The Climbing Advocate

Today’s episode is a tribute to one of the most influential characters in the climbing community and the original climbing advocate: Armando Menocal. Armando was a civil rights lawyer turned climber and is known by many as the dedicated founder of Access Fund. He passed away in October 2024 at the age of 83 after a battle with cancer. This episode is a short collection of words from some of his closest friends and colleagues honoring his memory. Armando’s experience and leadership as a civil rights lawyer representing underserved communities translated well to advocating for climbing access on public lands amid fierce controversy during the rise of sport climbing in the ‘80s and ‘90s. His vision for an inclusive climbing community—embracing all styles, including sport climbing and fixed hardware—helped shape the landscape we enjoy today and contributed to the recent passage of the Protecting America’s Rock Climbing (PARC) Act. Enjoy this heart-warming episode celebrating Armando’s kindness and his vision for the future of climbing. Thank you to Brady Robinson, Rick Accomazzo, Allen Sanderson, David Rosenstein, Kika Bradford, and Rick Thompson for contributing to this episode. Brady Robinson- 3:20 Rick Accomazzo- 27:54 David Rosenstein- 31:40 Allen Sanderson- 34:41 Kika Bradford- 38:57 Rick Thompson- 44:43

Today’s episode features multiple guests who all bring a unique perspective and area of expertise to the topic of climbing and climate resiliency. The first half of the episode features Brian Tickle, Access Fund’s National Acquisitions & Texas Regional Director and Joel Houser, Director of Capital Grants with the Open Space Institute. Together, Brian and Joel break down some of the basics of what climate resiliency is and how it influences the climbing landscape and beyond. In our second conversation, Daniel Dunn, Access Fund’s Eastern Regional Access Director & Policy Analyst and Charlie Mix, GIS Director at the University of Tennessee - Chattanooga, take a deeper dive into how future climbing conservation opportunities are being identified around Tennessee through a lens of climate resiliency. Through comprehensive mapping and analysis looking at a variety of different environmental, social and economic factors, Access Fund has a guide to accelerate climbing access in Tennessee. 4:10- Brian’s intro 5:04- Joel’s intro 5:58- What is the Open Space Institute? 8:57- Defining “climate resiliency” 11:43- Open Space Institute & Access Fund working together 16:10- Joel's experience visiting North Carolina post-hurricanes 21:37- Adaptation vs. Mitigation 23:34- Does climbing matter? 25:22- When Access Fund started looking at climate resiliency 28:56- Acquisitions that rank high in climate resiliency 30:26- Does climbing matter from Brian's perspective 33:15- Why should climbers care about climate resiliency? 38:27- Daniel's intro 39:11- Charlie's intro 42:09- Recap of the Tennessee Accelerator Report 43:54- Charlie's involvement with the Accelerator Report 48:43- Describing The Nature Conservancy's Resilient Landscape Mapping Tool 58:26- Areas that don't score high in climate resiliency 1:00:55- Denny Cove: the poster child for climate resiliency 1:10:25- Results of the analysis: the 3 primary priority areas 1:17:25- Where to find the Tennessee Accelerator Report Tennessee Accelerator Report: https://www.accessfund.org/tennessee-access-accelerator Does Climbing Matter?: https://www.accessfund.org/latest-news/does-climbing-matter GIS Program at UT-Chattanooga: https://www.utc.edu/research/interdisciplinary-geospatial-technology-lab/igtlab-faculty-and-staff Open Space Institute: https://www.openspaceinstitute.org/

Today’s episode features Access Fund’s new executive director, Heather Thorne. Heather joins Access Fund with nearly 30 years of climbing experience and nearly 15 years after she began climbing, advocacy helped save one of her favorite crags. Coming from a long background working in the tech industry, she aspires to apply a scientific approach and use a high level of creativity for how the organization approaches opportunities and challenges. Heather hit the ground running in her new role. Whether it’s traveling to meet with other advocates or local organizations in Access Fund’s orbit, or getting up to speed with fixed anchors in Wilderness areas, or other aspects of Access Fund’s core programming, she is applying that scientific method to lead the organization forward. 6:09- Heather’s intro 10:20- Athlete to advocate 14:30- Parallels between the tech industry and outdoor advocacy 19:29- Heather's work travels 25:04- Updates on fixed anchors in Wilderness areas 25:25- Minimum Requirements Analysis (MRA) process 35:14- The Mentorship Campaign 44:31- Climber stewards + general outreach and education 50:55- Reflections on the Outdoor Alliance board retreat 54:34- What's next for Access Fund & Heather's vision Heather’s intro: https://www.accessfund.org/latest-news/access-fund-announces-heather-thorne-as-new-executive-director Climber Survey (closes on September 10th, 2024): https://www.accessfund.org/latest-news/take-our-2024-climber-survey Fixed anchors: https://www.accessfund.org/latest-news/whats-next-for-wilderness-climbing Mentorship campaign: https://www.accessfund.org/latest-news/join-us-in-mentoring-responsible-climbers Impact Map: https://www.accessfund.org/impact-map Outdoor Alliance: https://www.outdooralliance.org/

This month’s episode features Loryn Posladek and Kyle Leihsing who are leading the charge on national stewardship efforts representing Access Fund’s Conservation Team. For the last five years, Loryn and Kyle have traversed the country dedicating themselves to assisting LCOs and other conservation partners on building sustainable trails and other critical infrastructure at our beloved climbing areas. Loryn and Kyle highlight trends they have noticed over the years regarding stewardship participation, what can be done to continue to improve the experience for the participants, and how to get more climbers engaged in stewardship activities. There appears to be a large gap in the number of recreationists that consistently access public land for recreation purposes but don’t necessarily participate in the activities that are aimed at stewarding these resources. We round out the conversation getting into the multi-year process they have been a part of creating adaptive access at the Thumb and Needle in Estes Park, Colorado. 6:31 - Loryn and Kyle’s intros 7:58 - Changes in the Conservation Team program 10:48 - What keeps them coming back year after year 14:28 - Current project in Rumney 18:21 - What areas are still left on the list to visit? 21:35 - Going from athlete to advocate 27:59 - onX Backcountry's Breaking Trails Report & the "stewardship gap" 42:58 - "Trail dogs" and the new archetype of climber 45:30 - Bridging the stewardship gap through mentorship 51:11 - Creating adaptive trails in Estes Park, CO 1:02:38 - 2024 plans for the Thumb and Needle Access Fund’s Conservation Teams: https://www.accessfund.org/latest-news/meet-your-2024-climbing-conservation-teams onX Backcountry’s Breaking Trails Report: https://www.onxmaps.com/onx-access-initiatives/breaking-trails Prospect Mountain (Thumb and Needle) on Mountain Project: https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105860404/prospect-mountain

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/