For all the high fashion collabs, celebrity endorsements, and podcast cosigns, climbing remains the North Star at Arc’teryx. But climbing in 2022 isn’t the same as it was when the brand launched its first product (a climbing harness) in 1989. It’s changing fast. To keep up, and to ensure the Dead Bird remains relevant in the sport that spawned it, Arc’teryx has announced the NextGen Climb Commitment, an initiative to invest $5 million CAD in community-based organizations, leaders, and training programs across North America over the next five years.
“We believe in the value of people learning to climb and the impact the sport has on people's lives—it's more than just the technical side of the sport, there's a life evolution that happens, too,” Arc’teryx Vice President of Brand Karl Aaker tells Field Mag. “But accessibility to the sport is a direct problem. It’s access to expertise and knowledge as much as it is equipment and locations to climb… that’s where we're investing and moving resources.”
As such, the ambitious, holistic commitment aims to support newcomers and elite level climbers alike by building on existing grassroots activations and other elevated organization alliances already in place.
To help lead the charge in identifying opportunities to make a real impact, be it through physical events or financial support with operating grants, Arc’teryx will lean on community organizers on the ground in key cities like Toronto, Vancouver, San Francisco, Chicago, and New York.