麻豆社区

Climbathon, coffee sales, events all contributing to a future indoor climbing facility

Dreams of an indoor climbing facility are alive and well in Whitehorse.

Following a feasibility study released last fall, Climb Yukon is continuing to work towards making those dreams a reality.

Last Saturday, a small contingent of climbers gathered at one of Whitehorse鈥檚 handful of climbing walls to participate in a climbathon as a fundraiser for the project.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a really ambitious climb,鈥� said event organizer Max Parker, of the event鈥檚 Mount Everest-sized goal (8,848 metres) for the day.

Scaling the 7.6-metre-tall wall, teams attempted to complete the height as many times as their muscles allowed.

鈥淭here鈥檚 no way we鈥檙e going to hit that today,鈥� said Parker, about four hours into the climb.

About six teams of two had set up shop on the wall, taking turns belaying and climbing in the corner of the gymnasium at 脡cole-脡milie Tremblay.

With sunlight streaming in through an open door and more and more routes opening up around Whitehorse, Parker understood that being inside on a Saturday, likely wasn鈥檛 at the top of climbers鈥� priorities.

But with the sport growing 鈥� it will join the Olympic program in 2020 鈥� having an indoor space where climbers can congregate is top of mind.

The climbathon was just one of a handful of fundraisers that Climb Yukon is offering to boost awareness and funds for their proposed project.

鈥淲e鈥檙e not going to raise our big, big funds from events like this,鈥� said Parker.

鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be for helping us fund fundraising.鈥�

Last year, the event took place at someone鈥檚 private home climbing wall.

The entry fees from this year鈥檚 event were added to the fundraising pot.

Parker began climbing 10 years ago and was a member of the youth team. He now coaches the current members of the youth team, which utilize the gyms around town 鈥� at various schools and Yukon College.

The bouldering wall they frequent, at Porter Creek Secondary School, is located on a stage in the school鈥檚 gymnasium and simply isn鈥檛 big enough for the demand.

The city鈥檚 different types of walls 鈥� bouldering (no harness), top rope (attached by harness and rope) 鈥� are located in different gyms.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a very social sport,鈥� said project manager Patricia Duchesneau, 鈥渟o it鈥檚 nice to have everyone in the same room.鈥�

In 2015, a group of climbers met and decided they wanted an indoor facility to provide more services to the community and to make climbing more accessible.

鈥淓ver since, we鈥檝e been working slowly but surely towards that goal,鈥� said Duchesneau.

In the fall of 2016, Climb Yukon released a feasibility study on the proposed facility. Included in the study was a survey conducted with 1,427 respondents.

Ninety-eight per cent were interested in having a climbing facility in Whitehorse.

Climb Yukon would be looking to run the gym as a non-profit organization using a social enterprise model 鈥� using commercial strategies to run the facility.

鈥淭he goal would not be to make a profit, but to be sustainable,鈥� said Duchesneau.

The facility is still very much in the planning stages, but national standards for heights to host national-level competitions would require about 45 feet for a top rope wall and 13 to 20 feet for a bouldering wall.

鈥淯ntil we have confirmation of where it鈥檚 going to be, it鈥檚 really hard to say how tall it鈥檚 going to be,鈥� said Duchesneau.

For now, Climb Yukon will continue its fundraising and awareness campaigns.

Climber and speaker Tim Emmett held a talk last week, which was hosted by Coast Mountain Sports. The proceeds from ticket sales were donated to the project.

Some of those funds will be used to send Parker and Duchesneau to the Climbing Walls Summit in Loveland, Colorado later this month, which markets itself as the 鈥渋ndoor climbing industry鈥檚 only professional development conference.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檙e really motivated and positive that there鈥檚 going to be a facility. It鈥檚 just a matter of determining the size,鈥� said Duchesneau. 鈥淲e鈥檙e on the right path.鈥�

And as the weather continues to improve, climbers will be out enjoying the growing number of natural climbing routes around Whitehorse.

鈥淧eople will set up climbs and then all of a sudden there鈥檚 more people wanting to climb,鈥� said Parker, 鈥渁nd setters are more motivated to keep going.鈥�