Every Tuesday from 9-10 p.m., the Climbing Center opens its doors exclusively for femme and non-binary students. Whether they’ve never climbed before or have years of experience, the goal of the night is to bring underrepresented climbers together in a sport dominated by men. Throughout the night, students observe one another climb to understand what routes they take on the wall or clipping techniques they may use, making the space more comforting and exciting to learn new skills.
The event first came about in 2015 and became a regularly scheduled activity in the fall of 2024 when the Climbing Club President, Ali Kirk, started it back up again.
“I wanted to create a space that felt super welcoming and encouraging,” Kirk said. “[It’s] a really easy way for femme and non-binary people to get into climbing because we were generally underrepresented in the sport.”
Since the event’s opening, the number of femme and non-binary climbers on campus has grown. According to Kirk, the first week of femme and non-binary climb night this semester had around 20 people in attendance, but grew to 30 attendees by the next week and continues to rise as the event continues into the 2025-26 academic year.
“This year, it’s felt like a really strong female presence in the gym, last year not as much,” Kirk said. “It’s been great how many girls are going to the gym and I hope that this night’s helping that happen.”
Kirk and the Climbing Club hope that with the regular event, more people will start climbing and build connections regardless of climbing experience and gender identity.
“I love that we’re building that community for people to come climb,” Kirk said. “Everybody’s making friends, and wants to get to know each other.”
The Outdoor Program and Climbing Center have led efforts to make students feel comfortable with any outdoor recreational activities. According to Outdoor Program Director Brien Sheedy, making these activities accessible to a greater number of students might mean that a student’s first or second visit to the climbing gym may be to a specialty event for an affinity group. Eventually, they hope that most of the students feel confident enough to stray away from their groups and climb during regular hours in addition to events.
“Just the fact that they [students] can come to an event and know there’s folks there they can relate with and feel comfortable with [makes] this activity that’s already a little intimidating — [it] just feels a little bit more comfortable to try these new things out because they’re with people they feel comfortable with,” Sheedy said.
The center tries to minimize barriers that might hold people back from climbing, including free attendance and use of specialized gear for students.
“Knowing that there’s no purchase going through makes my life so much easier,” freshman Matilda Hughes said. “And it makes me actually want to go and rock climb more.”
The Outdoor Program also hosts DISCO nights, BIPOC night, outdoor club events and last year they partnered with the Walla Walla Valley Disability Network to host events for people within the Walla Walla community with disabilities.
“We’re just operating in new ways to try to meet the needs of students,” Sheedy said. “We strive to provide opportunities for students to sample and try lots of different things.”
The Femme and Non-Binary Climb Night allows for underrepresented students to feel comfortable during closed hours and learn how to climb without intimidating climbers in the space. By hosting specialty events, more students may begin to feel welcomed during open hours and create a more comforting space in the gym for students regardless of their background or experience.
