Kancha Vertical in Ecuador
serving 30+ youth through climbing, culture and conservation
about Kancha vertical
Kacha Vertical is a climbing initiative of the organization “Aqui y Ahora” (“Here and Now”).
Based in Susudel, Ecuador
Serving over 30 youth
Founded in 2022
Current goal: Training guides
K.V. organizes outdoor climbing trips with a focus on cultivating local indigenous culture and a growing awareness around the conservation of biodiversity in their area.
“In a context of high poverty (62.7%) and youth migration, this project connects sport climbing with holistic education, environmental conservation, and sustainable tourism. “
“With the support of the community and strategic partners, Kancha Vertical aims to consolidate by 2026 a replicable model that empowers more than 30 children and adolescents, protects the local ecosystem, and energizes the parish economy, aligning with government development priorities and impact‑investment needs.”
Current goal: training “Wambras Guías”
Kancha Vertical is currently looking for collaborators to certify the older participants to be able to work as guides, and invest in the local climbing tourism alongside the locals.
Their Methodology
“The narrative of Kancha Vertical is the story of how the rock becomes a school, how sport becomes opportunity, and how the territory becomes a future for the rural youth of Susudel. We are not simply training climbers; we are shaping young people who can remain in their territory with opportunities, identity, and a promising future.
The project begins with an urgent reality (poverty and migration), presents an innovative and validated solution (climbing and the R.O.C.A. methodology), and projects itself toward a future of prosperity (community tourism, youth leadership, and sustainable development). Kancha Vertical is more than a sports club; it is the engine of transformation that Susudel needs so that its young people do not have to leave, but can stay to build their future on their own land and their own rock, with belonging and pride.é”
Who are Isa and mattias?
Isa and Mattias have been cutivating Aquí y Ahora since 2022 and are still very passionate about their work. Mattias had experience in working in video production and a children’s film festival, and Isa was finishing a thesis involving the social impact of anti-capitalism.
As they talk about developing Aqui y Ahora over the years, integrating ecological and cultural activities, you can sense their academic framework for impact - ranging from the psychological and socio-emotional to the economic and geographical - as well as their own very strong personal ties with the families they worked with.