A Story from Climb United
by Holly Yu Tung Chen
PC: AAC member Lam Thuy Vo
In 2020, a web developer named Melissa Utomo was thrust into the spotlight when her work to eliminate oppressive and racist route names became a hotly debated topic in the climbing community. That same summer, Climb United’s very first project was the Route Name Task Force (RNTF), designed to facilitate the conversation about oppressive vs. offensive route names amongst the thought leaders on this topic and guidebook authors and first ascentionists. In this article, Holly Yu Tung Chen interviews the key players, takes the pulse on where oppressive route naming is now, and how leaders like Utomo are going even further than route naming, and creating opportunities for more women and BIPOC climbers to route develop and first ascent on their own terms.