About

Mission

Escala creates accessibility, expands representation and increases visibility in climbing for Hispanic and Latine individuals by building community, sharing culture and mentoring one another.

Core Values

Cultura
We honor and examine our traditions to cultivate a vibrant and inclusive cultura that celebrates our commonalities and differences.

Comunidad
We build community to find connection to our cultura and to climbing. Nuestra comunidad reflects our multigenerational, multicultural and multilingual experiences where we can all participate as our most authentic selves.

Climbing
We support climbers of all disciplines, abilities and body types at every step in their climbing journey and inspire Hispanic and Latine individuals to have their story be part of climbing history.

Our story

We started at different times and in different places, but our passion for sharing climbing with nuestra comunidad has always been the same.

Escala was co-founded by Melissa Rojas and Xavier Bravo from two organizations with a shared mission for making climbing accessible to Hispanic and Latine people. ¡Escala!, based out of Washington, DC, was founded by Melissa Rojas in 2021 and Escaladores Unidos, based out of Colorado, was founded by Xavier Bravo in 2022. In 2023, Melissa and Xavier decided to join forces to be stronger unidos and the two organizations became Escala. They believed that working as one organization would allow them to more sustainably continue creating accessibility, expanding representation and increasing visibility in climbing for Hispanic and Latine individuals across the nation.

Join us on our journey as we increase visibility in climbing for Hispanic and Latine folx.

Community Guidelines

  • Escala’s mission is to create accessibility, expand representation, and increase visibility in climbing for Hispanic and Latine individuals by building community, sharing culture and mentoring one another. We create spaces for Hispanic and Latine climbers to connect through a shared culture and language. We reflect and celebrate the cultural and linguistic differences found within our communities. We are welcoming to all who join us and support us in furthering our mission.

  • We are native Spanish speakers, non-native speakers, and people connecting or reconnecting with the Spanish language. Participants can choose to speak Spanish or not at their discretion and, if so, should feel safe speaking Spanish at whichever level they are comfortable (e.g., basic, fluent, etc.). Spanish language skills are not required to climb with us.

  • We do not tolerate harassment, intimidation, or bullying of any kind, nor any offensive or degrading comments about things like race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, or sexual orientation. Likewise, unwanted social, romantic, sexual, or physical advances are not tolerated. Report any behavior that makes you or someone else feel unsafe, unwelcome, or uncomfortable. Speak to an Escala volunteer or email info@escalaclimbing.org.

  • We celebrate our accomplishments and give each other encouragement. We support each other in our climbing goals and aspirations. We share stoke but not unwanted beta. Giving unsolicited suggestions or “beta” is not a polite practice in climbing. Always ask if a climber would like help before offering suggestions and respect their wishes.

  • We are collectively responsible for creating an environment that is safe, conducive to learning, and builds trust and competence. All participants must follow and model best practices for climbing safety. Unsafe or reckless climbing practices will not be tolerated. Participants should seek qualified training for new skills. Belayers must provide attentive and safe belays at all times. We expect everyone of any experience level to communicate if they are unsure or do not know how to perform a skill. Conversely, if a participant is asking for advice or help, knowledgeable participants should share expertise with kindness and understanding. Participants should immediately and directly communicate any safety concerns to climbing partners. Feedback should be given and received with a focus on ensuring safe practices and should not be taken personally. Report any unsafe behavior to an Escala volunteer or email info@escalaclimbing.org.

FAQs

  • Of course! We do, however, ask that you read this section carefully to understand how to join if you are not Hispanic or Latine.

    Escala’s mission is to create accessibility, expand representation, and increase visibility in climbing for Hispanic and Latine individuals by building community, sharing culture and mentoring one another. Our objective is to create a space for Hispanic and Latine climbers to connect through a shared culture and language.

    If you do not self-identify as Hispanic or Latine, you are welcome to join as a mindful and respectful ally who acknowledges the need for affinity spaces like this and takes steps to understand and support our mission.

    Please note that someone can be Hispanic or Latine and not speak Spanish. If you self-identify as Hispanic or Latine, please remember that you do not have to speak Spanish to be Hispanic or Latine. Spanish language skills are not required to climb with us.

  • The purpose of meetups is to connect Hispanic and Latine climbers. The purpose of meetups is not to teach Spanish. While we welcome folks who are practicing language skills they are independently learning, we ask that you do not join a meetup with the expectation that participants will teach you Spanish.

    If you are learning Spanish on your own, please ensure that your personal interest in learning the language does not undermine the group’s mission. Additionally, take care not to misrepresent your actual Spanish language fluency on Escala platforms by using computer-generated translations as this may give Spanish-speaking participants the impression that you will be able to communicate with them in person.

    If you join a meetup and do not understand what is being said, do not ask participants speaking in Spanish to speak in English.

  • The purpose of our meetups and events is to connect Hispanic and Latine climbers. Those who join solely with the intention of finding a belay partner without a primary interest in connecting with Hispanic and Latine climbers through shared a culture or language will be reminded of our mission and referred to our community guidelines.