Last month, Washington Climbers Coalition (WCC) and Access Fund launched the multi-year Washington Climbing Conservation Initiative to improve sustainability of popular climbing areas like the Gold Bar Boulders, Index, Tieton, and Exit 38’s Far Side.

The Access Fund-Jeep Conservation Team will spend 10 weeks this year working alongside WCC and community volunteers to improve these climbing areas. Gold Bar will get improved trail alignments after a recent clear cut, as well as a more sustainable landing zone for the Equinox boulder. Far Side at Exit 38 will see formalization of appropriate trails and closing of redundant social trails. The Conservation Team will continue stabilization of the cliff side trail and staging areas at Index Lower Town Wall, a project they began in 2012. And finally, Tieton will see stabilization of staging areas and erosion control at the Royal Columns, a popular area for larger groups.

WCC and the Conservation Team have already wrapped up three weeks of work at Gold Bar, followed by a partnership with Washington Department of Natural Resources and the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust to complete work at the Far Side climbing area at Exit 38. Next up is Index.

The Washington Climbing Conservation Initiative is getting broad support from local climbing-oriented businesses and organizations and is poised to make a big difference in the sustainability of Washington’s climbing resources.

The Conservation Team will be in Washington through the end of September and will be looking for volunteers to lend a hand. For more information, visit washingtonclimbers.org/index.php/stewardship-events.

Photos courtesy of © Truc Allen.