• two climbers standing together. One climber of color having their figure 8 knot checked by a white climber wearing a floral shirt and a white helmet.

About The Program

This is open to any 2SLGBTQIA+ people who have either never climbed before, who have climbed in a gym but want to learn about climbing outdoors, or who have indoor and outdoor experience but want to learn new styles or increase their skills. 


Founded in 2021, our mentorship program has supported hundreds of participants over the four years that it's been running. Some of our mentees have even become mentors!


The VQC Winter Mentorship Program will run from January 1st, 2024 - March 30th, 2025.

Mentorship Perks:

  • All mentorship participants will get access to 50% OFF intro courses at The Hive
  • All mentorship participants can access a 3-month membership at The Hive for 50% OFF during the program dates
  • ClimbBase5's Base Plus Pass for $99.00 which includes:
    • The BASE Course
    • ONE MONTH PASS with access to both Coquitlam and North Vancouver locations. $151.00 value
    • 2 Technique Drop-In classes. $60.00 value
    • 5-Visit rental punch card. $60.00 value
  • All mentorship participants get FREE gear rentals from ClimbOn Squamish
  • Mentees receive $15 drop-ins at The Hive & Base5 during mentorship sessions (if you don't opt for the membership)
  • Mentors get FREE drop-ins at The Hive & Base5 during mentorship sessions
  • Learn new climbing stuff and meet other rad queer climbers!


Program Overview:

  • 1 mentor is paired with 2-3 mentees to do group mentorship sessions – we're all about community!
  • Groups meet 1-2 x month for 2-4hr mentorship sessions
  • We host a kickoff and wrap up party for participants :)
  • Mentors are now required to attend an in-person training session


You have the option to learn indoors, outdoors, or a combination of both. Owning gear is not required for the program and being without gear will not lessen your chances of being accepted into the program. We will accept as many mentees as we are able to with the number of mentors we have, keeping safety top of mind.


We accept mentors of almost any level so even if you've been climbing for only a year and aren't sure if you have the knowledge to share, trust in your skills. We will pair folks based on experience levels and what the mentee wants to focus on, in addition to location, schedules, and life experiences.


At its core, the VQC Climbing Mentorship program is focused on forming a community with other 2SLGBTQIA+ climbers – with a bonus that you'll hopefully increase your climbing skills and knowledge at the same time.


Note: We are currently only able to accept applicants 19 years of age or older for this program.

Hear From Participants...

  • Winter Mentor

    "I was a mentee with VQC last year and had a great experience and got some new climbing buddies I still climb with. I want to be able to help give someone else a great experience too!"

  • Summer Mentee

    "VQC created space for me to get back into climbing and meet some great people at the same time. I've had a hard time in the past because I didn't have community to help me feel safe at gyms. Knowing which gyms are welcoming helped a lot, as well as having folks to go with."

  • Summer Mentor

    "It’s been really fun to arrive in Vancouver and be connected to all these folks who love the same sport do. I’ve enjoyed being a mentor to someone who is getting into climbing. And I’ve really enjoyed the community among the mentors as well! "

  • Summer Mentee

    "This program has been a balm to my heart. It's really helped build capacity to form rock climbing friendships and a community that is supportive and is by and for us (queer and trans folks)."

  • Summer Mentee

    "I've been climbing indoors for 4+ years now but haven't ever really found climbing community in that time because I find it pretty hard to connect with people in gyms as a trans autistic person. the structured & trans positive environment of the mentorship program was the first opportunity I've had to climb regularly with other people & it's been amazinggggg. I've found more climbing buds in 2 months with the mentorship program & through VQC generally than in 4 years of climbing before that!! Thank u!!"

  • Summer Mentee

    "I think I would have enjoyed learning to climb no matter what, but what really helped me feel confident in pushing my self that extra step (and loving it!) was being in an environment that was queer-centric. I think the social context of learning and hanging out with other queer people really pushed my enjoyment of learning to climb to the next level."

  • Winter Mentor

    "Working with my mentor last year is what got me into climbing! I've really enjoyed getting more into the community and it's nice to give back to this great program."

  • Summer Mentor

    I had a fantastic time with the two mentees I had been set up with. They were so fun to climb with and really killed it with increasing their bouldering skills. I'm really proud of both of them and am stoked to continue climbing with them.

FAQ

  • When will I know if I've been matched with a mentor?

    We try to match everyone into mentorship groups by December 7th for the Winter cohort and by May 7th for the Summer cohort. We don't email those who weren't matched so you're welcome to reach out after that date if you haven't heard from us to check if you were accepted into that season's cohort.

  • What if I can't afford the discounted drop-in rate for gym climbing sessions?

    If you aren't able to swing the reduced rate drop-in prices to access gyms during your mentorship season, please reach out to [email protected] with the subject line: MENTORSHIP SUBSIDY REQUEST. Provide this info in the email: - Your first & Last name - The email on your Hive account - The birth date on your Hive account This is how we confirm which account the punch passes should be added onto with The Hive. We can only provide punch passes to The Hive currently.

  • When are applications for each season open?

    We generally open Winter cohort applications for the month of November and Summer cohort applications for the month of April.

  • I didn't make it into this cohort season. Can I re-apply?

    Definitely! Even if you already participated in the mentorship program you can re-apply as a mentor or mentee or both! We try to prioritize folks who applied but didn't make it into the most recent. Please email us during the next season's application period to let us know that you're applying and that you didn't make it into the last cohort.