2025 Annual Report
The Global Climbing Initiative
Text-only version below (for translation or visual impairment)
Link: Click here to find the full PDF
Cover
The Global Climbing Initiative Annual Report 2025
Photo: A Colombian climber looks up while on a climb at Suesca, climbing with the yellow, red, and blue Limited Edition Colombia Rope created by Sterling Rope in support of our project with Fundación Edenes de Colombia. Bernardo Restrepo.
Page 1
The Global Climbing Initiative exists because climbing has the potential to transform communities, but access remains deeply unequal.
Photo: A Colombian climber climbs a rock face in Suesca. Fundación Edenes de Colombia / Bernardo Restrepo.
Page 2
Since our founding in 2019, we have been the only nonprofit dedicated to supporting local climbing communities on a global scale.
Our programs help them achieve:
Environmental advocacy and sustainability
Individual empowerment and social change
Tourism and local economic growth
Link: View our theory of change
Photo: A climber belays another climber in Nepal. Empowering Women of Nepal.
Page 3
What we provide
Safety equipment and infrastructure improvements
Grant funding for locally-led projects
Leadership training and nonprofit mentorship
Equipping climbing communities worldwide with the knowledge and resources to thrive
Photo: A group of locals and climbers stand below a cliff. 7a Escalada (Peru).
Page 4
With access to funding, tools, and education, local climbing leaders:
Improve hardware safety and steward their climbing areas
Create access for women and other historically excluded climbers
Build local jobs, guide services, and outdoor economies
Photo: A climber weights an aid hook while learning to install bolts in the Philippines. Ilioilo Climbing Community / Danao Climbing / Nick Aguilos.
Page 5
“GCI’s investments in our community unlock opportunities that strengthen both our climbing culture and our local economy. The impact goes beyond equipment: it builds confidence, expands inclusion, and creates real pathways for the future of climbing in our country.”
- Lina Novoa Claro
Founder, Fundación Edenes de Colombia
Photo: Two climbers hike in to a climbing area in Colombia. Fundación Edenes de Colombia / Pablo Durana.
Page 6
GCI in 2025, by the numbers
19 local climbing organizations received grants, gear, or education
$81,366 invested in locally-led initiatives
1,322 lbs (600 kgs) of of climbing equipment donated and transported
62 hours of nonprofit leadership and safety trainings for local climbing leaders
Photo: A group of climbers boulder in Nunavut. Nunavut Climbing / Akshay Achuth (Canada).
Page 7
Our community partners supported by GCI grants, gear, and education
Americas: Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Venezuela
Africa: Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda
Middle East: Egypt, Iraq, Morocco
Asia: Armenia, India, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand
Photo: A Rocky Talkie radio on a harness. Iloilo Climbing Community / Danao Climbing / Nick Aguilos.
Page 8
What can a climbing shoe do?
In the past 4 years, we’ve donated 323 pairs of climbing shoes to climbing communities worldwide.
If each pair of shoes has enabled 10 people* to access climbing through the programming of our partners,
then through shoes alone, 3,230 people have received support accessing climbing through our gear distribution program
*This is an estimate based on the self-reported capacity of our global partner organizations. We hope it helps you envision just how far these resources reach and the ripple effects they create.
Photo: A climber wearing a pair of La Sportiva climbing shoes on a rock climb. Empowering Women of Nepal.
Page 9
Impact Spotlight: Inclusive Community Building
Climbing is for everyone. Here’s what that looks like.
1,388 women
682 youth
27 people with disabilities
benefited from GCI-supported initiatives in Nepal, Morocco, Kenya, Mexico, Kurdistan, Chile, Colombia, Armenia, Malawi, Canada, Peru, and the Philippines in 2025
Thank you to Osprey for your continued support of our Social Impact Grants!
Photo: A youth gym climbing program in Bogotá supported by a GCI Social Impact Grant. Desnival Centro de Entrenamiento (Colombia).
Page 10
Impact Spotlight: Environmental Protection
This year, we funded environmental projects in trail stewardship, wildlife conservation, and sanitation.
In particular, we saw an increase in proposals to build toilets at crags around the world!
Photo: Two GCI-funded sanitation projects at climbing areas in Mexico and Kenya. Escalada Libre (Mexico) and Yago Bouldering (Kenya).
Page 11
Impact Spotlight: Tourism and Economic Opportunity
Our local partners implemented tourism initiatives and trainings in Malawi, Peru, Chile, and Nepal, including:
Guide education
Crag development
Local festivals
Safety & first aid
Photo: Group photo of advanced Female Rock Climbing Guide Training in Pokhara. Empowering Women of Nepal.
Page 12
Letter from the Executive Director
When the Global Climbing Initiative began 7 years ago, we had a vision for a future in which geography does not limit access to climbing equipment, funding, or education.
Today, GCI has invested deeply in 46 climbing communities around the world. Through industry recognition, donor support, and a vast network of emerging climbing organizations, we have expanded opportunities for thousands of climbers in historically underrepresented regions.
Some of the most meaningful outcomes of this work, however, are difficult to measure. How do you assign a numerical value to self-worth? To autonomy? To the confidence of a young woman placing her first bolt or leading her first program? These long-term implications of access continue to unfold in ways that numbers alone cannot capture.
We still have a long way to go. As a small nonprofit, we are intentional with the limited gear, grant funds, and training bandwidth we steward. Deep investment in locally led change is slower than scaling programs from the outside, but it is the only model we believe in. We receive far more applications than we can currently support, and we aspire to expand our resources so we can deliver meaningful capacity-building investments to even more climbing communities globally.
Thank you for tying in with us and joining us in this work. We are honored to continue this journey in support of catalytic climbing changemakers around the world.
Veronica Baker Amores
Executive Director
The Global Climbing Initiative
Photo: Youth climbing outdoors in Colombia. Desnivel Centro de Entrenamiento.
Page 13
Thank you to our donors, and our incredible Industry partners
Logos: Sterling Rope, Kilter, Osprey, Rocky Talkie, La Sportiva, Arc’teryx, Movement Gyms, Organic Climbing, Burlaep Apparel, Seattle Bouldering Project, Danao Climbing, Petzl, Washington Climbers Coalition, The Seattle Mountaineers
Photo: Crag development training in Danao, Cebu, Philippines supported by Sterling Rope. Iloilo Climbing Community / Danao Climbing / Nick Aguilos.
Page 14
Partnership Spotlight: Sterling Rope
With the support of Sterling Rope, we continued our Philippines Climbing Leadership Fund project and conducted a comprehensive two-week crag development and safety training for the Iloilo Climbing Community.
Link: Learn more on the Sterling blog
Photo: A climber in the Philippines learns how to develop a climbing route. Iloilo Climbing Community / Danao Climbing / Nick Aguilos.
Page 15
Partnership Spotlight: Kilter
This year, Kilter and GCI awarded our first Global Community Board in support of routesetting skills, climbing movement training, and climbing access in Malawi.
Photo: Three Malawian climbers install the first Kilter Board in Malawi. Climb Malawi / Timothy Limbani.
Page 16
Financial Overview
Income: $157,735
Major donors and foundations: 61%
Industry support: 32%
Individuals: 6%
Other: 1%
Expenses: $113,403
Programs: 72%
Development: 22%
Admin: 6%
72% of our expenses directly supported our programs, reflecting our commitment to channeling resources toward locally led impact.
Link: Learn more on Candid (Guidestar)
Photo: A climber climbs a rock face in Suesca. Fundación Edenes de Colombia / Bernardo Restrepo.
Back cover
Together, we are supporting local climbing leaders as they shape the future of climbing in their own communities.
Help us continue to grow our impact.
Link: globalclimbing.org/support