Zen Climb

The outdoor climbing season starts in April.  Let's get prepared for it.

A. Climbing Gym Meetup Events

I will co-host or host Meetup climbing events at various gyms in GTA from January to April.  I hope to connect with you and your climbing friends in your local gym.  I will bring my laptop with a slide show of various places I have climbed in case it will help you plan for your climbing trips this summer.  Please share about your climbing trips too! I hope that this will also be an opportunity for you to meet some other Zen Climbers so you may have more climbing partners to climb with.  Here are the events:

1. True North: 6pm, Monday, January 21, 2013.
2. Rock Oasis: 6pm, Tuesday, February 5, 2013
3. Joe Rockhead's: 6pm, Wednesday, February 13, 2013
4. Grand River Rocks: 6pm, Friday, March 8, 2013
5. Climber's Rock: 6pm, Friday, March 29, 2013
6. Toronto Climbing Academy: 6pm, Thursday, April 18, 2013

All these events are listed on our meetup site: www.meetup.com/Zen-Climbers.  If you are a Zen Climb course graduate, you have the option to sign up there to indicate that you're coming.  Or you can just show up at the gym and look for the event co-host / host (including me -- Xiaoping Li).

B. Climbing Adventure Trips

Last year I climbed with course graduates up the multi-pitch routes in Seneca Rocks, Bancroft, the Gunks and Yamuska, and an alpine rock climbing route (5.6, 12 pitches) to summit Ha Ling Peak in Canmore.  This year I will once again make myself available as a climbing partner for similar climbing trips.  For the sake of safety, here are the pre-requisites of the trips:

1. Bancroft (ON) - 1 climbing day: Multi-pitch Climbing Techniques course.
2. The Gunks (NY) - 2 climbing days: Multi-pitch Climbing Techniques course; Improvised Self Rock Rescue (basic) course.
3. Seneca Rocks (WV) - 2 climbing days: Multi-pitch Climbing Techniques course; Improvised Self Rock Rescue (basic) course.
4. Yamuska (AB) - 2 climbing days: Multi-pitch Climbing Techniques course; Improvised Self Rock Rescue (basic and advanced) course.
5. Ha Ling Peak (AB) - 1 climbing day: Multi-pitch Climbing Techniques course; Improvised Self Rock Rescue (basic and advanced) course; preferably have participated in the Yamnuska climbing trip.
6. Bugaboos (BC) - 3 climbing days: Multi-pitch Climbing Techniques course; Improvised Self Rock Rescue (basic and advanced) course; a Snow and Ice traveling course taken with a reputable company or with one of our ACMG guides based in Canmore; preferably have participated in the Yamnuska climbing trip.

In these climbing trips, I will function as an experienced climbing partner, not a guide or instructor, and I will not be paid.  However, I will appreciate that my traveling expenses are covered. If you're interested, please contact me as early as possible.  So we can plan the dates.  I can climb with maximum two climbers at a time.  Priority will be given to those who haven't gone to a similar trip before.

C. Toronto Outdoor Adventure Show (Feb. 22-24, 2013)

Zen Climb has been invited to join the Ontario Outdoor Adventures pavilion in this Show.  Click here to download a $4-off coupon for admission to the Show.  At the Pavilion, you can pick up a free calendar that features a rock climbing picture shot under the direction of Zen Climb.

Visit us at Booth #525 and chat with some of our past clients who will be there to share their Zen Climb experience with you.

You can get a free slackline kit ($60 value) when you cash-purchase a $60 gift cerfificate to be used towards an Introductory Rock Climbing and Rappelling course or more advanced course conducted at Rattlesnake Point in Milton.

D. New Instructors Needed

Last year, Raz Peel went through Zen Climb's Top Rope Rock Climbing Instructor Certification process and subsequently taught many introductory classes with Zen Climb. He has now moved to British Columbia and will teach Zen Climb's introductory classes there.  If you're interested in filling his role with Zen Climb in Ontario, I'd love to hear from you!

Karma Climb: One of Zen Climb course graduates, Dyson Smith, will host a fundraising climbing event -- Karma Climb -- at Climber`s Rock on Sunday, March 3, 2013.  All proceeds to The Princess Margaret Hospital. Zen Climb is one of the proud sponsors of this event.  For more information of this event, please click here.  Hope to see you there!

Chief Instructor