access to the outdoors is a privilege
Randy Folkenberg / 4 Min Read / On This Rock 2022
Smith Rock has been a sanctuary to me for some time. Rock climbing on its walls has sheltered me from the bombardment of homework assignments coming due. Resting in the shade of its steeples and spires has provided a space to relax and breathe away from the demands of day-to-day life. The sharp, chalk-covered holds have been a place not only of physical exercise but also of exercises in precision, problem solving, and persistence. And the well-worn ledges at the base of Smith’s many crags have provided the space where some of the most meaningful relationships in my life have taken root, grown, and born fruit. Yep, Smith has been a sanctuary to me for some time, a sanctuary to which I’m privileged enough to have the keys. While so many don’t.
“I hadn’t thought about how privileged I am to be able to climb and to experience the benefits of this sanctuary. But when I did, when I saw what I had access to and how it had benefited and blessed me, I realized that my sanctuary had a door. That the door had a key. And that the key was in my hand.”
Accessibility is a loaded term, one with tons of factors playing into its existence or absence in any given area. But at the core, “to have access” is to have the ability to encounter and engage with something, should an individual desire it. Access to climbing is far from a given. To climb - especially safely - you have to be able to get to an area where climbing is located, you must posses equipment that is unaffordable for many, and you have to go through significant training, which can cost even more than the equipment. All of this locks the door to climbing for so many people. For most of my 10 years of climbing thus far, I hadn’t thought about how privileged I am to be able to climb and to experience the benefits of this sanctuary. But when I did, when I saw what I had access to and how it had benefited and blessed me, I realized that my sanctuary had a door. That the door had a key. And that the key was in my hand. I could keep the door locked and in so doing lock up the benefits for myself and a privileged few, or I could take that key and open the sanctuary door to others so that they too could find shelter, experience rest, and grow.
This realization for myself and some of my friends is what created On This Rock, especially our stated focus of improving accessibility. Of course, one weekend climbing event won’t fix the deep and wide issues of accessibility to climbing, but we believed that one weekend could move the accessibility dial in our local community and make a significant difference in quite a few individuals. And so, over our weekend climbing festival, we committed to three things: to keep participation in the event free to all, to offer professional guided experiences and instruction to registrants, especially those who had never climbed before, and to give back to Smith Rock State Park in a way that preserved and stewarded this special sanctuary.
“To try rock climbing once, you'll have to spend about $30. Getting into the sport full-time will cost about $500 in gear and $80 per month in gym fees. That’s just gym-climbing. climbing on actual rock is a whole nother’ thing. learning from a professional guide can set you back a few hundred bucks.”
We were able to stay true to these commitments. Over the course of the weekend close to 300 people had interacted with On This Rock, benefiting from free camping, dinners, yoga classes, presentations, and a free showing of the world-famous Reel Rock 16 climbing film festival. During the day on Saturday, through partnerships with Chockstone Climbing Guides and other independent professional guides, nearly 50 climbers were able to be guided and instructed, most for the very first time. And during the Reel Rock 16 showing, Common Ground was able to partner with numerous climbing companies and local businesses to put on a fundraiser in the form of a climbing gear raffle. By the end of the evening over $1,000 had been raised and was donated to the Smith Rock Group and High Desert Climbers Alliance, the two non-profits most active in caring for the trails and climbing routes of Smith Rock State Park.
In the time that has passed since April 2022, we continue to receive feedback from people who would never have tried rock climbing and experienced Smith Rock had it not been for our commitment to improving accessibility through On This Rock. I celebrate each piece of feedback along this vein because it tells a story of the door to this special sanctuary being unlocked and opened wider than before. While there is still so much work to be done, the more walls scaled, barriers breached, and doors opened the better. I’m just blessed to be a part of a community committed to this important work.
