Entry Fee

This event is put on entirely by volunteers. The only fee will be for entry to the gym.

• Attendees who will be climbing will get discounted gym entry for £10.50 (we are grateful to Rise Climbing for reducing this from the regular entry fee of £14). The entry fee also covers free shoe hire for those who need it and you can borrow chalk.

• Non-climbing entry will be £2

Rise is an independent gym. You are very welcome to pay the standard entry fee of £14 to support the gym. Just let them know at the door you wish to do so. 

Funded Spaces

We have a limited number of funded spaces for low-income climbers (i.e. for those where finances are a barrier to their access to climbing). They will get free gym entry. If you would like to access one of these spaces please email asianclimbingcrew@gmail.com. These are assigned on a first come first serve basis and on an honesty policy.

The Event

This is a grassroots event by Queer Asians for Queer Asians.

There will be bouldering, games, placard making, Asian music, and a potluck. We welcome climbers and non-climbers alike (there will be a range of non-climbing activities). At the core of this event is community and we welcome you to bring your queer Asian friends!

Who are QCL and ACC?

Queer Climbers London (QCL) creates empowering spaces where LGBTQIA+ folk can be their true selves, learn new skills, and participate in a social sport. We exist to challenge the lack of representation, create a welcoming environment, and make the UK climbing community more accessible for LGBTQIA+ folk. We welcome anyone who identifies as LGBTQIA+. 

Asian Climbing Crew (ACC) is a London community group which seeks to increase diversity, inclusion and access to climbing by creating a space for Asians to climb together, have fun and build connections and community. We welcome everyone who identifies as Asian (across the continent) or from an Asian diaspora. 

Who is the event for?

The event is specifically for those at the intersection of both the Asian and LGBTQIA+ communities. Individuals who are from both of these communities are especially underrepresented in sport and in climbing. So, we are super excited to be creating this space for Queer Asians to climb together, have fun, build community and make friends. 

The lock-in will start at 6pm, after which there will be no members of the general public in the gym and this will be a dedicated Queer Asian space!

Please note that there will be several members of gym staff who will not be LGBTQIA+ Asians. 

You must be 18 years or older to attend.

Event timetable

6-7pm - Check-in and register (if you arrive after 7pm, the greeters will not be at the sign-in desk. Please identify yourself to one of the volunteers)

7:15-7:45pm - Hand before foot climbing game

7:45-9pm - Community potluck

9-11pm - Karaoke

Throughout the evening: climbing, placard making station, board games corner, community resource corner, community mural, wall sit challenge, hanging challenge

If you plan on participating in the crafting workshop or the placard making station, we advise coming to the event early and bringing a jacket/blanket.  These stations will be outside under the gazebo in the lovely spring air which may get chilly later on.

Potluck

What’s more Asian than the love of food and sharing food! In that spirit, we are having a community potluck dinner where people bring food to share with others (you are also welcome to bring food for just yourself, if you prefer). We can’t wait to see what yummy foods you bring!

Please bring your own bowl and cutlery for eating. This will not be provided.

If you are bringing food to share:

• Please bring it in a container ready for serving

• We have limited reheating facilities, so please email conor@rise-climbing.com ahead of the event if you wish to bring food which requires reheating- reheating facilities will be allocated on a first come first served basis. If you wish to bring your own induction hob or rice cooker, please let us know in advance.

• Please bring a list of all the ingredients in your dish, and underline potential allergens. We will tape this to your serving dish.

  • Allergens which should be underlined are: celery, cereals containing gluten (such as wheat, rye, barley, and oats), crustaceans (such as prawns, crabs and lobsters), eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs (such as mussels and oysters), mustard, peanuts, sesame, soybeans, sulphur dioxide and sulphites (if the sulphur dioxide and sulphites are at a concentration of more than ten parts per million) and tree nuts (such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, brazil nuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios and macadamia nuts)

The potluck table will open all evening, but we will sit down for community dinner at 8pm. There will be a few chairs and tables, but most of us will be sitting on the floor/climbing mat - we welcome you to bring cushions and blankets to make sitting on the floor more comfortable.

If you are not able to participate in the potluck for any reasons (such as severe allergies), you can purchase dinner from Rise, who have the following on offer:

• Cheese Toasties

• Noodle pots (inc. Shin (vegan), Udon, Kimchi (vegan) & Koka Chicken noodles)

• Fresh pastries (including vegan options) 

Cocktails

Rise will be selling drinks, both non-alcoholic and alcoholic. Please note that you are NOT permitted to climb after consuming alcohol.

They will be serving a special cocktail and mocktail for the event! 

Placard Making Station

In the lead up to all the various marches and protests coming up this summer, we welcome you to join us with some placard making. You are welcome to make as many signs as you’d like for yourself to bring to the march, but also for your friends and family. 

We will provide some materials for placard making and decorating including cardboard, paint, brushes and stickers. However, our resources are limited, so we encourage attendees to bring any supplies they have - especially cardboard, and paint brushes. 

The placard making station will be outside under a gazebo in the spring air! Come early to enjoy the sun and bring a jacket to stay warm!

Climbing Games and Challenges in addition to bouldering, we will have climbing games and challenges:

• Hand before foot game (7:15-7:45pm)

• Hanging challenge (throughout the evening) (upstairs)

• Wall sit challenge (throughout the evening)

Karaoke

From 9-11pm, we will be opening up the karaoke station for the singers and performers! It is a casual affair, as the rest of the event and climbing will continue in the centre. You will be able to sign up with your song(s) on the night.