ACC Welcomes Climbing Competition Season

On Wednesday, September 4th, Alpine Club of Canada President Peter Muir reaffirmed the club’s 25 year long commitment as the National Federation serving competition climbing.

Since 1987, the ACC has registered and ranked climbing athletes, promoted competition calendars across the country, selected Canadian National Teams for international competition, trained officials, and served as Canada’s official member organization for the sport with evolving International governing bodies. Along the way, it has hosted National Championship events every year, several Continental Championships, World Cups, and a World Championship. Canadian Team climbers are more successful every year, and include the current World Combined Champion, Sean McColl.

In order to better define the respective roles of governing bodies for our sport in Canada, the ACC has ended its identification with Climbing Escalade Canada, originally formed as a commission of the club. Athletes registered with the CEC were always members of the ACC, but the need for greater clarity related to representation, decision making, and existing international contracts are best addressed by placing all of the club’s Sport Climbing operations under one name – The Alpine Club of Canada.

During this period of transition, the ACC wants to reaffirm that all national competition sanctioning, athlete membership and event registration, competition calendar sanctioning, certification of officials, and national teams selection is its responsibility. The ACC also affirms that these programs will continue as before under the single Alpine Club of Canada name, and that they will continue uninterrupted into the coming season.

The ACC also supports, and is committed to, the eventual recognition of Sport Climbing by such bodies as Sport Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee. It will continue to work towards Sport Climbing governance across Canada that is consistent with federal sports organization recommendations, including the encouragement of Provincial climbing organizations, school and university programs, the development of para-climbing competition, and commitment to World Anti-Doping Association protocols.

Effective immediately website URLs and branding are being adjusted to reflect the reaffirmed role of the Alpine Club of Canada. The ACC is committed to ensuring the coming year will be one of growth and progress from your national climbing federation.