Women and LGBTQ+ Programs
Welcome to Acadia Mountain Guides’ Women’s and LGBTQ+ Programs!
AMG’s Women and LGBTQ+ programs are led by our rock-star team of certified Woman, Non-Binary, or Queer Guides. Our goal is to support those who have the same passions and interests as we do, and to encourage individual growth and learning within the sport by providing instruction and mentorship in an inclusive environment.
These programs are a preliminary effort to bridge the gap in outdoor education and leadership by creating intentional and dedicated learning spaces for underrepresented groups. We realize there is still a large gap in representation and mentorship within the outdoor climbing and guiding community, and want to do what we can as a company to narrow it. We seek to share our experiences with you, and help you achieve your goals as climbers and outdoor enthusiasts.
- Who’s it for? Women and/or people in the LGBTQ+ community looking to climb rocks and learn skills with community
- Where do we go? We most often utilize the amazing terrain in Acadia National Park and sometimes we offer experiences in New Hampshire in the White Mountains or at Rumney!
- No Pre-requisites!
Queer Climbing Day!
June 6th, 9:30am-6pm
A discounted day of guided rock climbing at Otter Cliffs for folks in the queer community, guided by a professional from the queer community! Climb by the ocean, be silly, be met at your experience level, and make memories with new and old friends.
We can provide the gear, expert coaching, and an abundance of joy for you on this day. You do not need to know how to rock climb on your own to join us; AND, if you do have climbing experience, we will be able to offer some more challenging climb options to tickle your senses if you desire such a thing.
Make sure to pack your own hydration station, snacks and lunch to keep yourself fueled throughout the day, as well as appropriate sun protection, as if the sun is shining we will NOT have much shade available to us.
Tell your friends, book your stay, and get excited to climb in Acadia for the day!!!
Sign up together to save!
10% off for groups of three, 15% for groups of four.
All AMG Clients get 15% off at our gear shop Alpenglow Adventure Sports!
Clinic participants will receive a code for 15% of on Alpenglowgear.com
Don’t want the adventure to end? Save 10% on a half day guiding reservation after your clinic date to get in some more personalized instruction & adventure.
Queer Anchor Building Clinic
June 13th & 14th
A two day anchor building extravaganza for queer climbers, run by queer guides! Pack sun protection, hydration, snacks, and a lunch and show up STOKED TO LEARN both days. The goal of this workshop is to break the barrier of entry to climbing at Otter Cliffs as well as other, less complex, climbing areas.
If folks would like, we can coordinate a group campsite for everyone to stay in together Saturday night and your guide can hangout for the night. We need at least 5 people to lock in by May 30th who want to camp together for that to happen.
OTHERWISE, you are on your own for a place to stay and we will see you at 8:30 each morning!
- Day one we will meet at the Alpenglow Shop on Main Street in Bar Harbor
- Day two we will meet at Fabbri Picnic area in the National Park.
On day one, we will get into the nitty gritty of anchor building.
- Foundations: the gear, the general framework to think about for all anchors, how to know you’re building your anchor on something trustworthy, how to use the gear
- Natural Anchors: build anchors on trees and boulders!
- Bolt and Gear Anchors: build anchors on permanent bolts in the rock and on gear you place yourself in the cracks!!!
- If we have time, we will also discuss the simplest way for cleaning anchors off of routes at the end of this day.
- This day is focused on foundations and practice in a ground school setting and there will be no actual climbing.
On day two, we will review everything we learned on day one with A LOT of hands on practice and introduce a simple way for managing top managed systems at Otter Cliffs.
Folks who feel ready will be welcome to build anchors for themselves and others to climb on!!! Your guide will check the quality of the anchors and manage the systems for you while talking everyone through the process. If the guide observes serious comprehension of running systems, some clinic attendees may be supported through running systems themselves.
This cannot be guaranteed and you may need to hire a guide for a short, 2:1 private session to practice this skill another time if you want to fully lock in this skill. Managing top managed systems, such as the ones at Otter Cliffs, is complex, and a two day clinic just gives you a surface level comprehension on how to run them safely.
Your guide will make sure you understand the definite NO NOs of top managed systems and will demonstrate how to run them properly. You are welcome to record your guide’s instructions and you will be sent a review sheet after the clinic is over so that you can study and practice your skills at home before trying them out for real.
If you have any doubt about your ability to keep yourself and your friends safe, we will recommend you book a guide for a short evening session to check your skills before you try them without support!
Sign up together to save!
10% off for groups of three, 15% for groups of four.
All AMG Clients get 15% off at our gear shop Alpenglow Adventure Sports!
Clinic participants will receive a code for 15% of on Alpenglowgear.com
Still need a half day to lock in skills? Save 10% on a half day guiding reservation after your clinic date to get in some more personalized instruction.
LGBTQ+ Community Evening Climb
June 16th 4:30pm - 8:30pm
A discounted evening of guided rock climbing at Otter Cliffs for local members of the LGBTQ+ community. Climb by the ocean, enjoy golden hour, be met at your experience level, and make memories with new and old friends.
We provide the gear (if needed), expert coaching, and an abundance of excitement for you on this day. Some previous indoor or outdoor climbing experience recommended to get the most out of this evening.
Make sure to pack your own hydration, snacks, and warm layers to keep yourself fueled and cozy throughout the evening.
- Guided Rock Climbing
- Harness, Helmet and Shoes provided if needed
- Industry Standard 6:1 Guide Ratio
- World-Class climbing instruction
- Chalk bag and chalk
- Dinner
- Snacks
- Transportation (we encourage folks to carpool if able)
- National Forest vehicle pass (only need one per vehicle)
- Guide gratuities (Tip your guides if you have a great time!)
- Arrive at 228 Main st. in Bar Harbor to get gear and sign waiver forms at 5pm
- Wrap up by 8:30pm
Some previous indoor or outdoor climbing experience recommended to get the most out of this evening.
Comfortably climbing 5.7/5.8 in the gym
- Some experience being lowered on a top rope or rappelling
Cancellations made more than thirty days prior to the event may cancel with no penalty and receive a full refund.
Cancellations made 2 – 30 days prior to the start of the activity may put deposit toward another date or forfeit 25% of total fee.
Cancellations made within 2 days forfeit the entire fee unless we are able to fill their spot from an available wait list. No shows will be charged full price.
A full refund will be given if Acadia Mountain Guides Climbing School must cancel the course.
Women’s Climbing Day
July 11th, 9:30am-6pm
A discounted day of guided rock climbing at Otter Cliffs for ALL women! Climb by the ocean, feel free, be met at your experience level, and make memories with new and old friends. We can provide the gear, expert coaching, and an abundance of excitement for you on this day. You do not need to know how to rock climb on your own to join us; AND, if you do have climbing experience, we will be able to offer some more challenging climb options for you if you want.
Make sure to pack your own hydration, snacks, and lunch to keep yourself fueled throughout the day, as well as appropriate sun protection as if the sun is shining we will NOT have much shade available to us.
If you are new to climbing, we will show you the ropes. If you are a seasoned climber looking to lead, we will assess your knowledge and then cut you loose to play if you know your stuff!
No experience with yoga/dancing or climbing necessary, just an open mind and desire to be in community.
- Guided Rock Climbing
- Harness, Helmet and Shoes provided if needed
- Industry Standard 6:1 Guide Ratio
- World-Class climbing instruction
- Chalk bag and chalk
- Lunch
- Snacks
- Transportation (we encourage folks to carpool if able)
- National Forest vehicle pass (only need one per vehicle)
- Guide gratuities (Tip your guides if you have a great time!)
- Arrive at 228 Main st. Bar Harbor to get gear and sign waiver forms around 9:30am
- Wrap up by 6pm
- From novices to experts, all women are welcome. No climbing experience needed. We are able to set up climbs for a variety of ability levels.
Cancellations made more than thirty days prior to the event may cancel with no penalty and receive a full refund.
Cancellations made 2 – 30 days prior to the start of the activity may put deposit toward another date or forfeit 25% of total fee.
Cancellations made within 2 days forfeit the entire fee unless we are able to fill their spot from an available wait list. No shows will be charged full price.
A full refund will be given if Acadia Mountain Guides Climbing School must cancel the course.
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These programs would not be possible if it was not for the ambitious activism from the guide staff at Acadia Mountain Guides. We would like to take a moment here to thank them for their hard work and the brain power they put into this project. It is near and dear to our hearts, and it makes us proud to know our staff members are committed to the growth of the company, as well as the inclusion of under-represented groups into the outdoors.
Please thank our staff when you work with them!
AMGA ACCREDITED
• Since 1994 •
AMGCS is one of 32 AMGA accredited programs in the US and was one of the earliest to pursue and achieve accreditation. AMGCS is the only climbing school in Maine to remain continuously AMGA accredited. We have had one or more AMGA rock guides on staff each year since 1994.
PCIA ACCREDITED
• Since 2007 •
AMGCS has the distinction of also being accredited to the highest standards of the Professional Climbing Instructors Association. The PCIA requires all staff to be individually trained and certified.
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AMGCS also rents outdoor equipment for your convenience. All clients receive 25% off rental equipment for use on our courses.
See what we have on our rental page.
