4 Local Leaders Changing the Face of Climbing

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Brown Girls Climb (BGC) is all about fostering meaningful connections—both with others and within ourselves. Our Local Leaders don’t just facilitate meetups. They also nurture relationships, grow as climbers, and deepen their leadership skills and outdoor certifications. And they create mentorship pathways rooted in care and equity together.

BGC Local Leaders are climbers. But they are also educators, Grad students, social workers, activists, and artists. And their lived experiences help cultivate rich, grounded, and welcoming spaces across the country for climbers.

Over the years, we’ve supported more than 45 Local Leaders across the country, each with their own climbing styles and passions, from trad, ice, gym, bouldering, sport, to mountaineering and beyond. A core part of this support has been helping leaders earn outdoor certifications, which they’ve brought back to their communities through mentorship, instruction, and collaboration with Brown Girls Climb and other affinity groups.

To deepen this commitment, in 2021, we launched the Outdoor Advanced Training Program, supported by The North Face. This multi-year initiative helps BGC leaders build skills as guides, environmental advocates, and more advanced climbers. Through this program, participants have become certified in Wilderness First Aid and Wilderness First Responder, Single Pitch Instruction through the American Mountain Guides Association, and Leave No Trace education. This program helps break the barrier of funding, since outdoor courses tend to be very expensive, starting at $600 to $2,000. This program has helped some of our leaders launch into their passion as outdoor educators and guides.

Unfortunately, due to recent cuts in grant funding and partner support, we’ve had to pause the program. This is why impact is important!

Even with reduced funding, our Local Leaders remain very active. I have had the joy of asking a few of our current team members how being a part of BGC has shaped their journeys and how, in turn, they continue to shape their local climbing communities.

Kathie Emmert, BGC East Coast Regional Coordinator

Region: New Jersey

Years with BGC: Since 2020

Certifications: Leave No Trace Level 1

How did you become a leader?
I started with BGC as a member in New Jersey in 2020 and served as a Local Leader there for three years. Today, I serve as the East Coast Regional Coordinator, supporting our leaders across five regions.

Most meaningful moment:
The most meaningful moments for me are always outdoors, especially with new climbers. One that stands out was our August 2023 climbing retreat in the Gunks, co-hosted by BGC NJ and NY, and supported by Arc’teryx and Rise Outside. For many attendees, it was their first time climbing, swimming, and camping outdoors. Sharing mentorship and joy in those moments reignites my passion every time.

How BGC has shaped your journey:
When I began climbing 10 years ago, a community like this didn’t exist for me. Since joining BGC, I’ve grown immensely—leading sport climbing trips to Rumney, building my confidence in trad climbing at the Gunks, and receiving scholarships for courses in anchor building, self-rescue, and Wilderness First Aid. The compassion and care within this community have made me a better climber and leader.

Cindy Su, Boston Local Leader

Region: Boston, MA

Years with BGC: Since 2020

Certifications: Leave No Trace Level 1, WFA (Wilderness First Aid), and SPI (Single Pitch Instructor)

Most impactful moment:
Watching people build genuine connections through our meetups. I’ve seen friendships spark in real time, and I recently had someone tell me how life-changing it was to find their climbing crew through BGC. Being that first step in someone’s journey is incredibly special.

How BGC has shaped your journey:
BGC helped me pursue formal climbing education and become a part-time guide. When I started, I didn’t know a single Woman of Color guiding in the New England area. Now, I’m seeing more BIPOC guides, some of whom credit BGC for providing mentorship and support to take their Single Pitch Instructor courses.

Alma Solis, North Carolina Local Leader

Region: North Carolina

Years with BGC: Since 2020

Certifications:WFR ( Wilderness First Responder) and LNT ( Leave No Trace Level 1)

Most impactful moment:
A pivotal moment came when we lost one of our foundational members, Miriam Cho, in a tragic climbing accident( Note: This was a personal Climbing trip , accident not BGC-related). It emphasized the importance of climbing safety and helped us build relationships with organizations like the American Alpine Club’s Triangle Chapter to deepen our collective understanding of risk and responsibility outdoors.

How BGC has shaped your journey:
Through BGC, I’ve earned certifications in Wilderness First Responder and Leave No Trace. I’ve connected with skilled BGC leaders nationwide—ice climbers, guides, sponsored athletes—and learned so much from them. This network reminds me: “Why not us?” I now feel empowered to advocate for safety, set boundaries, and support others in accessing the outdoors with care.

Sarah Oritz  BGC Social Media Manager

Region: National Team and New Jersey

Years with BGC: 3 years as a chapter member, 2 years on the national team

Certifications: WFR ( Wilderness First Responder) and Leave No Trace Level 1

How did you become a leader?
I’ve been a member of the BGC New Jersey chapter for three years and currently serve on the national team as the social media manager, a role I’ve held for two years.

Most impactful moment:
One of the most meaningful moments I’ve experienced was at Mount Washington Valley Ice Fest. I joined a pay-what-you-can, guided BIPOC ascent of Mount Washington. Before we climbed, each participant shared a bit about themselves. One of those voices was Shana Gibbs, a Black Deaf climber, who was eager to share her story to inspire others like her. After the climb, she wrote a trip report for BGC and signed her story on video while an interpreter narrated. It was a powerful reminder that I’m in a position to help amplify voices that often go unheard—and that kind of representation can truly change lives.

How BGC has shaped your journey:
When I started climbing, I was filled with fear, self-doubt, and pressure to compete. I pushed myself too hard and ended up injured, discouraged, and disconnected from joy. BGC NJ was the first space where I didn’t feel like I had to prove anything. I learned that simply showing up was enough and through that support, I rediscovered the joy of climbing.

Today, I’m a certified Wilderness First Responder, USAC Level 1 Routesetter, and Leave No Trace Level 1 Instructor. I’ve begun exploring traditional climbing and mountaineering all made possible through BGC and partner orgs like Flash Foxy, Climbers of Color, and The Amy Stone Foundation. My focus has shifted from being the “best” to simply being present, building community, and creating space for others to thrive.

The Need for Representation in Climbing Leadership

 

Despite the growth of climbing and outdoor recreation in recent years and the efforts of people like the Local Leaders we profiled above, representation among instructors, guides, and leaders remains deeply inequitable:

• Fewer than 1% of certified climbing guides in the U.S. are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (Climbers of Color, 2023).
• Less than 5% of AMGA-certified guides identify as women or nonbinary individuals (AMGA 2022 report).
• LGBTQ+ representation is rarely tracked in climbing instruction, but community surveys estimate that fewer than 3% of outdoor educators openly identify as genderqueer or trans.
• According to the Outdoor Industry Association, only 9% of outdoor participants in climbing identify as Black or African American, and only 6% as Asian American, with even lower percentages seen in leadership roles.
• Many People of the Global Majority are the first in their families or communities to access outdoor leadership, often without mentorship or financial support.

This is why BGC’s work matters. We are building a pathway through mentorship, education, and community for Women and Genderqueer People of Color to become instructors, guides, and leaders in the climbing communities and the industry as a whole.

How You Can Support Brown Girls Climb

Representation alone isn’t enough we need investment and infrastructure to sustain it. Here’s how you can support BGC and help us build long-term systems of care and access:

• Donate to our programs and annual fundraiser. Your contribution supports leader stipends, training certifications, travel, and gear for our climbing education initiatives.
• Partner with us if you’re part of a climbing gym, outdoor retailer, or guiding company. Share gear, space, instruction, or funding to support our local and national programs.
• Amplify our mission. Share BGC’s work with your network, especially with climbers and communities who might benefit from our programs.
• Support mentorship. Many Genderqueer, Black, Indigenous, and PGM climbers are the first in their circles to enter this space. Help us create new leaders by investing in outdoor certification that centers safety, joy, that can be shared with their community..
• Join us. If you identify as part of the Global Majority, come to a local meetup, festival, and or workshop! Get involved in our growing network, which is creating better environments for people to develop their outdoor and climbing skills, education, and connections.

Together, we can continue breaking barriers, building community, and reshaping who gets to connect, heal, and find joy outdoors.

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