Climbers and climbing advocates gathered from around the country to join the Bay Area Climbers Coalition and the Access Fund for the Access Fund’s Climbing Advocacy Summit and annual fundraising dinner in Oakland on September 9.
The summit featured a series of panel discussions on topics ranging from bolt replacement to the current political climate surrounding the preservation of public lands. Among the attendees were professional athletes, policy experts, outdoor brand representatives, leaders of local climbing organizations, and regular climbers looking to get involved to help protect the places we love to climb. More information about the event and presentations can be found here.
The dinner was a red carpet affair, featuring a heartfelt keynote presentation by Jimmy Chin and appearances from athletes spanning generations of climbers from Sasha DiGiulian and Tommy Caldwell to Peter Croft and John Long. Over 300 attendees bonded over our shared passions for the mountains, preserving our public outdoor spaces, and free beer. It was an evening to remember.
Show and Tell
The day after the dinner, the Bay Area Climbers Coalition came together with the Access Fund Conservation Team and regional gym partners Touchstone and Planet Granite for a stewardship education event at Indian Rock / Castle Rock in the South Bay. Together, climbers and industry leaders discussed current partnerships and goals for stewardship in the Bay Area and beyond.Through a guided tour of previous projects at Indian Rock, attendees learned about a variety of topics, including:
- some trail building basics
- a brief history of work done in the area
- types of climber impact that affect Indian Rock / Summit Rock / Castle Rock
- land manager relationships in the area
- unique challenges we face as a rapidly expanding climbing community
- destination stewardship and the future of climbing conservation
- ideas from the community for moving forward
The event wrapped up with a Rebolting Show + Tell guided by Bay Area Climbers Coalition’s Fixed Anchor Replacement Team. Attendees got a first-hand look at the following:
- current rebolting efforts (whats, hows, & whys)
- old hardware that’s been removed
- new hardware that we are using to replace old bolts
- a brief history of bolting / rebolting in Castle Rock State Park and climber/land-manager relationships
- what all climbers can do to support rebolting efforts
This Show + Tell allowed climbers and community leaders to get to know each other and dive deep into stewardship concepts that might only get superficially covered at our other Adopt-a-Crag or community events.
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