Community Events
Check out our upcoming and past events here! Our community events are designed to bring people together in a supportive and inclusive environment. From subsidized courses to social gatherings, we create opportunities for climbers to connect, learn new skills, and build lasting friendships.
Soon to be announced..
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter below to be notified of all upcoming events!
Upcoming Events
Soon to be announced..
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter below to be notified of all upcoming events!
Upcoming Events
Biodiversity & Bald Eagle's Home
When: June 20th at 10:00am-1:00pm
Location: Naramata Creek Park (citxʷs paqəlqyn)
Description: Join us the day before National Indigenous Peoples Day for a relationship-building workshop that explores local biodiversity (ktɬəɬtan) from a sqilxʷ/syilx (Okanagan) perspective. Activities include paired walks to a waterfall, nqilxʷcn/nsyilxcn language learning and brainstorming how to best help local biodiversity thrive.
Pre-requisites: None. Must be 19 years or older.
Accessibility: Requires the ability to navigate rocks and uneven terrain. This 2.5 km return trail includes sections of shade and full sun. The trail has a steep incline near the end and is not wheelchair accessible. There is an outhouse at the trailhead and rest breaks will be included.
First-Come First-Served Sign Up. Max 15 participants.
*This event welcomes all genders & identities. ROC has a gender-inclusive focus and works with many people who identify outside of the gender binary. All participants are expected to not make assumptions, and show up as allies.
Intro to Outdoor Bouldering
Event designed for IBPOC, refugees, immigrants & newcomers to Canada. Allies welcome.
This event is full. Join the waitlist now!
When: April 18th at 10:00am-3:00pm
Location: West Kelowna (Exact location emailed after acceptance)
Description: This is for people who are curious about outdoor bouldering and want to test it out in an environment that promotes safety (physical & emotional), belonging and mutual support. Participants will be shown how to approach an outdoor boulder, including pad placement, spotting, falling technique and bouldering ethics. This event is part of our Equitable Outdoors Series, aimed to equip IBPOC, Newcomers and Immigrants with the knowledge and practical skills to recreate responsibly and meaningfully on syilx territory.
Pre-requisites: Indoor bouldering experience is an asset, but not required.
Accessibility: Requires the ability to navigate some rocks, and uneven terrain. 10-15 minute hike includes small sections of uphill. Pace will be set so no one is left behind.
*This event welcomes all genders & identities. ROC has a gender-inclusive focus and works with many people who identify outside of the gender binary. All participants are expected to not make assumptions, and show up as allies.
Past 2026 Events
Spring Community Climb
What an awesome early season Skaha spring social climb! We had a great day of meeting new people, refreshing skills, and shaking off the early season nerves. Thanks to everyone who joined us!
Rose Valley Trail Day
8 volunteers joined us near Rose Valley Reservoir to learn about a newer climbing area and give back to community! The day included short presentations from local developer Chris Posiak and guidebook author Hanna Miller, as well as trail work at Rock Candy Wall, which had become overgrown since the 2023 West Kelowna wildfire. Together, the crew cleared the base of the crag and repaired the approach trail.
Intro to Outdoor Bouldering Workshop
The group spent a sunny day among the spring flowers at our Intro to Outdoor Bouldering Workshop! The Ruins provided the perfect location to learn and practice pad placement, reading routes, topping out boulders, technique and more☀️. This event is part of our Equitable Outdoors Series, aimed to equip IBPOC, Newcomers and Immigrants with the knowledge and practical skills to recreate responsibly and meaningfully on syilx territory.
Intro to Rock Climbing & syilx Language Learning
In May, we had the privilege of hosting a beginners course for Indigenous people who wanted to spend time on the land, try tkwlxikn (rock climbing) and learn nqilxʷcn/nsyilxcn words for local plants and animals. Limləmt to the facilitator skəkm̓xísaʔt (Sofia Terbasket-Funmaker) and climbing guide Nicole Chickloski for sharing your knowledge, care and passion with the group. And thanks to Outdoor Recreation Council of BC for the grant that made us able to offer this experience for free to the participants!
2025 Events
Biodiversity and Bald Eagle’s Home
13 participants joined us for a workshop with skəkm̓xísaʔt to explore local biodiversity (ktɬəɬtan) from a sqilxʷ/syilx (Okanagan) perspective. Together, we connected with each other and the land along a hike to a waterfall, learned some nqilxʷcn/nsyilxcn and brainstormed how to best help local biodiversity thrive. This event is part of our Equitable Outdoors Series, aimed to equip IBPOC, Newcomers and Immigrants with the knowledge and practical skills to recreate responsibly and meaningfully on syilx territory.
Mountain Tea Harvest - x̌ʷəx̌ʷƛ̓míɬp
Mountain tea grows plentiful in the syilx Okanagan at a higher elevation in the bog areas where the soil is acidic. 14 participants joined Anona to spend a day on the land and engage in reciprocity and respect, learning the importance of state of mind and protocols while harvesting this medicinal tea. This event is part of our Equitable Outdoors Series, aimed to equip IBPOC, Newcomers and Immigrants with the knowledge and practical skills to recreate responsibly and meaningfully on syilx territory.
syilx People, Purpose & Colonization
We joined Anona for an interactive presentation with a powerful visual tool explaining time immemorial. During the presentation, we learned who the syilx Okanagan People are and how they are connected to the plants, animals, land and water in this territory. Anona shared the loss of purpose and the dysfunction that is connected to colonization, as well as how we can begin to heal from past traumas by reconnecting to culture.
Climb the Wall: Palestine Solidarity Meet-up
We climbed, we cheered, we waved flags, we celebrated Eid al-Adha with Qahwa and baklava at the crag, and we engaged in solidarity actions for a free Palestine. We also fundraised $163 to the Climb The Wall fundraiser—all money goes directly to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, Middle East Children's Alliance and WADI Climbing.
2-Day Rock Rescue Course
In May 2025, ACMG Rock Guide Ren spent 2 days with six participants learning all about different rock rescue systems! What a beautiful weekend in the bluffs! Thank you to The B.I.G Initiative for organizing this event and inviting us to collaborate, it couldn't have happened without you.
Intro to Rock Climbing
In March 2025, ACMG Apprentice Rock Guide Keenan lead a course for people from the 2SLGBTQIA+ community who are curious about outdoor rock climbing and want to test it out in an environment that promotes physical & emotional safety, belonging and mutual support. Thanks to SOS Pride for sponsoring this event.
Anchor Building and Cleaning Course
In March 2025, ACMG Apprentice Rock Guide Keenan lead a course where participants learned about best practices for cleaning and building single-pitch anchors, including how to tie different anchors, the pros and cons of each, communication, risk/hazard assessment, and safety procedures.
QC X ROC Spring Community Climb
In March 2024 we teamed up with Queer Crushers Kelowna for a stellar spring climb day! Although we got rained out on our first attempt, the following day the group hit up Lower Red Tail at Skaha for a day of smiles, sunshine and sends!
Cross-Country Ski Day
We may be a climbing organization, but at heart we are just people who love the outdoors! In March 2024 we hit the runs and learned a new sport thanks to Rainbow Outdoor Collective who supplied passes, rentals and instruction for free for us at Nickel Plate Nordic Centre.
2024 Events
Arc'teryx x Gneiss New Kids on the Bloc
In May 2024, we were invited to host a booth at the Arc'teryx x Gneiss New Kids on the Bloc event. We held a butterfly rope coiling contest and were able to give some Arc'teryx swag out as prizes. We had lots of fun and are so happy that we got to attend along with some other great Okanagan climbing groups!
Intro to Rock Rescue
In July 2024, Nicole, an AMGA certified single pitch instructor, taught a course addressing rock rescue techniques. Emergencies happen without notice and injuries are all too common while climbing. This course allowed participants the opportunity to acquire practical companion-rescue skills to better prepare themselves for the what-ifs.
Intro to Mindset for Climbers
In July 2024, Nicole, an AMGA certified single pitch instructor, lead a workshop that focused on mental and emotional components that go along with climbing. The session helped participants work through mental challenges on the wall and practice both top rope and lead climbing falls.
Ecology for Climbers
In September 2024, Cole Hooper, a Masters student at UBCO focusing on climbing management, led a walk around White Lake Basin to learn more about cliff ecology. We learned how to be an environmentally conscious and responsible rock climber to help reduce the potential impact we have on the species of the cliffs, including bats and snakes.
QC X ROC Fall Community Climb
In October 2024 we teamed up with Queer Crushers Kelowna for a stellar fall climb day! The group hit up Reilly Rock and Windy Wall at Skaha to take advantage of the weather before winter comes!
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Upcoming Events
With respect and gratitude, Rock On Collective would like to acknowledge that the land across which we live and climb is the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the syilx and nlaka’pamux Peoples. Furthermore, we recognize tu?ikən (Skaha Bluffs) as a culturally and spiritually significant site for the Okanagan Nation and commit to our role in respecting and interacting in a reciprocal relationship with tmixʷ (the land and all life forms which interact on it).
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