We are all in the process of learning and growing, and we know that there is much work yet to be done. Of all the minoritised groups in our community, People of Colour were the least well represented at ClimbOut 2023. We were grateful to everyone who gave feedback after the festival, and while most of it was extremely positive, we are especially grateful for the two reports from people who witnessed or experienced racism at the festival. Racist behaviour is unacceptable, and this is something that we are determined to address. Taking advice from Wanderers of Colour and Land In Our Name, we have focused on measures including dedicated POC bunkhouse rooms and a bursary system that prioritises groups with the fewest applicants. We are also developing a new approach to make it easier to raise concerns while at the festival so that we can safely and appropriately address them at the time. Improving POC representation in our organising team, our speakers, and our instructors is another strand in our long-term strategy to become more inclusive. We know it will take time to make ClimbOut into a space that feels truly safe for everyone, and we are dedicated to this work.
Our facilities are largely ungendered but for 2024 we have responded to feedback and are creating some designated Women+ spaces for sleeping and showering. These spaces are firmly trans and non-binary inclusive and are intended for anyone who feels they would be most comfortable in a women-centred space.
We were delighted to have so many disabled participants join us for ClimbOut 2023. We are keeping the measures that worked well for people, such as dedicated accessible accommodation and free entry for guides or support people. We have drawn on advice from Anyone Can (https://anyonecan.uk/) to better capture people’s access needs at the point of booking and to relay these clearly to instructors. We will be improving our Quiet Space facility for 2024 and making registration an easier experience, as we know this is important to people, especially neurodivergent climbers. We are also working to make wheelchair access around the site flow better.
Our EDI group has grown in the last year and we are now much happier that it represents the diversity within our community, but additional voices are always of interest. We are continuously working to make ClimbOut a more inclusive and diverse space and feedback on how we can improve is always welcome (on our social media channels or at [email protected]). Thank you for learning and improving with us.