Project overview: Create a multi-day, community-building event with climbing clinics, affinity group spaces, and stewardship to elevate issues and opportunities in diversity, equity, inclusion, and access related to climbing.

How your support helps: United in Yosemite is an initiative that brings together local climbers, affinity groups, and the National Park Service for conversations around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in rock climbing.

In 2022, we gathered to discuss how to provide better access to opportunities for climbing and other outdoor activities in Yosemite. Now, with donor support and the guidance of community leaders, United in Yosemite is preparing an event that will be open to the public.

While the United in Yosemite event is open to all people with an interest in rock climbing, it is specifically geared towards athletes who identify as Black, Indigenous, people of color, women, people with disabilities, and LBGTQIA+.

This year: In 2023, United in Yosemite will present a multi-day community building event that brings together outdoor and climbing focused affinity groups, local community members, outdoor industry professionals, and the National Park Service to elevate issues and opportunities in the diversity, equity, inclusion and access space related to climbing.

The event will feature climbing clinics, affinity group spaces, presentations, and a stewardship project. Participants will have the opportunity to share their experiences, meet other climbers, develop climbing skills and develop a relationship with Yosemite National Park.

Project partners: American Alpine Club, Access Fund, National Park Service Accessibility Office, and Yosemite National Park.

Jesse McGahey

Climbing Program Manager, Yosemite National Park

Project Notes

“Our goal is to plan and execute an event that includes the following: building a more open and welcoming community, celebrating and opening doors to these communities, facilitating conversation around challenges and opportunities in the park, connecting participants to the sacred and inspiring landscape of Yosemite, and having fun!”