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Climbing Education

Education in the Face of Grief

The AAC Triangle Chapter offers education clinics at the North Carolina Climbing Fest.

PC: AAC Triangle Chapter Co-Chair John White

Grassroots: Unearthing the Future of Climbing

By Sierra McGivney

When tragedy struck the North Carolina climbing community after a fatal rappelling accident in 2012, the AAC Triangle Chapter decided to turn its focus to education. David Thoenen and Danny McCracken, former volunteer leaders for the AAC Southern Appalachia and Triangle Chapters, created a best practice climbing education initiative for their chapter. The current co-chairs of the Triangle Chapter, Cory Johnson and John White, are carrying the torch with a strong drive to educate climbers. 

“Part of how [previous Triangle Chapter Chairs] wanted to address their grief was to give back to the community and try to provide rappelling best practices,” says Johnson.

They created clinic guidelines based on the AAC: Know the Ropes and videos from the AMGA website explaining each topic. Clinics like “Rappelling,” “Two-Bolt Anchors: The Quad,” “Two-bolt Anchors: Cleaning and Lowering,” “Belaying From Above,” and “Knots For Climbers,” are all offered. 

PC: AAC Triangle Chapter Co-Chair Cory Johnson

The AAC Triangle Chapter hosts these climbing clinics weekly at various Triangle Rock Club Gyms. The clinics are free and open to anyone who pays for a membership or day pass to the Triangle Rock Climbing Gym. North Carolina climbers looking to elevate or refresh their knowledge can visit their website. 

“Our general philosophy with all of our clinics is to make sure everyone can continue enjoying these resources and everyone has the tools to climb safely,” says Johnson.

In addition, the Triangle Chapter members and volunteers attend different festivals and events to offer clinics to all levels of climbers. When Bryce Mahoney, an AAC member and board member of the Carolina Climbers Coalition, reached out to Johnson and White about the Triangle Chapter hosting clinics at the North Carolina Climbers Fest (NCCF), they jumped on the opportunity. Johnson headed the project, organizing four clinics hosted by herself and other AAC volunteers at the festival, instilling confidence and knowledge in climbers.  

Practice rings and tree anchors decorate the Jomeokee Campground in Pinnacle, NC on Saturday, May 14th. The AAC Triangle Chapter volunteers taught clinics to participants of the North Carolina Climbing Fest. Dirty hands worked together to carry rocks, building trails around the climbing areas of Pilot Mountain, just five miles from the campground. Climbers and hikers enjoyed a pancake breakfast cooked by Mahoney, the owner of the Jameokee campground and host of the NCCF, to fuel before the day's activities. 

“I just love bringing people together,” says Mahoney.

A volunteer teaches a group of participants. PC: AAC Triangle Chapter Co-Chair Cory Johnson

Mahoney began his climbing career at Pilot Mountain when a friend opened his eyes to the world of climbing. Rock climbing and volunteer trail work with the Carolina Climbing Coalition became an outlet for him. At the time, Mahoney was working as a Virtual Veteran Support Specialist, a counselor offering peer support, crisis management, and VA resource navigation to promote quality of life and well-being for Veterans and their family members. 

“While I was doing the veteran support work, there were not a lot of victories the day of, so being able to go somewhere and use my physical abilities to do something was awesome,” says Mahoney. 

Mahoney had a background in construction, so building trails outdoors, in a place he loved, was rewarding. Volunteering at the CCC wasn’t enough for Mahoney so he joined the C4 team, a group of individuals that create and improve climbing access in the Carolinas, but he yearned to be on the board of directors. Two weeks later a seat opened up, and Mahoney eagerly joined. Now, Mahoney owns his own rock climbing guiding company: Yadkin Valley Adventure.

When Mahoney attended the South Carolina Climbing Fest he thought to himself, we need a festival like this in North Carolina. But not long after, COVID-19 hit and stopped all events. This year, with the reopening of restaurants, offices, and events, Mahoney put on the North Carolina Climbers Fest. 

PC: AAC Triangle Chapter Co-Chair Cory Johnson

Teaching and facilitating clinics even for a small group of people makes a huge difference in Mahoney’s eyes. Everyone makes mistakes in the mountains. Recognizing those mistakes, implementing best practices, and refreshing safety knowledge help us become better climbers. Success to Mahoney is knowing that these climbers leave with more knowledge in critical safety skills than they arrived with. 

“I do feel responsible as a professional rock climbing instructor, board representative, and a representative of this community in this region to stand out there and be like, we need to make sure we're double-checking these things, preventing injuries and deaths,” says Mahoney. The alliance between Mahoney and the AAC Triangle Chapter, with their focus on climber education, was a natural fit. 

Next year you won’t see the North Carolina Climbing Fest but the North Carolina Outdoor Fest. A strong climbing presence will remain at the festival. Mahoney aims to be more inclusive in the small, tight-knit outdoor community in North Carolina. Most people that climb also mountain bike, kayak, hike or recreate in the outdoors in another way. 

“I see more communities being here,” says Mahoney.

PC: AAC Triangle Chapter Co-Chair Cory Johnson

A strong climbing education presence will still be a part of the festival. If you're looking to connect, learn, or simply want to have fun in the outdoor community, this festival is for you. In the meantime attend a clinic or get involved within your local AAC Chapter. Members like Mahoney, Johnson, and White drive the AAC’s work at the grassroots level to equip climbers with the necessary knowledge to be safe and successful in the mountains.

*Danny McCracken passed away this past fall. We are grateful for the impact he had on the Club.

Four Mountain Clubs Unite for Climbing Education and Public Policy


We're proud to be joining forces with the Colorado Mountain Club, the Mazamas, and The Mountaineers to promote improvements in climbing safety, coordinate stewardship and advocate for climbing areas in the United States. The four organizations have formally agreed to a working partnership to develop and implement shared standards for climbing and related mountain sports. The standards, lead by the AAC, would apply to volunteer instructors and remain consistent across the country. 

The partners represent four of the largest and longest-standing organizations dedicated to conserving mountain environments, providing quality outdoor education, and advocating for climbers throughout America. 

“We all care about introducing the next generation to the great outdoors and we have a responsibility to do it safely and effectively,” AAC CEO Phil Powers said. “This partnership, with four prominent U.S. mountain clubs, promotes the AAC’s vision of a united community of competent climbers and healthy climbing landscapes. In the vertical world, combinations of seemingly insignificant errors add up quickly—competence matters.”

“We have the opportunity to extend the impacts of our organizations by working together,” The Mountaineers CEO Tom Vogl said.

February 13, 2017, Golden, CO—The American Alpine Club, Colorado Mountain Club, the Mazamas, and The Mountaineers are joining forces to promote improvements in climbing safety, coordinate stewardship and advocate for climbing areas in the United States.

The four organizations have formally agreed to a working partnership to develop and implement shared standards for climbing and related mountain sports. The standards would apply to volunteer instructors and remain consistent across the country.

The partners represent four of the largest and longest-standing organizations dedicated to conserving mountain environments, providing quality outdoor education, and advocating for climbers throughout America. As the United States’ representative to the UIAA, the American Alpine Club will be leading and facilitating the work, and will ensure that these new standards are internationally recognized by the global climbing community.

“We all care about introducing the next generation to the great outdoors and we have a responsibility to do it safely and effectively,” American Alpine Club CEO Phil Powers said. “This partnership, with four prominent U.S. mountain clubs, promotes the AAC’s vision of a united community of competent climbers and healthy climbing landscapes. In the vertical world, combinations of seemingly insignificant errors add up quickly—competence matters.”

In the past decade the popularity of climbing in the U.S. has increased dramatically, creating a demand for quality climbing instruction. “These standards aim to ensure that the entire climbing community benefits from better training and will ultimately make climbing more accessible to everyone,” Mazamas Executive Director Lee Davis said.

“The Colorado Mountain Club is thrilled to be formally partnering with other influential mountain clubs to assist in the development and dissemination of new mountain skills training standards in America,” CMC Executive Director Scott Robson said. “By coordinating our efforts nationally, we raise the bar in regards to the quality of education that organizations like the CMC provide and we look forward to the positive impact these standards will have on our members and all of those who recreate in the mountains for years to come.”

“We have the opportunity to extend the impacts of our organizations by working together,” The Mountaineers CEO Tom Vogl said.

In the future, the partner organizations plan to examine ways to collaborate on issues of public policy, technology, membership, benefits and services, and other items of shared interest.

 

About The American Alpine Club:

The American Alpine Club is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization whose vision is a united community of competent climbers and healthy climbing landscapes. Together with our members, the AAC advocates for American climbers domestically and around the world; provides grants and volunteer opportunities to protect and conserve the places we climb; hosts local and national climbing festivals and events; publishes two of the world's most sought-after climbing annuals, the American Alpine Journal and Accidents in North American Mountaineering; cares for the world's leading climbing library and country's leading mountaineering museum; manages the Hueco Rock Ranch, New River Gorge Campground, Samuel F. Pryor Shawangunk Gateway Campground, and Grand Teton Climbers' Ranch as part of a larger lodging network for climbers; and annually gives $100,000+ toward climbing, conservation, and research grants that fund adventurers who travel the world. Learn about additional programs and become a member at americanalpineclub.org.

 

About the Colorado Mountain Club:

The Colorado Mountain Club is the state’s leading organization dedicated to adventure, recreation, conservation and education. Founded in 1912, the CMC acts as a gateway to the mountains for novices and experts alike, offering an array of year-round activities, events and schools centered on outdoor recreation. The Club comprises 13 regional groups across the state to serve the local needs of its members and partners. To ensure the continued enjoyment of Colorado’s pristine places, the CMC also leads efforts to protect wild and public lands with its conservation and stewardship programs. The Club publishes a quarterly magazine, Trail & Timberline, and operates a press with 50 current titles. No other organization in the Intermountain West employs such a strong or broad approach to connecting people with the Rocky Mountain landscape.

 

About the Mazamas:

The Mazamas promotes mountaineering, responsible recreation, and conservation through outdoor education, youth outreach, and advocacy programs. Founded on the summit of Mt. Hood, and headquartered in Portland, Oregon, the Mazamas has been working to represent and support everyone who loves to play in and protect the mountains of the Pacific Northwest for more than 120 years. The Mazamas operate one of the largest centralized mountaineering training schools in the country, graduating more than 500 people per year with basic to intermediate level climbing skills. The Mazamas also have a robust grants program that distributes more than $50,000 per year through conservation, research, and expedition grants. Members enjoy priority access to programs, domestic rescue insurance, and the opportunity to apply to our larger grants, including the $10,000 annual Bob Wilson Expedition Grant. Additional programs include classes in outdoor leadership, expedition planning, nordic skiing, ski mountaineering, wilderness first aid, and a variety of outdoor skill building courses. You can learn more about the Mazamas and start your adventure here: mazamas.org

 

About the Mountaineers:

The Mountaineers is an organization dedicated to helping people explore, conserve, learn about and enjoy the lands and waters of the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Founded in 1906, the 12,000-member Mountaineers community offers thousands of volunteer-led courses, activities, and events to connect young and old, novice and veteran, to the power and wonder of the natural world. The Mountaineers’ advocacy program is Washington’s leading voice for protecting the wild places where we play. Mountaineers Books expands passion for the outdoors internationally through award-winning publications, including instructional guides, adventure narratives, and conservation photography. Learn more at www.mountaineers.org.