With the 2016 Squamish Rampage just around the corner, we thought it would be a great idea to check in with one of the co-organizers of the festival, Jeff Yoo, to talk about how Rampage has evolved going into it’s third year and how the Squamish Rampage committee has tried to address some of the recent issues brought up in a survey conducted by the Squamish Access Society. As with any event, it takes a lot of time and energy to build momentum. This year, as Squamish Rampage teams up with Ground Up Climbing Centre, that momentum has come together in what looks like a fantastic event that not only brings climbers together but does it in a way that promotes stewardship of the forest and minimizes impact on our most precious resources.
Squamish Rampage 2015. Photo courtesy of Jeff Yoo ©
First off, thanks again for chatting with us Jeff. Looks like you and your co-organier Joseph Wong have big changes going into the third year of Squamish Rampage. How are you feeling about this years event and can you tell us a bit about the event for those who don’t know about it?
Hi Tim! Squamish Rampage began as an outdoor bouldering competition with two primary goals: (1) Charity Fundraising and (2) Uniting the Local and International Climbing Communities. Each consecutive year we’ve built on the previous years success and our plans become a little more elaborate but we make sure that all of our plans are in keeping with our core goals and vision.
Now that we’re heading into our 3rd annual event, our team of directors are extremely psyched because we’ve got an exciting line-up of events that cater to every climber across the skill/experience spectrum with a few changes.
-The morning/afternoon events will take place beside the main chief parking lot and will include the outdoor bouldering competition, all-day gear demos, guided group tours around the forest, and acro-yoga lessons.
-The evening events will be hosted at Ground Up Climbing Centre and will include a BBQ, dyno comp, gear demo, live DJ, and cheap craft beer by our friends at Deep Cove Brewery.
-All of the event proceeds will be given to Climb and Conquer, a registered charity that supports at-risk and disadvantaged youth through mentorship and climbing programs.
Acro Yoga. Photo by Andi Mcleigh ©
So, to summarize, we really just want to organize a really fun event that will bring the entire community together while fundraising to help kids who are in need.
How many participants are we talking at this point?
Last year we had about 65 participants with a handful of additional climbers and hikers who came by to check out our sponsor booths and gear demo. This year we expect to have about 80-100 registered participants for the daytime events and possibly more at the evening events at Ground Up Climbing Centre.
About a month ago, SAS sent out a survey regarding the event and there was a mixed response. What are you thoughts on the survey result?
SAS has been an integral collaborator leading into this years event. A few months ago the director boards of SAS and Rampage met together to discuss all of the potential issues and concerns that were highlighted in the survey response. This meeting was an awesome way to share ideas, brainstorm solutions, and to build a stronger relationship between the two parties going forward. One of the best things that came out of the meeting was that Emilisa Frirdich, a SAS board member and true ambassador for our sport, joined the Rampage director board. She’s been an invaluable asset to our team in liaising with SAS and consistently offers a fresh and brilliant perspective when problem solving.
All in all, our team really appreciates the feedback that we received in the survey because it is helping us solve potential issues proactively before the event.
Rampage 2015. Photo courtesy of Jeff Yoo ©
One of the concerns that was brought up in the survey was the issue of over-crowding in the boulders. What are your thoughts about this?
Yes, this is definitely a recurrent concern every summer when it seems like the campground is flooded with people who have traveled far and wide to climb in Squamish. We have some of the best and brightest climbers from Squamish, such as Jamie Finlayson and Thomasina Pidgeon, who are helping us select problems that will be included in the event.
We’re conscientiously exploring “less-traveled” areas so as to avoid further crowding in main areas. These areas have high-quality lines that tend to get less attention and subsequently get mossed over. We think that highlighting these areas would help prevent overgrowth on the trails/boulders and also be a really fun opportunity for participants to try a different area while having a supportive group with lots of crash pads.
You mentioned the issue of flooded campground. How did you folks end up addressing this issue?
This is another growing concern that affects access for all climbers in Squamish. We’ve booked an entire section of the Kinsmen Campground and we’re providing free camping for the entire weekend for event participants. We’ll also be happy if climbers who aren’t registered in our event come to camp at Kinsmen with us, because this is a positive alternative that decreases the number of people who are camping/parking in unauthorized areas.
The campground is walking distance to the chief and we will be encouraging everyone to walk to the event together.
So in other words, booking the Kinsmen Campground was an important strategic move by our team because it also mitigates crowding of the parking lot and impact on the environment.
Rampage 2015. Photo courtesy of Jeff Yoo ©
Sounds like a great plan Jeff! With the growing climbing population, there is always a dichotomy between the old generation and the new generation. Why do you think Rampage is important?
Climbing is a ever-growing sport and its popularity has sky-rocketed now that climbing gyms are popping up in large and small cities, alike. You meet a lot of people in climbing gyms who are really psyched to try outdoor climbing, but they don’t know outdoor climbing etiquette, forest stewardship, or even how to climb in a safe manner while outdoors. A lot of “old-school” climbers will argue that these climbers shouldn’t venture outdoors until they’ve taken a proper course or unless they have a certified guide. All too frequently, I think the reality is that most people don’t want to pay money for proper training and so they venture out by themselves and end up littering in climbing areas, trampling vegetation, defecating on trails, or getting severely injured.
Our team believes that Rampage is a fantastic way to introduce newer climbers to outdoor climbing while role-modeling and emphasizing good etiquette and stewardship. Every year we begin our event by discussing “do’s & don’ts” while in the forest and we finish the event by giving prizes to people who walk through to ensure that there is no remaining garbage. I also hope that our event will increase people’s engagement in access groups such as SAS and CASBC — I believe that there will be membership sign-up booths for both of these access groups at our event.
Rampage 2015. Photo courtesy of Jeff Yoo ©
From your perspective, do you think that Rampage has a substantial impact on the environment of the boulders?
Looking at the two previous years, I can honestly say that there was no noticeable impact on the boulders or forest as a result of the event. We coach all of the group tour guides during the event to ensure that participants are always walking on trails and picking up after themselves. We also ask our tour guides to make sure that people are sharing boulders with non-participants, brushing off tick-marks on boulders, and not “yard-saling” their belongings.
In the future, with the growing popularity of our event, SAS and Rampage both agree that we will introduce a registration cap so that the event does not get large enough where forest impact will be more likely.
Rampage 2015. Photo courtesy of Jeff Yoo ©
Thanks again Jeff! Is there anything else that you’d like to mention?
I think that Rampage is a great event that really brings people together and helps people foster new relationships. There’s a ton of planning that goes into it and we’ve even met with District of Squamish and BC Parks. After they heard our plan and our vision, they seemed just as excited as we are.
The event supports an honourable cause and it brings the community together to engage in something that we love doing — climbing! I really hope that people will come out to the event and show their support. Thanks so much for having me.
Thanks for chatting with us Jeff! It is always a great idea to have dialogue and it sound like you, along with the rest of the rampage team have really gone above and beyond to address some of the issues brought up by the greater community. Best of luck with the event! I am sure it will be a success!
The 2016 Squamish Rampage will take place on August 13th, 2016. Early bird deadline is July 31st, 2016, so be sure to register at the Squamish Rampage Website. For more information, please visit the Squamish Rampage Website.
