Spring 2025 Newsletter
It’s time to climb! The sun is out, the rock is warming up, and the OAC is getting ready for an awesome 2025 season. Here’s what we’re up to!
Save the Date! Beaver Valley Climbing Festival, August 15-17
The Beaver Valley Climbing Festival is back and better than ever. Our passionate volunteers are working hard to bring together our biggest event of the year, with La Sportiva returning as our headline sponsor🎉. Tickets go on sale later this month, with the final schedule released late May or early June. Remember, active OAC members get a $30 discount!
Ticket prices:
Non-members: $130
Members: $100
Day Pass: $40
Kids under 14: FREE
Check out our website for more information!
Introducing the OAC Bolt Fund!
The OAC Bolt Fund is a brand-new initiative by the OAC that aims to make climbing and hardware maintenance more accessible within the province. Developers traditionally use their personal funds to service or replace rusty, worn out or damaged hardware on outdoor routes. The OAC Bolt Fund plans to use part of our annual membership funding to reimburse developers for hardware including bolts, hangers, glue and anchors. Look out for more information about this exciting new initiative in the coming weeks!
Climbing at The Turtle? Don’t forget to register!
Climbing at Turtle Crag has opened for the 2025 season and permits are mandatory for all climbers, with a limit of 12 climbers per day. Permit registration opens two days in advance at 8pm (eg: opens Thursday night for Saturday reservations). Register here on the OAC website.
Mill Lake Currently Closed
The OAC was notified by Climb Sudbury that Mill Lake, a popular ice climbing crag near Parry Sound, has been closed to climbing following trespassing claims. The OAC has secured a volunteer to lead discussions with this private landowner to better understand the situation and build towards reopening the crag. However, until further notice, Mill Lake should be considered closed for climbers. Keep an eye out for future updates!
Rattlesnake Spring Fling TBD
Our annual Rattlesnake Spring Fling will be held late spring, as we team up with Conservation Halton for a day of crag clean up. Help us give back to the community with a day of volunteering and climbing! Keep your eyes peeled for the official date announcement soon.
Let’s Have a Fun and Respectful Season!
The OAC works hard to preserve access to many of your favourite crags in Ontario, and every climber can help. Wherever you adventure this season, always:
Climb with a permit if required.
Stay informed about specific crag rules and guidelines.
Stay on the trail.
Collect your garbage.
Brush your holds.
Work with land managers to determine whether bolting is permitted before attempting new route development.
Respect the land, animals, other climbers and visitors to the area.
Every time you climb, you represent all climbers. Let’s all work together to make climbing better for everyone in Ontario in 2025.
Happy spring and happy climbing! Have a great start to your season, we’ll see you out there 😎