Sandy has been involved with the Access Fund for over 30 years as a donor, trusted partner, and passionate climber. If you asked Sandy what inspired him to become a climbing advocate, he would first tell you that he doesn’t consider himself an advocate, but rather just a regular climber who has been given a lifetime of enjoyment from climbing and is grateful to be able to give back. Sandy made his first gift to Access Fund in the late 1980s and has continued to contribute every year since. He shared climbing with members of mountain clubs across the country and world, and later with his two children. When he and his wife Gale began to write their will, they learned they could leave a portion of their estate to organizations of their choice, and Sandy immediately thought of Access Fund. While Sandy might be “just” a regular climber, his estate gift ensures that his passion for climbing and climbing access will be part of his legacy. He is a reminder that all of us—whether we’re responding to a policy action alert, picking up trash, building a trail, or making a donation—have a role to play in protecting America’s climbing.
Four Questions for Sandy Dunlap:
How did you get started as a climber?
I first started climbing in Spring 1965 as a freshman at Dartmouth. I was required to take a physical education course and—tired of running track and inspired by reading Annapurna and K2: The Savage Mountain as a kid—I decided to sign up for rock climbing. The course involved climbing Bartlett Tower, a circular, granite tower on campus where they would set up top ropes off the metal bars in the windows. I was immediately hooked and I joined the Dartmouth Mountaineering Club, and every fall and spring from then on out I helped with teaching the course. After graduation I was in the army for two years and then moved to Boston, climbing all over New England and the Gunks for 10 years. Next we were off to England, then Oregon, and Boulder. Throughout, climbing remained a constant source of satisfaction and comfort in my life. I knew that no matter what was going on in the world or my work, I could rely on climbing to bring me to the present, to narrow my focus to that specific time and place, my partners, and the rock.
What first motivated you to become involved with Access Fund?
I moved to Boulder in the mid 1980’s and became a member of the American Alpine Club. At an AAC meeting in ‘88 or ‘89, Armando Menocal stood up and spoke about a new fund within the AAC called the Access Fund, and how their focus would be on protecting access to climbing areas. Having cut my teeth climbing on a lot of private and public land that could be threatened by bureaucracy or a land manager’s risk tolerance—like Ragged Mountain in Connecticut—I immediately saw the importance of an organization focused on access. I wrote a check for $50 that day, and have been fortunate to be able to increase my giving and continue supporting Access Fund every year since.
What’s your favorite cause in climbing advocacy right now?
One of the most important things to me is stewardship of individual crags, and taking a preventative rather than a reactive approach to access issues. Local climbing organizations like Boulder Climbing Community (BCC) are uniquely positioned to be the eyes and ears on the ground of their local crags. They are the protectors, and can know the different land managers of each crag and identify potential access issues before they develop, such as trail conditions and crowding, trash, parking, or bathroom problems. BCC is well positioned to play this frontline role, but if a larger access issue is looming, they can call in Access Fund for financial and technical support. This also allows BCC to act as an early warning system to alert Access Fund to issues that could spread and become an issue nationally, like we’re now seeing with the potential Wilderness bolting prohibition. This symbiotic relationship between LCOs and Access Fund is so important to protecting climbing access both locally and nationally.
What does leaving a climbing legacy mean to you?
I’m now in my late 70’s, and I can’t say I climb all that often anymore. My son and I went out once this year and it wasn’t pretty. But my heart is still in it, and my wife and I are fortunate to be in a position to include the Access Fund as a recipient of a portion of our estate upon our deaths. It was an easy decision 15 years ago when we realized we might have enough to actually leave something. It is an even more satisfying decision today, as the role of the Access Fund is evermore vital in the national arena. Learn more about planned giving here.