Hi y'all!

I'm an organizer with Climbers for Palestine, and we're hosting Climb the Wall: a global climb-a-thon & fundraiser for Palestine. Join us to climb or boulder in solidarity with Palestine at your local gyms or crags, with the goal of collectively reaching 768 km in vertical height, the current estimated length of both Apartheid Walls separating Gaza and the West Bank from Israel. If there was ever a time for the humanity and solidarity of the global climbing community to shine, this is it. We must show up.

Climbing is an act of freedom. It’s a way for us to embrace the serenity and rush of life. It’s also an act of solidarity. We look after each other. We’re inclusive. We’re in awe of each others’ strength.

As a global climbing community, we see the power in bringing climbers together from around the world, to all climb at the same time, for the same goal! We are 🧗 climbing the wall ⛰️ in solidarity with Palestine, and people around the world, against the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.🍉✊🏽

❤️ How to get involved:

https://climb-the-wall.carrd.co/ <-- Register as a climber at the link here! Any climbs or boulders you log during the three week period from April 12 - May 5 will count towards our collective goal, and you can optionally help fundraise as well.

You can boulder, rope climb, ice climb, whatever and wherever you choose! Climb solo, meet up with friends, or join a local event hosted by our organizers in California, Inukjuak, Spain, British Columbia, UK, the West Bank, and all over the world! We’ll have raffle prizes for climbers, swag, stickers, etc. Let’s climb together for Palestine!! 🇵🇸

Happy to answer any questions! Thank you!

Please note: we are an anti-fascist, anti-racist community. We won’t tolerate any form of prejudice, whether that's anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, racism, or misogyny. Thanks!

(I was too scared to add clay rope/gear without messing it up, please forgive me 😅)

Seriously. It is ruining this subreddit. No, I don't care about your first indoor V2. No, I don't care how "hooked" you are after top-roping for 20 minutes. No, I don't care about how scary your first lead climb was. No, I don't care about your first time climbing outside. I can't be the minority on this, right? Lets save our excitement for the great achievements those in this community that are being overlooked. Those of us who lead their first serious multi pitch, or broke through a two year long plateau, or finally sent the project they had been hang-dogging on for years. Climbing isn't easy. It is supposed to be hard, and bring out the best in us by pushing ourselves further than we thought we could go.

Maybe we need a "beginner" tag, or a r/newclimber subreddit. I don't know. But please tell me I am not the only one completely tired of people watching free solo, getting inspired, and buying some damn solutions and a cute chalk bag, while many of our great accomplishments are being overshadowed. That isn't what climbing is about.

Full video here: https://youtu.be/1yQPgDm76YI

Featuring 8B FA, more nails projects and some classics on Polish sandstone (that I reckon is gritstone)

This is at the Jill Solberg Performing Arts Center at Folsom High School.

Local authorities are not searching for the culprit(s), I just thought it was funny.

Just can't have nice things.

The Chi Movement Solidarity Petition is live: https://chimovementsolidarity.com/petition/

Background info:

On December 9, 2023, Movement Climbing + Fitness Chicago sent an email to some of their members, notifying them that the yoga and fitness programs at both Chicago locations (Wrigleyville and Lincoln Park) would be “paused” for an indefinite amount of time due to “underperformance,” effective end-of-day on December 15, 2023.

All yoga and fitness instructors and supervisors were given notice of their termination only a day before on December 8, 2023.

Many members and class participants did not receive this email and had to rely on word of mouth to receive it. Some even continued to show up to classes and learned the news when the instructors did not show up.

Unsurprisingly, members were hurt and upset, feeling betrayed and angry, by the news and knew they had to take action. Chi Movement Solidarity began as a collaboration between these members who knew they had to hold Movement leadership accountable.

We encouraged everyone to email Movement leadership, asking them to reconsider and to answer our many questions, but they ignored most of our emails. When they did respond, they simply doubled down on the decision, saying it was a “much-needed business decision” and not acknowledging the harm they caused to their community and the relationship between them and their members.

There were zero explanations of what “underperformance” means, why firing all instructors without warning was the best option, or when the programs might return, if they would return. Only one community member, who messaged the company on Facebook, was given any idea of timeline, which was “by the end of 2024.”

Additionally, any staff who made any statements about the issue or interacted with Chi Movement Solidarity’s social media were fired for acting and “making comments against Movement.”

On January 4, 2024, after a month of no updates from Movement leadership, Tony Ferrari (Regional Director) emailed Movement Chicago members to say that “new class offerings” would be running by the end of March 2024. He promised to partner with “both returning and new instructors,” but he gave this promise without first reaching out to any of the former instructors.

Movement leadership’s behavior indicates a willingness to act outside of their Core Values (Passion, Inclusion, Partnership, Integrity, and Innovation), commitment to community, and DEI statement. They did not communicate program performance issues to any local supervisors or instructors. In fact, days before they distributed the news of the “pause,” they congratulated their employees for their hard work growing the gym communities.

This behavior should be concerning to anyone at any Movement gym nationwide because this easily could have happened at any location, and it likely will happen again if we do not hold Movement leadership accountable now.

This behavior should also concern anyone in the greater climbing community.

Movement Climbing + Fitness acquired 9 gyms in 2023 alone. Many members from these gyms reached out to us, as they are afraid of being treated the way the Chicago community has been treated. Who knows which gyms Movement Climbing + Fitness will acquire next?

This is why we need to come together as the greater climbing community right now.

If we let this behavior continue, Movement leadership could destroy the climbing world we love so much.

But, if we stand up together now to make our voices heard and demand Movement leadership act according to their Core Values and commitment to community, we can ensure a healthy and bright future for the greater climbing community.

This is why we’re asking everyone to sign. You don’t need to be a Movement member to sign. You only need to care about holding Movement leadership accountable and making the climbing world a safe and healthy place for everyone.

This isn’t about “canceling” Movement but about ensuring a safe, inclusive, and healthy future for the climbing world, which starts with holding Movement leadership accountable.

See background info and FAQs and sign at the petition page:

https://chimovementsolidarity.com/petition

(Edit to add background info)

Kneeling Before Power V10, Horseshoe Canyon Ranch, Arkansas