Steven Rockarts: ACC-Edmonton Chair
Favourite outdoor activities: I enjoy everything, but especially all things climbing – rock climbing, ice climbing, trad, bouldering, dry tooling; you name it!
About me: I am very proud to have been chair of a community that has helped me to evolve in the mountains for the last two years. I signed for the Edmonton section after stumbling upon an ACC booth and seeing a pair of climbing shoes on the table, little did I know that it would set me on the path of taking my climbing career further than I ever expected. Some of my most memorable days in the mountains have been with the club and I hope that we can provide the same for you!
How did you develop a passion for the outdoors?
I have always been into fitness. I also enjoy to physically and mentally solve problems, and so I went to the climbing gym a few years ago to try it out. Needless to say that I got hooked! I solely climbed indoors at first, but things changed when I signed up for Summer in the Mountains after stumbling upon an ACC booth while shopping. It was a pretty steep learning curve to transition from indoor to outdoor climbing, but once I figured out the proper gear, I started to really having fun – so much that I wanted to keep climbing year round and started trying the different aspects of climbing, from rock climbing, to ice climbing and dry tooling.
I have also noticed that my passion for climbing has had a big influence on my holiday plans, and that I have traveled to places I would have never gotten to go to if it hadn`t been for the outdoors. My vacations become outdoor destinations, from the Canadian Rockies, to Red Rock, Joshua tree, Thailand and more.
Apart from climbing, do you practice other outdoor sports?
For sure! I am also always up to the challenge for trying new sports. In fact, I just started learning to ski tour and I recently took on paragliding.
What climbing route(s) do you never get tired of climbing? Any favourite(s)?
That’s a tough one, let me think about it for a second. I would say that one of favourite routes is a bouldering route called the Gunsmoke Traverse in Joshua Tree: it`s a long, fun, and chill traverse. Although it can get busy sometimes, I have climbed it when it is super quiet too and have always had great times there.
Lead climbing on a beautiful day
You are out climbing and you need an extra boost of energy. What is your go-to snack?
In my early days of ice climbing, I was researching information about nutrition in the outdoors and one of the books I was reading mentioned a “giant peanut butter cookie” as a must-have snack. Ever since, I joke that you should always bring a cookie with you!
You have been involved with the ACC for a long time, from member, to trip leader, instructor, in a communications role, and then on to chair of the section. What is your most memorable moment with the club, and what makes you proud to belong the ACC-Edmonton community?
Every trip is memorable, be it trips I lead or trips I participated to. I always remember something positive about each one of them; even if the trip wasn`t perfect, it still makes for a good story. I have also enjoyed the numerous stories I heard from fellow trip members over the years.
I am extremely proud of the initiative that members have taken to include underprivileged and underrepresented communities with, for example, the Catholic Social Services mentorship program and newcomers trips. I am also proud of watching people grow and gain experience with the club. The club opens up horizons, and provides members with the opportunity to progress from one outdoor sport to another if they wish to do so.
Ice climbing in the Canadian Rockies on an ACC trip
Do you have any advice for anyone who would like to gain more experience in the outdoors?
Back when I was learning to ice climb, one of the best pieces of advice I got out of one of my courses was: “gain meaningful experience slowly”. It resonated with me and I never forgot about it. This is especially true nowadays with social media taking a more and more important part of our lives. We are increasingly exposed to people`s end-result projects, but we do not always see how long it took them to get there or how they gained their skills. Embrace where you are, be patient, practice and understand the skills that you learn, and have fun; you will appreciate your solid foundations as you gain more experience.
You are ending your term as chair this fall, may have a bit more free time. Do you have any projects in mind?
I am not leaving the ACC-Edmonton community anytime soon, and I will continue to being involved with the club. In fact, I already committed to helping build an ice wall at the Edmonton Ski Club this winter.
Anything else you would like to share with the ACC-Edmonton community?
Be good to each other, have fun on trips, and enjoy the club! Also, don’t be afraid to reach out to the board. As board members, we sometimes try to guess what members want, so don’t hesitate to let us know what you`re interested in. We will try our best to make it happen.
