The Climbing Advocate The Climbing Advocate

This month’s episode features two rockstars out of the Southeast. Meagan Evans, Executive Director of the Southeast Climbers Coalition (SCC) and Daniel Dunn, Access Fund’s Southeast Regional Manager. Together they have worked to steward and conserve some of the region’s most cherished climbing landscapes. Most recently, the SCC protected a 58-acre boulderfield in northern Alabama known as The Citadel Boulders—an area that the SCC has been working to protect for nearly 20 years. Now the SCC, along with other major partners, are focusing their efforts on how climbing can contribute to broader conservation efforts in the Southeast.

From Tennessee to Georgia and Alabama, the Southeastern U.S. is home to some of the most impressive and expansive climbing resources in the country. Within that area, the SCC sees thousands of annual climber visits resulting in a remarkable economic impact for the region. Climbers bring in millions of dollars in spending, supporting thousands of jobs. We wrap up the episode exploring some of these economic contributions and how climbing will play a big role in future conservation efforts.

4:46- Meg’s intro
9:26- Daniel’s intro
13:18- The Citadel acquisition
20:46- The early days of the Citadel boulders
24:08- Using strategic messaging to communicate about threatened areas
33:13- Citadel size and characteristics
36:36- Stewardship and infrastructure at the Citadel
39:49 Alabama’s Recreational Use Statute
47:16- Categories of land protection
55:15- Climbing economics and the future of conservation in the southeast
1:03:20- Accelerating climbing access in Tennessee

Southeastern Climbers Coalition - https://www.seclimbers.org


SCC’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/seclimbers/


Citadel Secured! - https://www.accessfund.org/latest-news/victory-iconic-southeast-bouldering-area-secured


Citadel Boulders - https://www.seclimbers.org/project/the_citadel_boulders/


Tennessee Economic Impact Study - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RJKqRlzX29oYP1aPusRjP5BGdwcd7MWT/view?usp=sharing


Tennessee Access Accelerator Report - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dfuvshG9GZrVliDEdRNkKUB8Pgd1L6UY/view?usp=sharing


Access Fund's Acquisition History - https://www.accessfund.org/capabilities/acquisition-history


Access Fund's Land Holdings & Conservation Easements - https://www.accessfund.org/capabilities/land-holdings

On today’s episode, we host two conversations to recap Access Fund’s 2023 Annual Climbing Advocacy Conference in Bentonville, Arkansas. First with Dave Thompson, president of the Arkansas Climbers Coalition, and then with Crystal Hudelson and Keith Murakata with Climbers of Color.

Dave shares insight into how the explosion of tourism in Arkansas has garnered support for climbing among land managers at the state and federal level and for future conservation opportunities. Dave says that Arkansas is a great stop along the way while traveling through the southeast, but it may not be long before Arkansas is seen as a major hub for climbing and recreation across the U.S.

Crystal and Keith attended the conference to receive their 2022 Climbing Advocate Award for their exemplary work in lifting up leaders of color in the outdoor industry with Climbers of Color (CoC). The CoC is a Washington-based nonprofit that provides mentorship and technical training in climbing, mountaineering, and backcountry skiing. Additionally, the CoC is deeply invested in conservation and stewardship work at their local climbing areas, working on crag development, rebolting, and trail building.

Tune in to hear more about climbing in Arkansas and how climbers continue to demonstrate leadership in training folks to not only be better climbers, but better people.

Dave Thompson
4:15 - Dave Thompson’s intro
5:43- Dave’s experience at the 2023 Annual Conference
9:09- The Arkansas Climbers Coalition
18:28- Models for conservation
20:27- Explosion of tourism in Arkansas
30:45- Economic impact study
37:27- Future of the ARCC
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Crystal Hudelson and Keith Murakata
41:30- Crystal’s intro
42:51- Keith’s intro
44:59- Experience at the 2023 Annual Conference
50:18- Land acknowledgement vs. land introduction
52:57- Climbers of Color
59:10- Gritscone Crag maintenance
1:08:17- Future Gritscone stewardship opportunities

Arkansas Climber Coalition website: https://www.arkansasclimbers.org/
ARCC’s Instagram: @arkansasclimberscoalition
Become a member of the ARCC: https://www.arkansasclimbers.org/join-now
Climbers of Color website: https://www.climbersofcolor.org/
CoC’s Instagram: @climbersofcolor
Crystal’s Instagram: @aroseontherock
CoC Events: https://www.climbersofcolor.org/events

On today’s episode, Erik Murdock returns to take a deep dive into an issue that Access Fund and the climbing community have worked on for decades: how fixed anchors are managed in Wilderness areas. It’s an issue that requires context, history, and nuance, which is what this episode delivers.

Erik begins with a thorough history of climbing in America’s Wilderness areas, then we get into the finer details of why managing fixed anchors in these places is a big deal right now. As Erik explains, recently released guidance from the National Park Service and US Forest Service will have serious implications if implemented. Join us for a deep dive into this issue, and submit your comment to the NPS and USFS on their management guidance before January 30th here.

5:12- The early conversations around wilderness - are fixed anchors allowable or prohibited?
8:28- Erik's opening on fixed anchors and wilderness
27:04- Why are fixed anchors being managed now?
30:42- Managing fixed anchors outside of wilderness
41:13- Climbers supporting past wilderness designations
51:23- Protect America's Rock Climbing (PARC) Act
59:26- Minimum Requirements Analysis (MRA) in more depth
1:04:35- Will fixed hardware be removed from existing routes?
1:09:27- Where do we go from here?

Wilderness Climbing FAQ: https://www.accessfund.org/latest-news/wilderness-climbing-faq

Bolt Prohibition Action Alert: https://www.accessfund.org/latest-news/action-alert-stop-the-bolt-prohibition

National Park Service Comment Submission Form (due by Jan 30th, 2024): https://parkplanning.nps.gov/commentForm.cfm?documentID=132387

US Forest Service Comment Submission Form (due by Jan 30th, 2024): https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public/CommentInput?project=ORMS-3524

On this month’s episode, we chat with Andrew Staff, president of the Illinois Climbers Association (ICA). Andrew’s experience climbing in southern Illinois spans over two decades, so it’s safe to say that he has intimate knowledge of the local climbing and a strong connection with the local community.

What the ICA has been able to accomplish over the past 20+ years is exemplary. Whether it’s stewarding or purchasing climbing areas or establishing trustworthy relationships with state and federal land managers, we should be proud to have the ICA as a part of our community. Illinois may not be the first place that comes to mind when thinking of climbing in the U.S., but Andrew convinces us otherwise. Tune in to hear more from Andrew and discover a place that still sits under the radar.

6:14- Andrew’s intro
10:26- Andrew’s favorite places to climb
12:42- History of the ICA
28:21- Statewide representation
35:21- Approaching a federal agency vs. a state agency
46:04- “Cooperation” as an organizational value
51:58- The opening of Ferne Clyff
1:03:13- Best ways to support the ICA
1:10:28- Parting words

Illinois Climbers Association website: https://www.ilclimbers.org/
Illinois Climbers Association Instagram: @illinoisclimbersassociation
Support the ICA: https://www.ilclimbers.org/giveback

Today we are joined by zoologist and founder of Climbers for Bat Conservation, Rob Schorr. Rob has a particular passion for bats, which can be somewhat elusive and challenging to study given where they often roost. That’s where climbers come in.

Around 10 years ago, Rob recognized an opportunity to partner with climbers to expand research on bat ecology. Since climbers and bats share the same vertical landscape, climbers are able to provide Rob and other scientists with information that they could not gather from capturing bats on the ground.

Bats are largely misunderstood by the public. Rob’s work demystifies these unique animals while also gaining a better understanding of bat ecology and conservation. Working with climbers has provided Rob with invaluable information, and he is incredibly psyched to continue working with the community as conservation partners.

3:45- Rob’s intro
5:54- Work outside of bats
11:50- Rob’s initial interest in bats
12:53- Misconceptions about bats
19:22- Climbers coming to the picture
23:19- Approaching bat research using climbers
27:50- Trends seen over the last ten years
32:23- Identifying guano
37:09- Primary concerns from human disturbance
44:07- Climbers for Bat Conservation
45:07- CBC projects and public engagements
49:18- Where to submit data and observations
51:01- Will there ever be bat closures?
54:36- Educational resources on bats

Climbers for Bat Conservation’s website: https://climbersforbats.colostate.edu/

Climbers for Bat Conservation’s Instagram: @climbers_for_bat_conservation

Global Climbing Initiative’s Best Practices Chapter on Bat Conservation: https://globalclimbing.org/best-practices/climbers-and-bat-conservation

Bat Conservation International: https://www.batcon.org/

Our guest for this episode is Western Massachusetts Climbers Coalition (WMCC) operating director, Stephanie Giguere. Stephanie recently took on this leadership role after spending multiple years as a volunteer with the organization.

In the past few years, WMCC has worked through a couple of major projects, securing access to important regional crags like Farley Ledges and Hanging Mountain. Stephanie walks us through some of the finer details of these two projects, which required coordination with private landowners, funding sources, and community support to ensure they succeed.

WMCC is a great example of an LCO that’s making an incredible contribution to the larger network of nearly 150 local climbing organizations across the country. The knowledge and expertise of local climbers is imperative to the success of sustaining climbing access for the future.

3:10- Stephanie’s intro and climbing in Massachusetts
7:30- Stephanie's climbing story
9:30- Climbing history in Western Mass
15:57- Stephanie's role with the WMCC
22:23- Funding an executive director-type position
24:52- WMCC's jurisdiction in MA
27:36- Land management and ownership of climbing areas in the East
30:02- The Farley Ledges project
39:44- Lessons from the Farley Ledges project
44:14- The Hanging Mountain Project
48:23- Funding resources for Hanging Mountain
54:26- Final thoughts

WMCC’s Instagram: @wmcc_climb_gneiss
WMCC’s website: https://climbgneiss.org/
Access Color Codes: https://climbgneiss.org/about-color-codes/