9, 2011 in Events and News. 0 Comments

From the director of PURE and CORE, Chuck Fryberger, get ready to infiltrate four of the biggest scenes in the world of climbing.

The Ontario Access Coalition is happy to bring The Scene to Ontario! Tuesday, October 25, 7pm. Showing at “The National Film Board” 150 John Street, Toronto (walking distance from MEC Toronto: http://g.co/maps/345ru ). Tickets available at the door only – $10 for OAC members, $12 for non-members – with DVDs and Blu-Ray to buy after the show.

Filmed in stunning 4K Ultra High Definition, get ready for a fast-paced ride through the centers of the climbing universe. Check out the preview here: http://www.TheSceneFilm.com .

Areas featured:

Moab, Utah –  a mellow desert town surrounded by massive sandstone towers, where climbers test the limits of danger while still maintaining a strict traditional ethic.

Boulder, Colorado: the undisputed social hub of US climbing, with sponsored athletes of every discipline living in a city packed-full of talent, competition, and progressive ideas.

Innsbruck, Austria: with possibly the highest concentration of talent in the world, the competition climbers here fight not only for the tops of podiums, but also corporate sponsorships and mainstream success.

Catalunya, Spain: with near-limitless potential, Northern Spain has claimed the title of sport climbing capital of the world, and is now home to climbing’s largest population of elite sport climbers.

Featuring: Chris Sharma, Steph Davis, Nalle Hukkataival, Rob Pizem, Dave Graham, Matt Wilder, Pat Goodman, Dani Andrada, Anna Stohr, Alex Johnson, Kilian Fischhuber, Cody Roth, Much Mayr, Ramon Julian, Paxti Usobiaga, and Daila Ojeda.

Old Baldy update

Published on August 7, 2011 in News. 0 Comments

Replacement of aging hardware at Old Baldy continues this year with great progress being made. Volunteers have been working hard with the support of the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority and hardware supplied by MEC.

Below is a list of the routes completed this year so far; check our older posts for updates of the work that has been done previously.

**Please remember that climbing at Old Baldy requires the purchase of an annual permit and following some very straightforward guidelines. Click here for the climbing permit application form and list of guidelines.

Sugar and Spice (Mixed) - 3 bolts/shares anchors with Lapalacian Ballroom
Exit Stage Right – Anchors and bolts
The Oatsman’s Contract – Anchors and Bolts
The Good (Trad) – Anchors
The Bad (Trad) – Share Anchors with The Good
The Ugly (Trad) - Anchors
French Revolution – Anchors and Bolts
Black Magic Woman (Mixed) – Anchors and Bolts
Welcome to my Nightmare – Anchors and Bolts
Conan – Anchors and Bolts 
Frenzy – Anchors and Bolts
Cobra – Anchors and Bolts
The Anniversary (Trad) - Anchors  *Note* the anchors of the Anniversary were placed independently and not part of the MEC rebolting project, information is included here to update the community to the condition of these bolts.

Online membership enrollment launched

Published on July 12, 2011 in News. 0 Comments

The Ontario Access Coalition is pleased to announce the addition of an on-line membership sign-up feature to our site. Becoming an OAC member is now more convenient and faster than ever before! For those of you out there who have yet to join the OAC, please visit the on-line membership link under the “join” tab, or just click here, and become a member today! By adding your name to the growing list of hundreds of climbers who have already joined, you are helping to ensure that, when access issues arise, climbers’ voices will be heard.

The OAC has also added a volunteer sign-up feature to the site. If you are interested in helping out with access by donating some of your time, click here and add your name to our list of volunteers.

10% OFF at MEC Barrie on July 12th 7-9PM only! Late BREAKING News!!!

Published on July 6, 2011 in Events and News. 0 Comments

OAC members were just invited to attend club night occurring at MEC Barrie on July 12th from 7-9 pm.

OAC members are welcome and will receive 10% off products in the store and 5% on boats.

Congratulations Harry and Kit!

Published on June 9, 2011 in News. 0 Comments
Most people take many things for granted, including our opportunities to enjoy the fine Ontarian outdoors. Climbers are no different: few fully appreciate our access to cliffs and blocs.  In reality, tireless work is required to maintain excellent relations with land managers, to reduce environmental impact and to mitigate certain risks.
At the 29th annual  Conservation Awards of Excellence ceremony held on June 2, 2011, Conservation Halton recognized the contributions of Kit Moore and Harry Hoediono.  Between the two of them they have contributed to access efforts on the Bruce Peninsula, the Beaver Valley, the Milton area and Bon Echo. The 2011 Community Award was received by these two, for their particularly important contributions to Conservation Halton’s Tope Rope Anchor Project. This makes climbing at Rattlesnake Point, Bottle Glass Cliff and Buffalo Crag safer and reduces the impact on the cliff top environment. 
Congratulations Kit and Harry – great effort for a job well done!
THANK YOU!

Banff Mountain Film Festival hits Toronto, March 25-27

Published on March 14, 2011 in News. 0 Comments

Banff Mountain Film FestivalThe time has come! The November 2010 Banff Mountain Film Festival has taken a selection of the best films on tour around the world. And two weeks from now (on March 25th, 26th and 27th), the best of the fest are showing in Toronto at the Bloor Cinema! Check out the film descriptions (they look amazing), dates/times and information regarding ticket sales at the BMFF website! See you there!

OAC Launches New Website!

Published on March 4, 2011 in News. 0 Comments

In the spirit of our 2010 re-branding (new logo), we have sought out the time and energy of a gracious volunteer to re-build the OAC website. While we remain indebted to the hard work put in by those volunteers who created the old website, it was time to change our look! We are extremely pleased to launch the new site today! A big “thank you” to Migüel Jetté!

Grey Tourism Promoting Rock Climbing

Published on August 19, 2010 in News. 0 Comments

The Grey County tourism website www.visitgrey.ca is promoting rock climbing in Grey County on their site. Click READ MORE to learn why this is important.

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