WINTER EVENTS 2023-24
Season End Ice Climb
Sunday, April 7
Location: Orient Bay
Climb: Psycho Isycho
Senior Invitational Ice Climbing
Saturday, March 23
Location: Orient Bay
Climb: Gomar Falls Area
Senior Invitational Ice Climbing
Tuesday, March 12
Location: Orient Bay
Climb TBA
Orient Bay Recce
Saturday March 9
Senior Leaders Only
FALL EVENTS 2023
September/October 2023
RocktoberFest - Rock Climbing & BBQ
Silver Harbour Crag
Open Level
Sat. October 28 (Weather permitting. NO Rain Date option)
Depart meeting location at 10am.
We can car pool to the site, if necessary, or meet there. Plan is to depart back home by 5pm.
Exact details via email to follow for enrolled participants.
Sign Up Deadline is Wed. Oct. 25 by 3:30pm
Maximum 20
EVENT CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER
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Weekly Open Level Rock Climbing at the Bluffs.
Tuesdays from Sept 12 to Oct 3
Be on-site in the parking lot at The Bluffs between 4:30-5:00pm. If you plan to attend but can't be there by 5pm, please contact us and let us know you'll be there that evening. If there aren't enough confirmed participants by 5:30pm, the evening session will be cancelled.
Climbing will run until dusk, weather permitting.
** See below for more information.
EVENT CLOSED
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James Duncan Trail / Mt. Mollie Hike
DIFFICULT 4+Hrs
230+m of Elevation, ~10km distance
Sat. October 14
More info at https://www.hikingproject.com/trail/7090623/james-duncan-nature-trail
We will carpool and depart at 10am for the Pine River Conservation Area parking lot and the Little Trout Bay Conservation Area parking lot. One vehicle will be left at each location.
The hike will start from the Pine River terminus and end at LTB.
Sign Up Deadline is Wed. Oct. 11 by 3:30pm
SIGN UP NOW CLOSED
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Mt. Helen - Intermediate Rock Climbing
Sat. September 30
Depart Thunder Bay at 9am.
We will car pool to the site north of Nipigon, and plan to depart for home by 5pm.
Exact details via email to follow for enrolled participants.
This is not a Beginner Event and participants will need all their own basic climbing & personal safety gear, and be competent at rappelling.
Club ropes and anchors will be supplied.
SIGN UP NOW CLOSED
Sign Up Deadline Wednesday, September 27, 3:30 p.m.
Or Maximum of 10 Participants
WINTER EVENTS 2022-23
Details Coming Soon
Watch for Climbing and Hiking Event Dates to be scheduled in Orient Bay, Kama Bay, the Nor'Westers, and other locations throughout the winter season.
Details Coming Soon
......
winter events 2019-2020
Please familiarize yourself with our FAQ Page before signing up for and attending our Section Events.
Please Print Out and complete the Event Waiver before attending any Section Events.
The 2-page waiver must be on ONE physical piece of paper to be valid i.e. front & back.
SIGN UP EARLY!
Once our Events are posted, SIGN UP EARLY and sign up before the deadlines!
Most of the Events fill up quickly with our eager Members.
YOU MUST BE A PAID SECTION MEMBER to participate in our Section Events.
If you plan to participate in our Events, get your ACC Membership sooner than later. Follow the links on this page to sign up on the ACC National Website.
If you are a visting ACC Member from another Section, please contact the Event Coordinator to inquire about participating. If space is available, we try to welcome other Members on an individual case basis.
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MORE EVENTS COMING SOON!!
As the season progresses, come back soon to see when our Beginner Events, Open Level Member Events, and Skills Clinics will be offered.
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*** OPEN Event - Sunday February 23
ICE CLIMBING
Location: TBA
Beginners are always welcome to sign-up for Open Level Events, and request to borrow Club Gear. Personal climbing instruction will be given to any new Member who requests it.
Less than ideal ice conditions continue to be an issue this year, but we will strive our best to make this Open Level Event enjoyable for everyone.
Please sign up on the Form Link below.
More information will follow via email to those who sign-up.
Sign-Up Deadline: Thursday, February 20, by 6pm.
*** OPEN Event - Sunday February 9
ICE CLIMBING
Location: Nor'wester Range
Our first Open Level Event for the ice climbing season.
Beginners are always welcome to sign-up for Open Level Events, and request to borrow Club Gear. Personally guided climbing instruction will be given to any new Member who requests it.
Poor ice conditions continue to be an issue this year, but we will strive our best to make this Open Level Event enjoyable for everyone.
Please sign up on the Form Link below.
More information will follow via email to those who sign-up.
Sign-Up Deadline: Thursday, February 5, by 6pm.
*** INTERMEDIATE OB Event - Sunday February 2
ICE CLIMBING
Location: Orient Bay
Our first Intermediate Ice Climbing Event of the 2019/2020 Season!
Poor ice conditions continue to limit locations that will accommodate groups of climbers very well. We have a few locations in mind for this Event in the Orient Bay corridor.
Please familiarize yourself with the requirements for attending an Intermediate Event on the FAQ Page.
Bring Snowshoes. Club ropes and anchor gear will be available.
Participants MUST have and be competent with all their own personal climbing gear.
Please sign up on the Form Link below.
More information will follow via email to those who sign-up.
Sign-Up Deadline: Thursday, January 30, by 6pm.
*** BEGINNER/OPEN Event - Sunday January 19
ICE CLIMBING
Location: Nor'wester Range
Finally our first Ice Climbing Event of the 2019/2020 Season!
Poor ice conditions have been an issue this year, but we will strive our best to have an Open/Beginner Level Event: Sunday, January 19.
Please sign up on the Form Link below.
More information will follow via email to those who sign-up.
Sign-Up Deadline: Thursday, January 16, by 6pm.
~~~~~ PAST EVENTS ~~~~~
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Past Events below this line are for Reference Only.
TENTATIVE Beginner Event - Sat Jan 4, or Sun Jan 5
Weather and Ice conditions have been a challenge so far this year.
Watch our FB Page (@alpineclub.tbay) for current info and sign up links for Events.
All our posted Section Events require Members to sign-up by the deadline to participate.
Please sign up on the following form if you are NEW to Ice Climbing and are a current Section Member. All our Beginner Events are for Current ACC Thunder Bay Section Members only.
*** OPEN Event - Sunday February 23
Summer Events 2019
REMINDER
All Club Events are for Current Section Members ONLY.
If you are not a current ACC member, please follow the links on this site to sign-up on the National ACC Site.
All memberships are good for one year with Student, Adult, and Family options available.
Tuesday Evening Open Rock Climbing @ The Bluffs
Tuesday, May 21 will be the first "Weekly" Open Rock Climbing Event for 2019.
Follow us @AlpineClub.TBay on FaceBook for up-to-date information such as Cancellations, Focus Skills Nights, Post-Social Events, Etc.
Here are the details:
- Meet in the Scenic Bluffs parking lot for 5 pm. As soon as enough people show up, we'll sign waivers and haul gear in. If you arrive after 5 pm, walk the top trail from the parking lot just past the boulders along the crag and look for us. It's a maximum of 550 metres to the Power Line corridor and we'll be set up somewhere along that trail between 250m - 550m from the parking lot.
- Ask to sign the waiver as soon as you arrive.
- You MUST be an ACC Thunder Bay Section member to participate. If your membership is 'new', have your confirmation number and email receipt ready to show.
- Members interested in learning TR Anchor Building Skills should arrive early enough to help out.
- Basic Skills will also be covered at these Events for those who are interested and eager to help and contribute. Speak to a Senior Leader for more information when you arrive.
- Only a limited number of Club harnesses/helmets will be available, so it's a good idea to come with your own BASIC gear. (i.e helmet, harness, shoes, & belay device)
- Club ropes and anchors will always be used at the Weekly Bluffs' Events.
- Helmets are mandatory for anyone within the "Climbing Zone," but it's a good idea to put it on as soon as you leave the parking lot and leave it on until you get back, safe and sound!
- There is no need to sign-up on-line for these Weekly Bluffs events. Just show up with your rock gear and be prepared to help set-up, belay, and tear down the climbs.
** We are a non-profit Club and everyone is expected to be responsible for themselves, others, and help contribute at these Events. We are not a Fee-For-Service organization. We all benefit by what we all contribute. **
-email any questions to fpianka@hotmail.com
Skills Clinics
Stay tuned for various upcoming dates on our Facebook Page (@alpineclub.tbay) that will cover knots, anchor building, rappelling, and more.
These Clinics are all completely 'hands-on' with participants applying the new skills as they go along.
Clinics will likely be on Sunday mornings or evenings for a 2-3 hours. Learning many of these new climbing related skills is often overwhelming and best learned in small, opportunity focused sessions.
If you have some of your own gear and would like to bring it along, or need pointers on how to utilize your gear, please do so.
Some Clinics will provide Club Gear for instruction, while others aimed at higher level skills will require members to bring their own gear. This will be clearly identified in the Clinic descriptors.
For any Intro Level Clinics we generally have plenty of Club Gear to practice the necessary skills for all participants.
---------------------- PAST EVENTS -----------------------
*** Events below this line have expired for this season ***
Bluffs Clean Up
Saturday May 11, 10:00am -12:00noon
Please bring Work Gloves.
In conjunction with The City of Thunder Bay and EcoSuperior's Spring Up to Clean Up initiatives, our Section annually provides stewardship efforts at The Scenic Bluffs Crag to clean up debris and help maintain our most utilized and accessible rock climbing crag.
Please Sign Up so we have an idea how many people to expect.
Otherwise show up on Saturday morning at the Bluffs parking lot in Centennial Park, north off Arundel St., opposite the Lyon Blvd. intersection.
Event Descriptors
Event Types:
- PLEASE READ AND BE FAMILIAR WITH ALL THESE EXPECTATIONS AND RULES as they pertain to the Events you are attending.
- OPEN
- These Events are Open to ALL Current Section Members of all outdoor vertical climbing abilities and experience levels.
- Basic Personal Climbing Equipment is generally required by participants for all Events, however some Club Gear is made available for those trying the sport for the first few times. After actively participating in a few Events, it is expected that newer Members will acquire their own climbing gear and become less reliant on borrowing Club equipment.
- PHYSICAL FITNESS is a must for participation at all our Events. Most locations we access are quite challenging and require participants to carry not only their own packs with personal supplies and gear, but Club Gear as well. Approaches are often in excess of 1-2km and involve steep, sustained accents to the bases of climbs. This difficulty is significantly compounded during the winter for ice climbing!
- BEGINNER
- Emphasis on Beginners who need extra help to learn climbing skills and basic safety.
- Most Club Equipment is provided as necessary, with appropriate footwear being the only exception.
- Ice Climbing Gear Rentals are available in Thunder Bay from Wilderness Supply Co.
- New Ice Climbers should always rent both boots and crampons for Events. Always have the crampons and boots properly fitted before leaving the store.
- INTERMEDIATE
- Intended for Members who have their own personal climbing equipment and a solid grasp of fundamental climbing skills and situational safety
- Club 'Personal Gear' is typically not made available for these Events as Leadership demands are more involved.
- Locations tend to be more isolated, and challenging in respect to approach and climbing difficulty.
- Club Ropes and Anchor materials provided.
- More advanced climbing skills can be covered at these Events at the request of Members.
- Mentoring of Members who wish to progress to Leadership roles will be covered.
- ADVANCED
- As the category name suggests, these Events are intended for only for the most competent and experienced climbers.
- These Events will often be by Invitation Only for experienced Members and not necessarily be posted on the Section Events Calendar.
- Participants must have a complete compliment of their own gear.
- Participants should have also attended a series of prior Club Events and previously assisted in mentoring at Section Events.
- Club Ropes and Anchor materials provided.
- FLEX
- These Events are occasionally used to meet the needs of Members who can not fit into the regular scheduled Event times.
ALL Thunder Bay Section Events are for Current Members Only.
ALL EVENTS are PET FREE.
Generally, participants should be at least 18 years of age given the duration, locations, physical demands, equipment, situational awareness, and endurance required to participate in our events.
Please check with the specific Event Leader for an exception to this standard practice.
For the safety and accountability of all our members, ALL participants are expected to be in attendance for the full duration of any Event. Should a member anticipate needing to leave early or arrive late, an Event Leader MUST be informed asap - preferably before the day of the Event. Requests for Exceptions to this Rule will be evaluated on a situational, per-case basis at the full discretion of the Event Leader.
Participants are always expected to help with the transport, set-up and tear-down of gear at all Events within the limits of their confidence and demonstrated skill-set. Please bring a pack with the capacity to carry some Club Gear as the Event dictates.
*** If you have any life-threatening illnesses or pre-existing medical conditions, please inform the Event Leaders on the Confidential Sign-Up Forms for each Event you participate in. Some locations of our events are quite isolated and EMS services can be delayed in their response times compared to urban settings.
More Information
Be sure to Sign Up for Events before the Cut-Off Date & Time listed. Event Leaders need time to finalize plans, communicate with, and confirm participants for EACH Event.
Occasionally, due to high demand, Event Sign-Ups can close early.
For more information, contact Frank Pianka or the specific Event Leader.
Check out our FAQ Section for common questions and answers.