Climbers tend to be more transient than the general population, visiting different climbing areas as seasons change, eking out a modern dirtbag lifestyle.

Smith Rock, the world-renowned climbing area outside of Terrebonne, most certainly is a desired destination. Climbers come to visit as a pilgrimage or to climb classic routes in the spring and fall when temperatures are most conducive to climbing. Combine all of that with the pandemic and the ensuing Zoom Boom, and finding a sustainable climbing community in Central Oregon can be a very challenging endeavor.

This was Kristen Nielsen’s experience when she recently moved to Bend.

“I really searched extensively for some sort of community organization so that I could make friends and find people to climb with,” she said. “Usually climbers have some shared values, and just find people that vibe together. And I just didn’t find that in Bend.”

Local climber Sully Kiley echoed a similar sentiment: “Bend is so nomadic. I’ve had the experience of making a best friend and then they are gone in six months. Then another best friend and Boom! They’re gone too.

“A lot of the shared experience in why people left is that they had difficulty in making that community in Bend. So, I [thought] if there was just a way we could pull people together!”

Eventually Nielsen grew tired of complaining and hearing from others that their previous climbing communities were livelier than what they were finding here. So she created a post in a Central Oregon climbing Facebook group to determine others’ interest in creating a “tighter knit climbing community.” Not surprisingly, it received an overwhelmingly positive response. Despite some initial reluctance, she was compelled to act.

Together with some folks who responded to her original post offering to help organize, the Bend Climbing Club (BCC) was formed. This original planning committee divided up initial tasks, and together they planned the first social event on December 15, 2021 at Silver Moon Brewing. Over 60 people attended, which far exceeded the expectations of the organizers.

The Bend Climbing Club does not have a formal mission statement, charter or fees of any kind. The group simply seeks to share the communal love of climbing and to create an unencumbered, safe space for both newcomers and experienced individuals alike to grow in their climbing through new partnerships and mentorships.

The club hosts weekly climb nights at the Bend Rock Gym every Thursday evening beginning at 6:00 pm. Some evenings they are seeing over 25-30 people show up to climb as a collective. Initially there was a central meeting point, but now many members feel comfortable enough to just find each other on their own. They wear laminated tags on their harnesses to help identify other members.

Kiley, now on the leadership team, points out, “You have to be open to a random person coming up to you and saying, ‘Let’s Climb!”

This provides a great mix of ages, genders and experiences interacting with each other. Organizers have also found that members have built friendships around non-climbing interests as well.

Kiley remarked, “Accessibility to climbing in Central Oregon is incredible. The climate makes it possible to climb year round. But there are many adventurous activities beyond just climbing but climbing can be a jumping off point for a meaningful partnership in other activities.”

One club member, Carly, who is in the Bend area as a traveling speech pathologist, recently returned to climbing after a long absence. Initially she did not know anyone in the area, but now has many climbing partners and friends. In addition to rebuilding her endurance and climbing ability, through her participation in the club she has now added a plethora of technical skills that she did not have previously.

Beyond the additional sales of memberships and day passes, the staff at Bend Rock Gym have been taking notice of the club’s presence. Jeremy Wassenaar, Director of Operations for BRG, has observed the very positive impact the club has had on the inclusion of everyone regardless of gender, shape and identity. He commented, “Climbing is for everyone!”

BCC leadership has received an exceptional amount of positive feedback in their short existence.

“This is just what I was looking for!” is what Nielsen hears the most frequently and is telling of the group’s successes thus far. Additional comments that have been made on the club’s Facebook page include, “Reading through the posts, the group here seems so welcoming!” and, “Really appreciate the admins putting in the effort to make this community welcoming and fun.”

One BCC sponsored event that garnered a lot of praise, was a recent climbing film showing at The Circuit Bouldering Gym, also in Bend. As the club continues to grow, leadership hopes to host clinics and provide experiences in the near future.

Nielsen commented, “[Future] trips outside of Central Oregon, ensure continued growth as individuals and as an organization. This really will help continue creating a sustainable community through roots and grounding.”

You can find the club on Facebook or meet up with them in person at the Bend Rock Gym on Thursday nights, starting at 6:00 pm. Everyone is welcome.