Location: Victory House, Club 300 Room at the Epicenter, 3215 Coffey Lane, Santa Rosa
Date and Time: Tuesday, December 2, 2025 @ 7:30 PM (Social hour at 6:30)

Steve Curtis, the consummate international globe trotter to climbing areas great and small, will share his recent travels to Israel in 2023 and Malawi-Ethiopia in 2024. Israel was not a climbing trip. However, a climber climbs when there is overhanging rock, and Israel has overhanging limestone walls to 150 ft., usually associated with caves that hosted prehistoric human and livestock habitation.
Malawi-Ethiopia was a recommended climbing trip. Addis Ababa has a decent cliff 10 miles outside of town. Malawi has hundreds of granite walls including one at 3,500 feet tall whose distinguishing feature was the presence of baboons throwing dirt down on us while climbing.

November 4: Jerry Dodrill – A Life in the Landscape

Location: Victory House, Club 300 Room at the Epicenter, 3215 Coffey Lane, Santa Rosa
Date and Time: Tuesday, November 4, 2025 @ 7:30 PM (Social hour at 6:30)

Jerry Dodrill shares his personal story and images from an adventurous life climbing, exploring and photographing around the world. A sixth generation California native who grew up camping with grandparents in the Sierra Nevada, he began rock climbing in 1987 at fourteen years old. By the late ‘90s he had climbed the major walls in Yosemite, the Sierra 14ers, peaks in South America and across the American West. A passion for first ascents led him to establish many new routes in the North Bay, Mt. St. Helena, Sonora Pass, and the High Sierra, in addition to international expeditions. He was assistant to legendary adventure photographer Galen Rowell and has worked alongside some of the top American landscape photographers of our time. After twenty five years committed to his craft, Jerry has emerged as a prominent nature and conservation photographer, educator, and expedition guide for Visionary Wild and The Ansel Adams Gallery. When not guiding clients to Greenland, Central Asia or other destinations, he lives on the Sonoma Coast where he and partner Deanna run Dodrill Gallery selling fine art prints.

October 7: Social Gathering at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, Kenwood, CA

Location: Group Campsite at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, Kenwood, CA

Date & Time: Tuesday, October 7, 2025 starting @ 5:00 PM

We plan to have a social gathering at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park in Kenwood at the group campsite. There are bouldering and rope climbing opportunities in the park as well as hiking and biking. We plan to have a BBQ (bring your own food and drinks) and the opportunity to camp out Tuesday night. We should have daylight to climb until about 7:00 PM.

The park is located at 2605 Adobe Canyon Road in Kenwood. The group campsite is located at the end of the road at the observatory.

September 2: Kaare Iverson – Half Life

Location: Victory House, Club 300 Room at the Epicenter, 3215 Coffey Lane, Santa Rosa

Date & Time: Tuesday, September 2, 2025 @ 7:30 PM (Social hour at 6:30)

Half Life
After postponing a routine screening, athlete and artist Kirk Keeler is diagnosed with terminal cancer. The news is devastating—but rather than retreat, Kirk chooses to confront it head-on. Drawing on a lifetime of resilience, he commits himself to raising awareness so others don’t make the same mistake. To amplify his message, he partners with professional climber Kevin Jorgeson for an ascent of Yosemite’s Half Dome.

Santa Rosa based filmmaker Kaare Iverson will be presenting a special pre-release screening of his new documentary Half Life. Half Life follows cancer patient and local athlete Kirk Keeler as he teams up with Kevin Jorgeson to climb Half Dome. Kaare will give audiences a behind-the-scenes look at production, including how he hauled a cinema camera up Half Dome, and what it’s like to steward an end-of-life story.

See more of Kaare’s work at www.kaareiverson.com

August 5: Heidi Wirtz and Petch Pietrolungo: The Frog and the Princess – From Dirtbags to Climbing Guides

Location: Victory House, Club 300 Room at the Epicenter, 3215 Coffey Lane, Santa Rosa

Date & Time: Tuesday, August 5, 2025 @ 7:30 PM (Social hour at 6:30)

A story of toils, climbing, travel, life choices and love under your nose. From the Humboldt Redwood Coast to the limestone crags of Kalymnos, the beautiful granite spires of the Bugaboos, the dikes of Lovers Leap and more.

Heidi Wirtz is a professional climber, guide, and yogi with over 35 years of experience chasing adventure on remote big walls and mountains around the globe. A pioneer in female exploration, she’s opened new routes in some of the world’s wildest places and continues to inspire others through her passion for nature, movement, and mindful living. Heidi is an AMGA-certified Rock Guide and Apprentice Alpine & Ski Guide, working toward full IFMGA certification. With over three decades of guiding experience, she blends technical expertise with a deep commitment to personal transformation. She’s the founder of Earth Play Retreats, which combines climbing, yoga, and nature connection to create powerful, life-shifting experiences. Heidi is also the co-founder of Girls Education International, a nonprofit that supports education for girls and women in underserved communities worldwide.

Petch Pietrolungo has been climbing since 1989 and brings the same relentless stoke to guiding as he does to his personal climbing. As the owner of Lover’s Leap Guides, he has developed more routes at Lover’s Leap than anyone else, with additional first ascents across Northern Humboldt, the Trinity Alps, Sugarloaf, and the Highway 50 corridor. Beyond climbing, Petch is a dedicated steward of Lover’s Leap. He has single-handedly built and maintained many of the area’s trails, playing a key role in preserving access and improving the experience for all climbers. An AMGA Certified Rock Instructor, Petch is known for his bold soloing, creative route development, and record-setting endurance—holding the record for the most pitches climbed in a single day at Lover’s Leap. His signature Birthday Challenges push clients to climb a pitch for every year of their life, turning milestones into unforgettable adventures.

August 15-18: Lassen Climbing and Camping Trip

The Rock Ice & Mountain Club has reserved Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights at a large group campsite at Gurnsey Creek Campground, which is located between Lassen Volcanic National Park and Lake Almanor near Chester, CA. We would like to extend an open invitation and are excited to partner with Women’s Lead Club on this trip.

The trip is open to all past and present Rock Ice & Mountain Club members and members of Women’s Lead Club. There is no cost to attend and we encourage everyone and their families to join us.

This area in northeast California has a variety of climbing and outdoor options. In the Park, there is traditional and sport climbing at the Plug and Eagle Peak and incredible bouldering below the Eagle Peak crag. In Warner Valley near Chester is the Loading Zone which is a single pitch top ropable traditional crag and Fallout Zone, which is a steep sport crag.

There are numerous other isolated crags within one to two hours of the campground. Most all of the climbing areas are listed in the Mountain Project database. We also have guidebooks to the area. In addition to climbing, there is incredible hiking in the Park as well as boating on Lake Almanor.

The group campsite consists of 14 individual campsites so there will be lots of options to join other campers at a site or possibly have your own campsite.

To sign up you can direct message @rimclub or @womensleadclub through Instagram or email us at [email protected]

June 3 – Nick Lozica – From Gym to Alpine

Location: Victory House, Club 300 Room at the Epicenter, 3215 Coffey Lane, Santa Rosa

Date & Time: Tuesday, June 3, 2025 @ 7:30 PM (Social hour at 6:30)

Nick Lozica first started climbing in the gym at the age of 10. As he progressed as a climber so did his skills in the mountains. He has climbed everywhere from the gym and the Oceanside boulders of Mickey’s beach to the high mountains of the Alaska Range. As well as a climber and skier, Nick is also a mountain guide and facilities experiences for others in the mountains. Come listen to stories of dirt bagging, misadventures and time in the high mountains. Nick is sponsored by Zag Skies, FNGRJAM and works for Blackbird Mountain Guides and San Juan Mountain Guides.

May 6 – Climbing Meet-Up at Session Climbing

Location: Session Climbing, 965 S A St, Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Date & Time: Tuesday, May 6, 2025 from 6 – 9 PM

We are mixing it up for our May General Meeting by having a climbing meet-up at Session Climbing in Santa Rosa, CA.
Session is offering a discount on their day pass entry for Rock Ice & Mountain Club members including rental gear.
If you are not a club member, you can sign up during the meet-up. There are many benefits of being a Rock Ice & Mountain Club member, including a single day pass entry to Session Climbing.
We plan to meet between 6 – 9 PM. If you are not interested in climbing or a work out, please still feel free to attend as it will be a social event as well.

April 1 – Vegar Abelsnes: Exploring Antartica – Photo Guide and Voyage Photographer

Location: Victory House, Club 300 Room at the Epicenter, 3215 Coffey Lane, Santa Rosa

Date & Time: Tuesday, April 1, 2025 @ 7:30 PM (Social hour at 6:30)

In December of last year, Vegar Abelsnes embarked on his first journey from Ushuaia to Antarctica, where he had the privilege of working as a photo guide and voyage photographer on three separate trips across the Antarctic Peninsula over the course of a month. From close encounters with whales, penguins, seals, and albatrosses, to rare sightings of moss, grass, and even a fossilized leaf millions of years old, it was an unforgettable adventure. Through the lens, Vegar captured not just the stunning landscapes, but also the raw beauty of a continent that few have the opportunity to experience. It’s an incredibly beautiful yet very harsh environment, with an overwhelming expanse of snow and ice that has accumulated over millions of years in this white desert called the 7th continent. Join Vegar as he shares the sights, stories, and challenges of photographing and filming the experience of visiting the most remote place on Earth.

Vegar Abelsnes is a Norwegian born professional photographer based in Petaluma, CA who has travelled the world to experience the vastness and beauty of our planet.  He developed his craft at the San Francisco Art Institute and in 2024 he joined Polar Latitudes as a photo guide and voyage photographer and has made three trips to the Antarctic peninsula.