Events 2024
Our events this year will focus on welcoming the return of some of our partner organizations to climb, bringing in new groups and extending the scope of our current events.
Just like last year, our first event saw us welcome back Girls in the Game who promote empowerment of through fun and active sports, health and leadership programs. We hosted an introduction to rock climbing at Movement Lincoln Park that saw the teens learn how the safety checks required when climbing and how to tie their own figure of eight knots. It was awesome to see the excitement to get on the tallest walls as quickly as possible. We hope to see the teens come back climbing soon.
We welcomed back Project Vision for the first of two climbing sessions at Movement Lincoln Park this weekend. Everyone in the group was climbing for the first time but despite some nerves everyone gave it a real go. It was great to see the determination to make it to the top of the wall. We love to hear a participant asking to keep climbing after already 2 hours in the gym. We look forward to having group two with us next week.
Round 2 with the crew from Project Vision. As usual the stoke level was high and we all had a blast. Always a pleasure working with this group and hope to see everyone in the gym again soon!
Steelworkers Park - Spring Reset
Well that was special! The third iteration of Chicago’s climbing community groups coming together has morphed in to something bigger and better than we could have ever expected. The Spring Reset at Steelworkers park exemplified community engagement as 9 community groups came together to increase the number of routes at the park from 5 to 19 total problems, with each group getting to leave their mark on the walls. The day allowed us to reunite with old friends as well as make new connections which we hope will bring about more collaboration, more opportunities and more climbers in this beautiful city of Chicago.
Read more about the event here: https://blockclubchicago.org/2024/04/12/chicago-climbers-to-create-new-paths-up-steelworkers-park-ore-wall-this-weekend/
Huge thanks to all of the groups that worked together on creating this beautiful vision:
@asianclimbingcollective
@queersontherocks
@chicago_adventure_therapy
@sendingincolor
@adaptclimbgroup
@climbbigchicago
@lo_greatlakes
@escaladoresunidos
@se_side_chicagoparkdistrict
@slacklinechicago
@blk.people.outside
And a massive thank you to our partners and sponsers:
@nature_illinois
@patagoniachicago
@arcteryxchicago
@arcticfoxchicago
We had an amazing time hosting @myblockmyhoodmycity this week with our friends at @patagoniachicago . We were lucky enough to have Jason and Jess from Patagonia talk to the teens about a wide range of topics. We talked through the history of Patagonia, the work that they do for environmental justice, how they support local non-profits and the ways teens can engage in different environmental issues. It was great to hear the variety of environmental issues that the teens were already aware of or passionate about.
After our talk and tour, we walked over to @brooklynboulderschi and climbed together. As usual there was a mix of nervousness and excitement but everyone gave it their best shot. It’s always a competition against yourself, rather than others, and we loved to see people getting back on the wall trying to push a little higher each time.
It’s always a wonderful time with My Block and Patagonia and hope we can put on more events like this in the future.
