Impact Report 2024

Highlights

2024 was a massive year for the ACF community. Celebrating our fifth festival, we brought together more climbers, from more places, and taught more clinics, than ever before.

Thanks to our sponsors, partners, and donors, we were able to bring many new and exciting components to life this year.

  • Our First Sold Out Year

    This year, for the first time, we completely sold out of tickets — weeks before the event! As the adaptive climbing community grows, we look forward to many more sold out years.

  • Big Operational Upgrades

    Thanks to our sponsors, we were able to launch our first ACF Scholarship Program for paraclimbers facing financial barriers to getting outside.

    Additionally, we were able to rent multiple 15-passenger vans this year to assist with carpooling between the climbing areas and camp, which was a major help in getting the festival to run smoothly.

  • Inaugural ACF Bootcamp

    In 2024, we launched ACF Bootcamp: an intensive two-day climbing experience to train and mentor the adaptive climbing leaders of the future.

  • A Film Fest By, and for, ACF Climbers

    Each year, we are proud to host the ACF Film Festival, showcasing barrier-breaking athletes from across the adaptive mountain sports community. This year, for the first time, each film shown told the story of a different member of the ACF community. We even hosted the premiere of “The Others,” a film by ACFers about ACF!

ACF 2024: By the Numbers

150 Adaptive climbers in attendance.

53 Family members, kids, and caregivers who joined in the fun.

67 Volunteers who helped make the whole festival happen!

34 Educational clinics taught — the most we’ve ever offered! All clinics at ACF are taught by disabled instructors.

10 Volunteer organizers who work year round to make ACF happen.

8 Countries represented.

6 Home-cooked meals created from scratch by our kitchen crew, and shared with the whole community.

5 Short films screened at the annual ACF Film Fest. Each film highlighted climbers from the ACF community, including a film about ACF itself!

Ways We Grew in 2024

  • More climbers with traumatic brain injuries and Cerebral Palsy attended than ever before.

  • We welcomed a surge of attendees who were new to rock climbing, especially outside!

  • More climbers identified as physically disabled, but were unable to “check a box” or list a diagnosis. ACF is proud to welcome all climbers with disabilities, even if they don’t fit into a specific category.

    Thank You to our Donors and Volunteers!

    We couldn’t have done it without your generous support. The Adaptive Climbers Festival is 100% volunteer-run. We appreciate your help.

    We work year-round to make sure that our next festival is better, and more inclusive, than the last. Thank you for supporting us in this journey, and for being a part of the crew!

Download a PDF of our impact report!



A pie chart shows the percentages of disability climbers by type: Lower Limb Difference, 23%; Upper Limb Difference, 12%; Spinal Cord Injury, 12%; Traumatic Brain Injury, 8%; Blond/Low Vision, 6%; Other Physical, 36%, Other Cognitive, 3%
A pie chart shows the years of climbing experience ACF participants had: 4-10 years, 35%; 1-3 years, 31%; 10+ years, 12%; Less than 1 year, 18.6%