Please consult our events calendar

We require that course and clinic participants be members of the ACC Ottawa Section.  

A course is typically provided by an instructor who is certified by an accredited organization or has otherwise been formally assessed in their instructional techniques within their area of responsibility. The ACC Ottawa Section works with multiple instructors covering various topics to organize and provide training opportunities to its members. Clinics, on the other hand, are often led and organized by experienced volunteers to supplement formal training in various areas. These are often less formal training events that are made available to members of the section to share experience and provide an opportunity to further refine or expand on individual skills and techniques.

Some of our more popular courses are regularly offered from year to year but the ultimate decision to offer various courses is largely based on interest that has been expressed by members. While we try to provide adequate opportunities to participate in courses, limitations due to scheduling, availability, and interest can affect the overall availability of individual courses.

Being volunteer-led, the availability of clinics is largely driven by the availability of the members who are organizing the clinic and so are offered on a more irregular basis but can be organized more easily. 

If there’s a specific course or clinic that you might be interested in participating in, feel free to reach out to the training coordinators at training@alpineclubottawa.ca. We’re also always looking for experienced volunteers who are willing to share their time and expertise leading clinics so feel free to suggest any clinics that you might be interested in leading yourself!

The cost of courses can vary quite a bit depending on the nature of the course being offered, and the cost to organize and hire the relevant instructor(s). These instructors are usually professionally trained/qualified.

Volunteer-led clinics are usually offered at lower rates; volunteers donate their expertise and time to the club.

Any excess funds from courses or clinics are wholly invested back into the club – to purchase equipment, subsidize training events, or otherwise provide additional benefit to our members.

While we organize training opportunities for our members, we are not a training organization and are unable to provide training to groups.

Being volunteer-led, trips led by our members are often prioritized for current members but keep an eye out on the calendar and feel free to reach out to individual trip leaders to see if there’s any spots available!

Despite the name, we offer a number of trips and activities that don’t revolve around climbing mountains. Some of these include hiking, cross-country skiing, as well as a book club. Keep an eye on the calendar to check out any upcoming trips, or feel free to reach out to info@alpineclubottawa.ca for more information.

In addition to the benefits provided by membership to ACC National, you get to join a local group of like-minded individuals to participate in various activities both outdoors and in. You also have the opportunity to register for various courses, clinics, and trips organized by our volunteer trip leaders.

When trips are organized, joining information is shared on the calendar as well as in the weekly newsletter

Equipment requirements vary based on the nature of the trip and are included in the trip description that’s published in the calendar and the weekly newsletter. Participant equipment must be in good working order and participation in the activity may be refused by the trip leader based on the conditions at the time. The section provides limited equipment for use on club trips as well so don’t worry if you don’t have everything. If in doubt, reach out to the trip leader who will be able to provide additional information about required equipment, and club equipment that is available for use. 

Specific skills and abilities will vary based on the nature of the trip being organized. The expected skill level will be included in the trip descriptions. Beginners are often welcome but please be clear about your fitness and skill level when registering. Depending on the nature and difficulty of the trip, you may be asked by the trip leader about recent experience on similar trips, or you may be asked to join a pre-trip outing or gear/skills review. Ultimately, we are a volunteer organization and while we can try to cater to everyone’s individual needs, suitability for a trip is left to the trip leader’s discretion to ensure that they are able to provide a positive experience for everyone. Feel free to reach out to individual trip leaders, the corresponding activity coordinator, or info@alpineclubottawa.ca if you have questions about any trip in particular.

Yes! Trips are often organized with car-pooling in mind, just make sure to let the trip leader know when you register and be prepared to contribute to gas and other operating costs according to ACC Ottawa’s carpooling rates. 

The level of experience needed to lead a trip is hard to quantify. If you’re interested in leading a trip, reach out to the relevant activity coordinator, or get more involved with the club by volunteering and joining trips led by others. If you’re interested in leading trips but aren’t sure about your own experience or skill level, we can also work to pair you with one of our existing trip leaders to help organize and lead a trip

Any formal qualifications or training are of course welcome but relevant experience is often enough. The section organizes multiple training opportunities each year to further develop your skills, and regularly organizes a dedicated trip leader training event to further confirm and reinforce individual skills, as well as to share and reaffirm club guidelines.

Included in your membership fees, the ACC provides insurance for any registered member who is volunteering their time either leading or helping with the organization of any official ACC activity. Within the context of the Ottawa section, this includes any trips that are approved and posted by the activity coordinators. Note that this does not apply to trips or outings that are privately organized by individual members. When participating in outdoor activities, especially ones that are out of your home province or country, it is still recommended to purchase additional insurance to ensure that any medical or evacuation costs are covered. The ACC sells Tugo insurance which includes options for various activities that you may be participating in. More information about club insurance, as well as a link to purchase Tugo insurance can be found here. 

In addition to sharing your passion with other like-minded individuals, the club depends on volunteers like you! We wouldn’t be able to provide the opportunities that we can without you!

There’s always opportunities to help the club! Reach out to one of our activity coordinators, or info@alpineclubottawa.ca. In addition to volunteering for a position on the executive committee, you can also help by organizing various events such as rockfest, social events, or even working with our trip leaders to help plan and organize their trips.

Offer to organize a trip! A good way to contribute is to approach an experienced leader and offer to organize the trip. Many trip leaders enjoy leading the outdoors part of the trip but lack the time to organize a large group. Being the contact person, booking accommodations, organizing carpooling, and organizing meals or equipment is a great way to contribute if you have those skills.