Building Community with Samantha Kang
Founder of Corvallis Climbers of Color
Can you tell me a little about yourself?
Hi, I’m Sam (they/she), the founder of Corvallis Climbers of Color (CCOC). I was born in Seattle and grew up in Lynnwood. Growing up Asian and queer in the nineties and early aughts, I did not fit in, no matter how hard I tried and constantly searched for a sense of belonging, community, and representation. While I was surrounded by the dramatic landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, I never conceptualized that I could also climb the mountains I grew up admiring. I rarely saw Asian American representation in the outdoors and often experienced nature in a cautious and curated way, with the exception of learning to ski as a kid (shoutout to the Stevens pass discount youth program and my parents!).
Experiencing climbing through the Portland and Corvallis Climbers of Color community has changed my life. Being in nature with other people of color is special and nothing short of radical. Through my training with the Mazamas in Portland I’ve become an avid climber, ski tourer, and mountaineer. My goal is to continue gaining experience and training to teach and lead more technical climbs, especially for QTBIPOC folks. I’m currently training with the Mountain Education Alliance to earn my Trad Single Pitch Instructor certification. When I’m not running CCOC and training, I’m studying complex system design theory in graduate school at Oregon State University’s Design Engineering Lab.
How long have you been climbing? Can you share a memorable story from your climbing life?
When I started climbing it was mostly on my own or with one or two climbing partners. It wasn’t until I moved to Singapore for work in 2018 that I found the other purpose of climbing – to build community. There, in a moment of uncharacteristic boldness, I walked up to a pair of climbers, introduced myself and asked if I could join them. We became fast friends and eventually I met an American friend who, believe it or not, took the Mazamas Basic Climbing Education Program (BCEP) when he lived in Portland. I took it as a sign from the universe and applied while in Singapore. After moving back to the States in 2019 I took BCEP, where I was a part of the first and only queer BCEP team (another formative experience). I loved it so much that I went on to apply for the Mazamas Intermediate Climb School that year. I was accepted into the program and have been climbing and mountaineering ever since.
How has climbing changed your outlook/perspective if at all?
In many ways climbing has helped me re-envision how I want to live my life. In 2020, I had a climbing accident on Wy’East that shook me to my core. The accident, coupled with other big life transitions, on top of COVID, put me through the wringer, and I struggled with PTSD and depression during the recovery. It was a heavy and formative experience, and in many ways, the accident represented a turning point in my life and as wild as it sounded at the time, I knew I wanted to continue climbing after I recovered. First and foremost, I knew I wanted to help create safe and supportive spaces for more people of color and queer folks to climb in and to hopefully help reduce the chances of others experiencing what I went through. This accident left an indelible mark on me and no doubt motivated me to start CCOC.
What is it you love about the sport? About the community? And what do you wish was different?
It’s the community that keeps me coming back to climbing first and foremost. Before I found my community, climbing was not a significant part of my life at all and I did not go enough to justify a membership. That eventually shifted when I joined the Mazamas, a mountaineering organization in Portland, and Portland Climbers of Color, both of which inspired me to create Corvallis Climbers of Color in summer 2020. Personally, climbing provides an outlet for creative self-expression both physically and mentally, through movement and problem solving on the rock. Climbing quite literally can engage almost every fiber of your being and command your full attention. It can easily amplify your insecurities and doubts or provide a unique space to work through those feelings and emotions. It normalizes being honest with oneself, self-advocacy, asking for help and feedback, problem solving, and effective communication. Growing up as a child of Chinese Korean immigrants navigating a working class mostly white suburb of Seattle, the pressure to fit in was mighty strong. Climbing in many ways is helping me unlearn a lifetime’s worth of conditioning and embrace my identity as a queer Asian American, to be proud of my culture and heritage, and better understand my power and privilege. All that to say, much love for my BIPOC climbing community, which is by far the most supportive, loving, and vibrant community I’ve been part of. I’m just here to learn and do my part in making sure to amplify the amazing people doing fantastic and impactful work in this area.
Can you tell readers about a favorite climb or a memorable adventure?
This is a tough question! Some of my favorite memories are the quiet moments on a climb. Whether that’s turning around to enjoy the view and feeling small and full of wonder, to watching your partner courageously lead the last pitch of a climb, to eating lunch on the top of a beautiful rock formation. While being able to access beautiful areas of wilderness brings me solace and clarity, I also love that I can have fun, be goofy, and safe. One of my favorite memories is climbing South Early Winter Spires in the North Cascades. At the summit we danced (and mostly laughed) our way through Doja Cat’s ‘Say So’ and the YMCA. Our laughter echoed through the entire valley.
Another favorite moment was climbing Loowit last year with my BIPOC AIARE I classmates. It was my first time leading a cascade volcano ski climb and my first time skiing with all people of color. It was such a special climb and another reminder of why it’s so important to create supportive and safe spaces in the mountains for people of color. Many of us have never experienced that before in the outdoors. It was a formative experience for sure.
What made you decide to start the Corvallis Climbers of Color climb night?
Corvallis Climbers of Color was created from a series of serendipitous events. In some ways it was even the product of the frustration, loneliness and isolation, rage I felt after George Flloyd’s murder and the unjust events that followed that summer. In 2020, I moved to Corvallis knowing no one. Like many, I was learning how to navigate life during COVID. I remember researching the town demographics before and was unsurprised, but dejected, at what I found -- Corvallis was whiter than Portland, which is infamously the whitest metropolitan city in the US. Later that summer, I learned a new climbing gym, Valley Rock Gym, was being built. Curious, I dropped by their kitchen sale (fellow kitchen nerd here) and spontaneously thought to ask if the gym might support BIPOC climb nights like in Portland and Seattle gyms. I dropped my name but didn’t hear anything until several months later when I received an email from Johanna Garcia, co-owner of the Valley Rock Gym (VRG), to discuss the gym’s commitment to JEDI (justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion) and the prospect of creating BIPOC climb nights. I was ecstatic. Over the next six months, we began planning the framework for BIPOC and other affinity climb nights like the queer, women’s and BIPOC nights at VRG. Our high-level goal is to help change the face and culture of climbing by making it more accessible and equitable for all and to hopefully influence other gyms to center people and community over profit (much like Memphis Rox). I hosted our first BIPOC Affinity Climb Night in May 2021 and it’s only been growing since.
What has been the feedback from CCC members so far? Feedback from the gym? Any other impact you did not expect?
After the first couple BIPOC climb nights, I recognized these nights were more than just about climbing. It was providing a safe space many folks had never experienced before in their lives. It was a community of support, representation, belonging, and coming as you are, whether you climb or not. These nights and community became a cornerstone for many looking to build relationships during the pandemic in a low-pressure environment. There are a lot of impromptu hangs and get-togethers outside of the climb nights and it’s been great to see those new relationships form because of the BIPOC climb nights.
What difficulties and challenges did you face? Were they resolved?
Forming a BIPOC group in a small majority white town did not come without some resistance, unsurprisingly. While we’ve had our fair share of racist commentary, Valley Rock Gym has been instrumental and fully supportive in creating greater access to climbing for BIPOC. Every fourth Wednesday, Valley Rock Gym closes at 7-10pm to make room for our BIPOC Affinity Climb Night to create a BIPOC-only space. Without VRG and their community driven mission, we wouldn’t have BIPOC climb nights, womens climb nights, or queer climb nights. I’m super grateful for their support and collaboration and I wish more affinity groups received this level of support.
Why is it important to have an affinity group such as CCC?
An affinity group provides a space that allows you to breathe and be yourself, which of course allows you to reach a greater level of achievement, but having affinity groups can also help create awareness in the greater community about equity and inclusion.
What advice would you give to others who are planning to create an affinity group in their communities?
Challenge what you think is possible and find good people to surround yourself with and lean on. Have confidence that your work is needed and appreciated. Reach out to others who are doing this work too to build your network and gain new ideas from. Don’t be afraid to try something new even if it might flounder, everything can be reframed as a learning opportunity. Lastly, be kind to yourself. While creating a community can be rewarding and enriching, it can also be emotionally exhausting, so take a break and ask for help when you need it.
You can follow Corvallis Climbers of Color (@corvallisclimbersofcolor) on Instagram and join our BIPOC community group on facebook.
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