Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour - April 2026
2026-04-17 - 2026-04-18 | Darke Hall, 2255 College Avenue, Regina, Saskatchewan, S4P 0S9, Canada
Experience the thrill of adventure at the 50th Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour. Come enjoy the adrenaline rush of high-altitude pursuits, the emotion of personal transformations, and the beauty of adventure sports in wild places captured in breathtaking cinematography.
This stop on the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour is hosted by The Great Plains Section of the Alpine Club of Canada. Each program is unique, and tickets are sold separately through Darke Hall’s website. Film programs and advisories can be found below:
Friday Evening – CREVASSE
Saturday Matinee – MORAINE
Saturday Evening – SERAC
Doors open one hour before showtime. The event will feature information booths, raffle draws, and opportunities to connect with fellow members of the Regina & area outdoor community. Be sure to come early!
Thank you to our local sponsors Fresh Air Experience and Regina Climbing Centre.
Tickets are $25 for adults inclusive of fees and taxes. For the Saturday matinee screening, Youth tickets are available for $15 inclusive of fees and taxes. Seating is assigned.
Date and Times
Friday, April 17, 2026 @ 7:00 PM
Saturday, April 18, 2026 @ 2:00 PM
Saturday, April 18, 2026 @ 7:00 PM

Current and New Leader Development
2026-05-16 - 2026-05-18
Calling all current ACC-GPS leaders and leaders-in-training. Join James in Medora, North Dakota to practice, train, and enhance your skills. This is YOUR trip, and we will all have an opportunity to try out new things and get mileage in the techniques you want. Anything is possible, and the crag is brilliant for training in rappelling, multipitch, trad, crack, and sport. This can count towards “vetting days” for leaders-in-training. If you want to learn more about becoming a leader, reach out to James (email below).
Cost:

No cost for leaders

Participants:

No limit

Climber Prerequisite:

Must be a current ACC Leader or Leader-in-Training. Please reach out to James if you are not either, but are interested.

Equipment:

Helmet
Harness
Climbing shoes
Belay device (e.g. ATC, GriGri, Reverso)
35 L or larger backpack (big enough to hold extra clothes and creature comforts)
Any gear you want to try out in the wild. We will have enough to go around

Group Gear will be organized by trip leader with the ACC Great Plains gear cache. Please let James know if you want to borrow anything.
Transport: We’ll carpool where possible. Distance is roughly 475km one way. We’ll sort out car logistics closer to the date.
Accommodation: Buffalo Gap Campground. $20usd per night, payable via an app if you have cell service in the states, or US cash.
Food: You are responsible for organizing your own food. Medora has a variety of restaurants and small grocery stores.
Weather: Big variable here, but there is something to do even if it is raining, so be prepared.
Trip Sign-up Information: If interested in the trip, please send the following sign-up information to James Lewis at james.lawrence.lewis@gmail.com.

First and last name
Phone number
ACC membership number (must be registered with the Great Plains Section)
Emergency contact information
A short summary of your outdoor (rock/ice climbing) experience; if you don’t have any experience, please indicate that
Any gear you would like to borrow (helmet, harness, etc.)
Any specific skills you want to practice or learn.

Please send any questions on the trip to James. Further trip details will be circulated once participants are confirmed.

David Thompson Climbing & Hiking/Scrambling trip
2026-06-10 - 2026-06-14
Kick off your 2025 climbing season with us! We’re heading to the David Thompson Corridor, near Nordegg, AB, from 10 to 14 June. We’ll plan to spend two days climbing the fantastic crags in the area, and a third stretching our legs on one of the many hiking/scrambling routes in the area, weather permitting. No outdoor climbing experience is necessary, and all climbers 14+ (under 18 will need to be accompanied by a parent/guardian) with a sense of adventure and love of the outdoors are welcome. Applications for this trip are due by 31 January 2026.
Cost
The trip cost is $50 per participant. An active ACC Great Plains membership is required. Trip fees are due by 31 March 2026, and cancelation refunds will only be considered after 31 March if your spot can be filled by another participant.
Gear
Participants are responsible for their own gear. Gear requirements include climbing shoes, a harness, a carabiner, a belay device, a helmet (mandatory), a hiking backpack, and sturdy hiking boots appropriate for hiking and light scrambling. The club has a limited number of harnesses and helmets available at no cost to participants on a first-come first-served basis. Please indicate on your trip application if you wish to borrow club gear. A recommended packing list will be provided to confirmed trip participants.
Meals
Participants are responsible for all their own meals, including bagged lunches on climbing days. Depending on which campground is selected, participants might need to bring their water for the trip.
Travel and Accommodation
The group will be tenting together in the area (campground TBD), and participants will be responsible for their own camping fees. Participants are also responsible for their own transportation to and from Nordegg, but carpooling options may be available (if you wish to carpool, please notify the trip organizer).
Trip Application
To apply to join the trip, email Jennifer (j_l_arends@yahoo.ca) with the following information:
1. Full name
2. ACC membership number
3. What (if any) club gear you need to borrow
4. Your level of climbing experience
5. Whether you need your own campsite or whether you’ll be sharing a site/tent with another participant
6. An emergency contact name and number (not someone on the trip)
Every attempt will be made to accommodate as many participants as possible, but there are a limited number of spots available. This is not a first-come first-served trip: all trip participants will be vetted and notified shortly after the 31 January application deadline.

Castle Mountain Alpine Rock...waitlisting
2026-07-10 - 2026-07-13 | Castle Mountain, Alberta, Canada
This will be a “fast and light” trip. Day 1: drive to Castle Mountain Campground. Day 2: pack up and head to Silver City to crag for the day, then proceed up to the NEW Castle Mountain Hut. Day 3: climb Brewers Buttress (13 pitches) and summit Castle Mountain, returning to the hut or camp by last light. Day 4: drive home. This is going to be a higher output trip.
Email James (james.lawrence.lewis@gmail.com) with an expression of interest—participants will be vetted.
Participants:

8 climbers MAX

Climber Prerequisite:

Be able to climb 5.9 in the gym efficiently
Have travelled in alpine environments before

Equipment:

Helmet
Harness
Hiking boots or approach shoes for talus and scree. Boots are more friendly.
Belay device (e.g. ATC, GriGri, Reverso)
3 locking carabiners
35 litre or larger backpack to transport gear to the hut
10 litre backpack for the climbing day to hold water, food and clothes
Warm jacket to wear while belaying or hanging around at the hut in the evening
Sleeping bag for the hut
Sleeping pad for the campground
Tent for the campground

Group gear will be organized by trip leader with the ACC great plains gear cache.
Transport: We’ll carpool where possible. Travel logistics will be arranged closer to the date.
Accommodation: https://alpineclubofcanada.ca/hut/castle-mountain-hut/. Night 1 will be at a campground, night 2 will be at the hut, night 3 will be either the hut again, or the campground at ground level. This will be a discussion closer to the time.
Food: You are responsible for organizing your own food. WATER is a questionable resource at the hut at best of times, so be prepared to carry water up from the car. Quantity is up to you, but James usually carries less water than he should. This will factor into the accommodation discussion later on.
Weather: It is summer, but in the mountains it may still snow. Especially at alpine level. It could get cold. I’d recommend pants, not shorts and have rain gear handy in your pack.
Trip Sign-up Information: If interested in the trip, please send the following sign-up information to James (james.lawrence.lewis@gmail.com).

First and last name
Phone number
ACC membership number (must be registered with the Great Plains Section)
Emergency contact information
A short summary of your outdoor (rock/ice climbing) experience; if you don’t have any experience, please indicate that
Any gear you would like to borrow (helmet, harness, etc.)

Please send any questions on the trip to James. Further trip details will be circulated once participants are confirmed.

Spillimacheen family climbing trip....waitlisting
2026-08-01 - 2026-08-04 | Spillimacheen, BC, Canada
Join the third annual Great Plains Section family climbing trip! We’ll spend 1 to 4 August climbing at Spillimacheen, British Columbia (climbing days on 2 and 3 August). The climbing at “Spilli” is moderate and featured, and the area—in the Columbia River valley between Golden and Radium—is a real treat. The crag is mountainside and involves a short but moderate approach, so this trip is best suited to children over the age of six who have some hiking experience and enjoy grades upwards of 5.7. If your children are younger than the recommended age, please reach out to the trip organizer to discuss whether this is the right opportunity for them.
Parents/guardians will be placed in groups with their children, and at least one parent/guardian must provide supervision for their children at all times (in other words, one parent must always be on the ground). Please note that the trip is weather-dependent and could be cancelled at the trip leader’s discretion in the event of unfavourable conditions. In the event of minor inclement weather, hiking or other alternatives will be provided, whenever possible. Trip participants should bring a flexible, positive attitude and a desire for adventure, no matter what that adventure turns out to be!
Trip meeting
There will be a mandatory pre-trip meeting in the spring of 2026. The meeting will cover trip logistics, expectations of participants and leaders, and participant questions.
Cost
The trip cost is $50 per adult (18+) and $10 per child participant. An active ACC Great Plains membership is required for each participant, including each child (see the ACC website for family membership options). Each family will be responsible for their own camping costs. Trip fees will be collected in the spring and are refundable up to 30 June if other participant(s) can be found to take the vacancy, or at the trip organizer’s discretion. In the event of a trip cancelation due to weather, area closures, or other extenuating circumstances, all trip fees will be refunded, but lost camping deposits will be the responsibility of trip participants.
Gear
Participants are responsible for their own personal gear. Gear requirements include climbing shoes, a harness, a carabiner and belay device, and a helmet (mandatory). Depending on the size of child climbers, full body harnesses might be required. The club has a limited number of adult harnesses and adult/child helmets available at no cost to participants on a first-come first-served basis. Please indicate on your trip application if you wish to borrow club gear. A recommended packing list will be provided to confirmed trip participants.
Meals
Participants are responsible for their own meals, including bagged lunches and snacks on climbing days.
Travel and Accommodation
We will plan to camp together at a nearby private campground—details TBD in early December. Spillimacheen is approximately 1,050 km from Regina on primarily paved primary and secondary highways. There is a short distance from the highway to the approach parking lot that is on a gravel forestry service road (FSR).
Trip Application
To apply for the trip, email Jennifer (j_l_arends@yahoo.ca) with the following information:
1. Full names of all participants
2. ACC membership number for each participant
3. Whether you need to borrow any club gear
4. A description of each participant’s level of climbing experience (indoor and outdoor)
5. Each participant’s date of birth
6. An emergency name and contact number (cannot be a trip participant).
Note that incomplete applications will not be considered, so please take care to answer all six application questions in your email. The final number of spots available on the trip will be established in early December 2025.

Kenora Women's Climbing Trip
2026-08-21 - 2026-08-25 | Kenora, Ontario
Join the second annual Great Plains Section Women’s Climbing Trip (includes those who identify as women)! We’ll spend August 21-25 climbing in Northwestern Ontario (climbing days Aug 22, 23, and option for 24th). There are an abundance of fun climbs (including a couple multi-pitch climbs) among the many crags in the Goosenecks area, located about an hour north of Kenora, Ontario.
This trip is beginner friendly (gym top-rope experience is recommended) and grades in the Goosenecks range from 5.6 to 5.12, so there’s fun for everyone. The crags have a wide range of climbing, including some chimneys and other styles that you don’t often see in the gym. When you’re tired of climbing, cool off with a swim in a nearby lake!
In the event of minor inclement weather, hiking or other alternatives will be provided, wherever possible. Trip participants should bring a flexible, positive attitude and a desire for adventure, no matter what that adventure turns out to be!
Cost:
The trip cost is $50 per person. An active ACC Great Plains membership is required for each participant. There are also motel/cabin fees for anyone who chooses.
Travel and Accommodations:
We will coordinate carpooling; directions will be provided to participants in the pre-trip communications.
Camping is available for free within 5 minutes of the climbing areas, or people can choose to stay in a hotel or cabin in the nearby town of Minaki (20 minutes away). The camping area has a pit toilet, fire pit, and space for approximately 15 tents (with 10-15 more spots a short walk away). The area also edges onto Gooseneck Lake, where people can bathe/cool off. For those who prefer, a motel, AirBNB rentals, and yurts are available in Minaki (costs range from $40-165/person/night, depending on style and number of people sharing). We can discuss coordinating rentals, if there is interest.
Gear
Climbing gear requirements include climbing shoes, a harness, and a helmet (mandatory); belayers also need carabiner and belay device. The club’s gear cache has a limited number of harnesses and helmets available at no cost to participants, as well as several backpacking tents and backpacks, on a first-come first-served basis. Please indicate on your trip application if you wish to borrow club gear. A recommended packing list will be provided to confirmed trip participants.
Meals
Participants are responsible for their own meals, including bagged lunches and snacks on climbing days.
Trip Application
To apply, contact Brianna at briannawyn@icloud.com with the subject line WOMENS CLIMB and provide the following information. Please take care to answer all application questions in your email. The final number of spots available on the trip will be established once leader participation is confirmed in spring 2026.

First and last name
Phone number and email of each participant
ACC membership number for each participant (must be registered with the Great Plains Section)
Preference to camp (free) or book accommodations (for a cost)
Interest in 2 or 3 days of climbing
Whether you need to borrow any club gear
Emergency contact name and phone number (cannot be a trip participant)
Allergies and medical issues for each participant (will remain confidential)
Short description of each participant’s level of climbing experience (indoor and outdoor) plus expectations/goals for the trip (sport climbing, anchor building, grades of interest, “getting outside with women”, etc).

If the number of applicants exceeds the trip capacity, expectations and application completeness will be reviewed to ensure a cohesive group experience, and a waitlist will be generated.
