2024 calendar coming soon
OUTDOOR COURSES
You want to develop your skills on the rock? You want to learn in an all-female, female-identifying or non-binary group setting and be taught by a female, trans, non-binary or gender fluid guide? You came to the right place! Our series of courses are designed to help you learn new skills, no matter what your level is.
This year, we have decided to charge a nominal fee for all outdoor courses. We also encourage participants to make donations if they are in a financial position to be able to do so. Your donation directly contributes to our ability to run more outdoor courses.
Be assured though: we do not want to contribute to the issue of accessibility in climbing. For those who wish to participate but can’t afford the fee, you may apply for a bursary to have the fee waived and reimbursed. Please send us a letter answering these questions:
- Why is participating in this course offered by The B.I.G. Initiative important for you?
- How will you benefit from this bursary?
You have 1 week from the day of your reservation to send your letter to b.i.g@thebiginitiative.ca. The B.I.G. Initiative reserves the right to refuse your application for a reimbursement only after thorough evaluation of your application.
2024 DATES & LOCATIONS
2SLGBTQ+ Intro to Rock Rescue (Bow Valley, AB)
- Dates : Saturday & Sunday, June 15-16, 2024
- Location : Bow Valley, AB
- Cost : Minimum 40$
- 6 participants
- Guide : Ren Lavergne (They/Them)
Are you a trans, non-binary, gender-queer or queer climber looking to gain knowledge in how to deal with an emergency situation in a rock climbing environment? Join ACMG Rock Guide Ren Lavergne (they/them) in the Bow Valley for a two-day Intro to Rock Rescue course. Expect a principle-focused approach and lots of hands-on practice as we review tools and systems to manage common scenarios.
Requirements
Experience : Advanced
Participants must have outdoor lead climbing experience.
Gear required :
- Backpack
- Helmet
- Harness
- Climbing shoes
- Belay device with locking carabiner (belay tube recommended)
- One personal sling/lanyard/tether or PAS to secure yourself to an anchor
- One anchor kit (120 cm sewn sling with 1 locking carabiner and 2 non-locking carabiners)
- One Sterling Hollowblock (13.5") or 1.5m x 7mm accessory cord for rappel prusik
- One 5m x 7mm accessory cord (for ascending and other rescue applications)
- One 60m single rope (One rope for each team of two)
- First aid kit
- Clothing appropriate for the day (including rain/wind layer)
- Lunch, snacks and water
- Footwear (good approach / hiking shoes)
Optional equipment :
- Quickdraws (4-6)
- Extra sewn slings
- Extra locking carabiners
- Trekking pole
- Bear spray
- Notebook and pen/pencil
Need a ride? Missing some required gear? For any questions, please contact elaiza@thebiginitiative.com
Intermediate Trad Climbing (Squamish, BC)
- Date : Saturday June 16th, 2024
- Location : Squamish, BC
- Cost : Minimum 20$
- 6 participants
- Guide : Bronwyn Hodgins
Ready to level up your trad game, challenge yourself to set harder goals and improve your physical and mental performance in a mentorship-style learning environment? At the start of the day, participants will share their goals and where they are at in their personal climbing progression. We will review safe trad practices, including gear placements and trad anchors. We will move on to tricky placements and advanced movement techniques, providing time for participants to practice these skills. In the afternoon, we will discuss the mental challenges that come with leading trad, including fear of falling and risk management.
Requirements
Experience : Recommended for competent trad leaders in the 5.7 to 5.10a range who know how to recognize and place safe trad gear.
Gear requirements :
- Climbing harness
- Helmet
- Climbing shoes
- Chalk bag
- Gri Gri
- ATC and prusik cord
- PAS (Personal attachment system - a 120cm sling and locking biner)
- Crack gloves (optional)
- Trad gear (if you have your own trad gear please bring it as it's better to practice with protection that you are familiar with).
- Nut tool (optional)
Ropes and anchor kits will be provided, as well as supplemental trad gear.
Need a ride? Missing some required gear? For any questions, please contact elaiza@thebiginitiative.com
* REGISTRATION WILL OPEN SOON *
Fear of Falling (Squamish, BC)
- Date : Saturday June 27th, 2024
- Location : Squamish, BC
- Cost : Minimum 20$
- 6 participants
- Guide : Bronwyn Hodgins
The mental aspect of climbing is not covered during a course, especially when it comes to lead climbing or multi-pitch climbing. A fear of falling (or basophobia) is surprisingly common among climbers and can often limit our climbing or prevent us from reaching certain climbing goals.
Join Bronwyn for a clinic focused on supportive group discussions, validation of fears and practice falls to increase your comfort with falling. The clinic will progress from top-rope falls to falling with protection at waist level, followed by a discussion on progression techniques.
Requirements
Experience : Participants must know how to lead climb.
Gear requirements :
- Helmet
- Shoes
- Harness
- Chalk bag
- Belay device (with 1 locking carabiner)
- Prusik 1.5-1.7m, 7mm
- Anchor building equipment (2 locking carabiners, 2 non-locking carabiners & 120cm or 240cm sling)
Need a ride? Missing some required gear? For any questions, please contact elaiza@thebiginitiative.com
* REGISTRATION WILL OPEN SOON *
PAST EVENTS
2SLGBTQ+ Introduction to Multi-Pitch Systems (Bow Valley, AB)
- Date: Saturday July 22nd
- Location: Bow Valley, AB
- Cost: minimum $20
- 4 participants
- Guide: Ren Lavergne (they/them)
Are you a trans, non-binary, gender-queer or queer climber looking to learn about multi-pitch climbing systems? Join ACMG Rock Guide Ren Lavergne (they/them) in the Bow Valley for an Introduction to Multi-Pitch Systems course. The goal of this course is to introduce you to the fundamentals of multipitch climbing systems, such as belaying, anchors, rope management and rappel descents.
Guide bio: Ren (they/them) is an ACMG Rock Guide who is passionate about climbing, teaching, and connecting with community at the crag. They believe in the power of affinity spaces and take joy in collaborating with local grassroots organizations to offer outdoor rock climbing courses that are accessible, supportive and welcoming. Ren is a queer non-binary white settler and they live in Canmore, AB.
Experience: advanced
Participants must have outdoor lead experience.
Gear requirements:
- helmet
- climbing shoes
- harness
- belay device with locking carabiner
Optional equipment:
- 60m single rope
- quickdraws (6-8)
- anchor kit (120 cm sewn sling, 1 locking carabiner and 2 non-locking carabiners)
- Sterling Hollowblock or cord for rappel prussik
- extra slings and locking carabiners
Need a ride? Missing some required gear? For any questions, please contact elaiza@thebiginitiative.ca.
Discovery: Self-Rescue Notions (Val-David, QC)
- Date: Sunday July 23rd (date subject to change based on weather)
- Location: Val-David, QC
- Cost: minimum $20
- 8 participants
- Guide: Andréanne Vallières
Would you like to learn how to help your climbing partner if they are injured as a follower or as a leader?
Would you like to put your knowledge of outdoor climbing to good use when faced with a situation where you feel a diminished sense of control?
This is the perfect time to challenge yourself and try something completely new in a safe, supervised environment on a training wall.
Guide bio: Andréanne has developed a passion for sharing the knowledge she has acquired over the last 12 years of climbing outdoors. As a traditional climbing instructor and FQME guide for the Passe-Montagne climbing school for the past five years, it goes without saying that the training she has received (Level I guide from the federation) has greatly helped her master the content to be taught. As a teacher by trade, she has developed a certain ease in transmitting the knowledge to be learned in different ways to meet the different needs of learners.
Course offered in French.
Experience: advanced
Participants must know how to lead belay for sports or trad climbing.
Gear provided.
Need a ride? For any question, please contact elaiza@thebiginitiative.ca
Introduction to Bouldering Outdoors (Lac du Bonnet, MB)
- Date: Saturday August 12 (date subject to change based on weather)
- Location: Lac du Bonnet, MB
- Cost: minimum $20
- 8 participants
- Guides: Carly Kublick and Van Osborne Zimrose
For the fast-growing climbing community in Manitoba, broaching the outdoor bouldering scene can feel intimidating at first. Use this opportunity to join instructors Carly and Van for a 1-day intro course in Lac du Bonnet, MB for a fun and knowledge-packed day bouldering in the great outdoors! The goals of this course are to empower you with the skills, knowledge, and hands on experience to feel confident rock climbing outside and how you can minimize risk in the process.
We will cover the basics of risk assessment and mitigation, outdoor ethics, and outdoor bouldering skills/ technique.
Experience: beginner/intermediate
Participants who are climbing level 3’s indoors will take more away from the climbing portion of the day, due to the technical nature of outdoor bouldering.
Gear required:
- climbing shoes
- chalk
- food & water for the day
- weather-appropriate clothing
Need a ride? Missing some required gear? For any question, please contact elaiza@thebiginitiative.ca
Transition to outdoor top rope (Val-David, QC)
- Date: Saturday, August 19th
- Location: Val-David, QC
- Cost: minimum $20
- 6 participants
- Guide: Tu Mai Vu
You want to learn how to be autonomous on your next rock climbing outing? To be able to place your own anchor, secure yourself at the top of the wall to access the anchor and, more precisely, practice rappel notions? This course is the perfect opportunity to challenge yourself or try something new in a safe, supervised and friendly environment.
Experience: intermediate
Participants must know how to belay in top rope.
Gear will be provided.
For more information, please contact elaiza@thebiginitiative.ca.
Fear of Falling (Squamish, BC)
- Date: Saturday September 16th (date subject to change)
- Location: Squamish, BC
- Cost: minimum $20
- 6 participants
- Guide: Bronwyn Hodgins
The mental aspect of climbing is not covered during a course, especially when it comes to lead climbing or multi-pitch climbing. A fear of falling (or basophobia) is surprisingly common among climbers and can often limit our climbing or prevent us from reaching certain climbng goals.
Join Bronwyn for a clinic focused on supportive group discussions, validation of fears and practice falls to increase your comfort with falling. The clinic will progress from top-rope falls to falling with protection at waist-level, followed by a discussion on progression techniques.
Participants must know how to lead climb.
Gear requirements*:
- helmet
- shoes
- harness
- belay device (with 1 locking carabiner)
- Prusik 1.5-1.7m, 7mm
- Anchor building equipment (2 locking carabiners, 2 non-locking carabiners & 120cm or 240cm sling)
- Chalk bag
For more information, please contact elaiza@thebiginitiative.ca
Intermediate trad (Squamish, BC)
- Date: Saturday September 17th (date subject to change)
- Location: Squamish, BC
- Cost: minimum $20
- 6 participants
- Guide: Bronwyn Hodgins
Ready to level up your trad game, challenge yourself to set harder goals and improve your physical and mental performance? The course will be run in a mentorship-style learning environment.
At the start of the day participants will share their goals and where they are at in their personal climbing progression. We will review safe trad practices, including gear placements and trad anchors. We will move on to tricky placements and advanced movement techniques, providing time for participants to practice these skills. In the afternoon we will discuss the mental challenges that come with leading trad, including fear of falling and risk management.
Let's become stronger and wiser trad climbers together!
A summary of topics:
Safe trad review (gear placements and trad anchors)
Crack and slab movement techniques
Nuts and tricky placements
Safe falling
Mental management
Goal setting and strategies
Recommended for competent trad leaders in the 5.7-5.10a range who know how to recognize and place safe trad gear.
Required gear :
Climbing harness
Climbing helmet
Climbing shoes
Crack gloves (optional)
Chalk bag
Gri Gri
ATC and prusik cord
PAS (Personal Attachment System - a 120cm sling and locking biner works well too)
Trad gear (optional - if you have your own trad gear I recommend bringing it, as it’s nice to
practice on protection that you are familiar with).
Nut tool (if you have one)
Ropes and anchor kits will be provided, as well as supplemental trad gear.
Need transportation? Missing some required gear? For any questions, please contact elaiza@thebiginitiative.ca