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This weekend Ascent NB is holding the inaugural Welsford Rendezvous on Saturday, September 24th, at Cochrane Lane Cliffs, Welsford, NB.

The date is quickly approaching and you no doubt want to know more about what is coming up.  Our rain date is October 1 but the weather forecast is now looking good for Saturday!

Here's the schedule of events (yes things have changed slightly due to a last minute and completely unexpected closure for moose season by CFB Gagetown Range Control):

Saturday

• all day till 5 pm :: Climbing at all Welsford crags Eagle Rock and Bear Mountain
• 5:30 pm :: BBQ in the gravel pit at Cochrane Lane/Ascent New Brunswick Rescue Team Demo
• 6 pm :: Ascent New Brunswick Annual General Meeting
• 7 pm :: Pull Up Comp and Rope Coiling Comp
• 7:30 pm :: Awards Presentations for climbing challenges, door prizes and a special award being presented to Colin Bell and Fred Doucette.
• 8:30 to 11 pm :: Live music – jam session

Sunday

• 11 am  :: Pilates Class by donation in the Farmers Field with Cara Hazelton of Precision Pilates
• noon  :: Climbing Comp Registration and Start (Cochrane Lane Classics and Welsford Crags)
• 6 pm :: Climbing Comps are finished – all participants return to Cochrane Lane
• 6:30 pm :: climbing competition awards presentations

*Please note that there is an entry fee for both the Cochrane Lane and Welsford Crags Challenges.  It is $10 per person.  You must also be a member of Ascent New Brunswick.  A prorated membership purchased today would be $20.

We're not sophisticated enough to accept plastic, so please bring oodles of cash to buy T-shirts, to cover your climbing challenge entry fees or membership dues and for the barbecued goodness and refreshments. We will also have a donation box at the event site too if you're feeling generous!  We will be giving away a lot of prizes donated to us by our sponsors: River and Trail in Quispamsis, The Radical Edge in Fredericton and Ocean Trail Source for Adventure in Moncton.  Thank you sponsors for the swag!

Remember, Ascent New Brunswick is a completely volunteer based non profit organization that needs financial help to cover its insurance costs.  You can learn more about what Ascent is doing to become more self sufficient at the AGM but know that the dollars you contribute at this event will go a long way towards helping climbing in New Brunswick.

For anyone who would like to camp, you can set up your tent in the farmers field. Here are a few things that you should bring for the event:  a camp chair, your favorite refreshment glass, a puffy jacket (sorry, absolutely NO FIRES), your headlamp, and most important.......your stoke!

Ascent NB is happy to announce we'll be holding our first ever Beginner Rock School this Sunday, September 25th, in Welsford! Come learn basic climbing techniques as well as how to belay and rappel safely under the close supervision of experienced rock climbers.  No experience or equipment necessary!

This full day event costs $50 for non-members and $30 for Ascent members (not a member?  you can purchase a membership here) and UNB Rock and Ice members.  ($20 of the fee is a non-refundable deposit; no refunds are permitted in the final week before the event)

Space is limited so sign up early! If we don't receive the deposit from you, then we can't guarantee your spot.

Minimum age of 14 (at our discretion).  Under 16 requires adult accompaniment. Under 19, must submit in advance a waiver signed by the legal guardian.

To register:

1. send us your deposit by making a "Custom Membership" purchase here for the appropriate amount
2. and please email ascentnb@gmail.com. Put "I wanna rock! - 2016 Beginner Rock School" in the subject to indicate how stoked you are to learn to rock climb!
3. ensure you've submitted a waiver either electronically, or in person the day of the event.

All proceeds will go to help pay for Ascent NB's single largest expense, the insurance policy that our land use agreements require.

Rock School has always a great time and is a great introduction to the world of rock climbing.  The event has been hosted successfully by UNB Rock and Ice for years, but the torch has been passed on to Ascent NB. It should go a long way towards to help achieve our fundraising efforts, but depends on participation - please help spread the word!

UPDATE:
We'll be meeting at 10am at the end of Cochrane Lane in Welsford, NB, this Sunday.

Great news - the Peregrin falcons have moved on for the season! As such, the area closure around the nesting site in the “L-Shape” is now over and all climbs are open.  Unfortunately, it does not appear that the Peregrines were successful this year.

Happy sending!

Here is an important message regarding membership renewal.

As some of you may be aware we are about to change the timing of membership renewal for all members.  Beginning in 2017, April 1 will be the ANB membership renewal date as opposed to scattered throughout the year as it is now.  The reason for the change is to simplify the member list update process for Range Control.  We are also mandated by our constitution to make this change now that we have an established membership base.

As we move closer to that date we believe it is only fair to pro-rate any membership renewals and purchases between now and April 1.  To determine what you will need to pay for your membership multiply the number of months between the time of purchase to April by $3.  A standard membership works out to a bit more than that per month but $3 is fine.  So for example if you were to renew or purchase a membership today you would need to pay $27 (9 months x $3).  Once again the best way to pay is online through Paypal but you can also pay by cash or cheque.

If you want to pay in person, any member of the Ascent New Brunswick board or executive will accept your payment.  On the subject of membership cards – all members are entitled to member cards and we will get them to you.  If you do not have a card please contact Kristy McClellan if you are in the Saint John area, Adam Morgan if you are in Fredericton, or Greg Hughes if you are in the Moncton area to arrange for delivery of your card.

Once again thanks for your support!

Ascent New Brunswick held its second self rescue training session on Sunday, April 16th, this time at the familiar Lookout at Cochrane Lane Cliffs, Welsford, NB. Once again the event was a great success!

6 instructors led 15 eager and adept participants through Climber Self-Rescue II. Several rather involved skills were covered on a beautiful day that would have otherwise been spent climbing instead!

Self Rescue I & II are intended to give climbers the skills they need for situations that hopefully never happen. So many climbers develop their rope skills eagerly but slack off after learning to lead. Leading propels us into the situations where so much more can go wrong, and it is here that we need to know how to help ourselves without hesitation.  With Self-Rescue I & II, climbers can learn how to help themselves when the situation goes south and hopefully prevent the worst from happening.

All course fees go to support the Roped Rescue Team, an initiative borne of Ascent New Brunswick.  The funds raised by Self Rescue I & II have thus far raised over $1500 and have paid for two bomber static lines for the Roped Rescue Team.

A big thanks to the instructors, led by Shawn Bethune and Greg Hughes, with Steve Adamson, Joey Kennedy, Chris Hennigar, and Adam Morgan.

At this point we have full intentions of holding these training sessions next year, so stay tuned!!

Ascent NB recently held its first ever Climber Self-Rescue I course! A big thank you to CFB Gagetown and Renée Racine for hosting the event.

SRI was a success with 15 participants and 7 instructors spending the day at Base Gagetown's climbing wall covering the knots and skills necessary in self-rescue situations. It was a lot of information for one day, but everyone picked it up quickly and came away with a huge boost in their ability to help themselves when they are in trouble.

$730 was raised and will go towards purchasing ropes and other equipment needed by the Roped Rescue team.

Thanks to Greg Hughes and Shawn Bethune for doing a fantastic job as lead instructors, and to the other volunteers, Steve Adamson, Max Fisher, Chris Hennigar, Joe Kennedy, and Adam Morgan.

A Self-Rescue II course will be offered April 17th, and will build upon the skills learned in level I (more details to come).  SRI or an equivalent course is a prerequisite for SRII. We will schedule another Self-Rescue Level I course this autumn if we can get another 15 participants.

Contact Chris Hennigar at Chris.Hennigar@gmail.com to let him know you're interested in either course!

Ascent New Brunswick is pleased to announce more upcoming skills development courses. This time the focus is on self-rescue techniques for climbing!

Climber Self-Rescue Level I will be offered January 24th, and Level II will be offered in the spring of 2016.

Some equipment and prerequisite experience is required, but you definitely don't need to be an advanced climber to take this course.  Really, all climbers should have these skills to help keep themselves and their partners safe. You do need to be 18 or older, and it is only offered to Ascent members.

We have an all-star NB climber line up for instructors and a great location at the CFB Gagetown Climbing Centre. Come out and take advantage of this great training opportunity!

Click here for more details on both Levels I and II.

What: Climber Self-Rescue I

When: 8:30am - 4:30pm, January 24th (Sunday), 2016

Where: CFB Gagetown Climbing Facility

Cost: $50/person or $30/student

Instructors: Steve Adamson, Shawn Bethune, Max Fisher, Chris Hennigar, Greg Hughes, Joe Kennedy

Sign up: Chris.Hennigar@gmail.com

First come first serve; 15 participants

Do you spend time in the mountains? Snow mobiling, ice climbing, back country skiing and snowboarding, snow showing, or even alpine crazy-carpeting?  If the answer is yes then you should give yourself all the tools and skills to stay safe while having fun.

Ski Chic Chocs is coming to Fredericton to give their introductory avalanche safety training (AST-1) January 9th-10th, and this is extremely valuable training for all y'all snow freaks.

The class is a go for sure as it has met the minimum number of participants, but still has a few more seats so be sure to sign up soon!

Thanks to Scott Dubreuil for convincing them to come and offer this great course well below the treeline.

Ascent NB recently celebrated its 2nd birthday by holding the 3rd Annual General Meeting!

The morning started a little chilly but the sun was strong and so was the showing. The event was attended by climbers from across the province, and a number of important issues and updates discussed before the call of the cliffs overwhelmed us and the meeting was adjourned.

Elections were held we welcome aboard new blood with Kristy McClellan (VP), Mike Delaney (Treasurer), and Shawn Bethune (Director).

Thank you to Chris Norfolk for putting in a solid year of effort as President, and to Greg Hughes for stepping up to fill those shoes. We truly appreciate your efforts!

For a full run-down of the meeting, click here for the minutes.

It's great to see the continued and growing interest in shaping the future of our outdoor climbing microcosm here in New Brunswick!