Community Group Blog Post
In a viral TikTok video, a climber props up her camera as she heads onto the pad to tackle a classic boulder problem. While you ready yourself to watch a video documenting her powerful send, the viewer quickly realizes that she’s recording to capture the audio commentary of the two men off to the side watching her—two men whom we soon learn are complete strangers to her.
“Now, this has got to be harder for women,” one man says. “Because women carry more weight in their…,” he trails off. “It’s a lot of thought, too. Because like, she’s probably not stronger than me. I could lift more than her. But look at her go. And women normally have more weight, uh…they carry more weight…[inaudible.]” After a flawless top out, the climber (@hiker.jess) descends and ends the video. Exasperated not by the climbing effort she’s put in, but by the conversation she’s had to endure as if she’s not the subject of it standing in direct earshot.
If you’ve ever been to a climbing crag, gone bouldering solo in a gym, read a climbing magazine, or recreated in just about any way in the outdoor space, you’re sure to have either seen or experienced encounters just like this—or often much worse. Beta spraying, gatekeeping, and exclusion from a sport so easy to love are all much more present in our community than the majority of climbers may ever realize, as they usually go unrecorded. Sexism, racism, and homophobia are deeply embedded pieces in our society, and in the outdoor industry alike.
But as we make a conscious effort to combat these traumatizing experiences, the tide is slowly turning. Inclusive spaces aiming to empower and uplift climbers of color, LGBTQIA+ identifying climbers, and women climbers are gloriously making their way into this arena where they have been so needed for so long. At The Front Climbing Club, we’ve partnered with several of our members who have created these affinity climbing groups for our community.
Color the Wasatch (formerly BIPOC at The Front) organizes meetups for its members once a month. They aim to open the door for climbers of color to feel empowered. To thrive, grow, support each other, and diversify climbing.
SLAQC (Salt Lake Area Queer Climbers) creates a safe and supportive space for LGBTQIA+ climbers. With regular meetups to climb, collaborate, and connect, they have made room for queer climbers to not only take up space, but to shine in it.
Women of the Front creates a community for women with any gender presentation/expression or assigned sex at birth. With their once-a-month meetups, they inspire confidence, comradery, and positivity in women climbers.
“The affinity groups have made me like climbing again,” said Lani Gailey, a member of both Color the Wasatch and SLAQC. “By design, it’s a sport that excludes marginalized populations. Back when I started climbing, I was one of very few Asian climbers at The Front. People were mistaking me for Ashima [Shiraishi] because they see one petite Asian girl and only have enough space in their brain for one.”
“The BIPOC and SLAQC events are amazing, honestly all from the organizers,” she continues. “They have put in the hard work to create these groups and community partnerships. These spaces are much needed to improve access to the sport, create safe spaces for marginalized communities, and uplift visibility and representation for these groups.”
We at The Front know that there’s a long way to go to break down these barriers, and that we ourselves have a lot to learn. But we are proud to support these groups, and can’t wait to see where these partnerships go from here. The safety and experience of all members of our community is our top priority, and we look forward to improving the ways we support them.
To learn more about meetups for any of our community groups, read more here or search for the group you’re interested in on Instagram!
Vertical Solutions Social Media Post
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April Fools Social Media Post
We hear you! Members and guests have made their voices known in asking us for better bathroom access. To remedy this, portaledge stations will be installed at the top of the lead wall, where complimentary wag bags will also be provided! We will also be extending our first floor bouldering walls to top out on the second floor, saving you some time on the stairs.
Mask Mandate DM Response
Hey Alex, we totally get it and we’re really sorry you feel that way. We always ask for member input via survey when making updates to our mask requirements in the gym, and have made the decision that we feel best serves all of our climbers and keeps our community safe. We’ll be sure to post an update as soon as that mandate is updated, but we really appreciate you understanding in the meantime!