CATMP Open House Recap: A Milestone for Climbing Access

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A big, chalky fist bump to everyone who joined us at the Alpine Club of Canada and Calgary Climbing Centre for our recent open houses! It was incredible to see the community show up to discuss the Canmore Area Trail Master Plan (CATMP).

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The Headline News: Our Trails are Official

The biggest win we shared is a historic one: We have not lost access to any climbing areas, and for the first time ever, our trails are being legally recognized and designated. This gives us the formal authority to repair and maintain our trails to ensure sustainable access for decades to come.

Climbing access and advocacy wouldn’t be possible without the energy and effort of volunteers. From the initial trail build, that was likely completed by a crags developers, to the continuous work of community to maintain climbing access trails. We would like to acknowledge the energy and passion that has gone into the CATMP by both, members of the Alberta Climbers’ Access Alliance (ACAA) and the BVCAS as well as greater climbing community.

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Key Questions from the Community

We heard some great questions during the sessions. Here are the "heavy hitters":

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What’s happening at Acephale?

With a new wildlife fence planned and Alberta Transportation cracking down on ditch parking, we are in active talks to ensure a gate is included for trail access. We are also advocating for a formal parking lot to service Acephale, Quaite Valley, and local bikers.

Pro tip: Please use appropriate highway overpasses to access the Trans-Canada westbound safely.

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How about the Bataan reroute?

Due to Graymont’s mining operations, the Bataan approach now starts at the Echo parking lot. While it's roughly 200m longer, it actually gains less elevation. We are working with Alberta Parks to make this trail as direct as possible.

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When will these changes happen?

There is no fixed timeline yet due to the number of stakeholders involved. BVCAS is staying proactive, flagging trails and keeping a seat at the table, to ensure your access is protected.

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Special thanks to the Alpine Club of Canada and Calgary Climbing Centre for hosting us, and to Alberta Parks for joining us to share their expertise.