Crispy fall conditions are right around the corner—the best time for projecting new routes and kicking off new advocacy projects alike. In the midst of this busy season, be sure to carve out some time for this year’s Climbing Advocacy Conference in Chattanooga, Tennessee on November 11-12—check out the details below.

We’re also excited to announce a new addition to the team that expands our ability to serve LCOs: Daniel Dunn joined Access Fund as the Southeast regional manager. His work will focus on stewardship, policy, acquisition projects, and local partnerships in the region. Welcome, Daniel!

I can’t wait to connect with the LCO community later this year in Chattanooga. See you there.

Jenna Winkler headshot
 

Jenna Winkler
National Affiliate Director

Climber ascends rock face.

© Bryan Miller

Register Now: 2022 Climbing Advocacy Conference

This year’s conference is shaping up to be one of the best yet—we’ve got new topics and speakers who are psyched to share their advocacy expertise. LCO staff and volunteers from around the country will be there swapping stories, wins, and lessons learned from advocacy work in their respective regions. We have two days of trainings, panels, and field visits planned—register now and scope out the draft agenda to see what sessions you want to attend.

© James Q. Martin

Grant Opportunities for LCOs

As you work on your 2023 budget to figure out how to fund your projects, don’t forget there are other sources of money out there in addition to Access Fund’s grant opportunities. To keep LCOs up to date on funding opportunities, we maintain a list of outside grants from across the outdoor industry that includes timelines for applications.

If you need a refresher on grant applications, you can watch the webinar we did on applying for grants with a few friends from LCOs and the Access Fund philanthropy team. Happy writing!

Group of people around a table.

LCO 101: The Tech Stack

With the multitude of goals any local climbing organization needs its tech stack to accomplish—member/donor database, marketing platform, volunteer management, website hosting, and more—it’s a daunting task to pick the right products and make them all work together. If your LCO is looking to upgrade its tech stack, or build one in the first place, check out this blog post for some bomber advice.

How to Partner with Your Local Climbing Gym

A few months ago, we asked LCOs to fill out a survey about their relationship with their local gyms. Eastern Pennsylvania Alliance of Climbers took the lead on compiling the data, and we’ve got the results ready for you. We were able to pinpoint what both LCOs and gyms are looking for and how they can support each other. The survey answers, as well as some ideas on how to build a better relationship with your local gym, are up on the blog now.

Movers & Shakers

Gunks Climbers’ Coalition (GCC)

Congratulations to GCC for making the final payment on the Climbing Conservation Loan that helped the group secure the Ant Lion crag. This permanently protected area adds a new backcountry crag to the Gunks, with routes ranging from 5.5 to 5.13. More info here.

Durango Climbers Coalition (DCC)

DCC hosted a successful Adopt a Crag at X-Rock in partnership with Access Fund, American Alpine Club, Southwest Conservation Corps (SCC), and La Plata County. The SCC Youth Corps worked prior to the event for two weeks on a trail reroute. Forty volunteers finished the reroute, installed 24 steps and four retaining walls, and removed roughly 500 pounds of trash from the property. More info here.

Carolina Climbers’ Coalition (CCC)

The Carolina Climbers Conservation Corp (C4) is back and ready to tackle more trails. CCC hired a team of climbers and trail builders in 2020 to provide new jobs and enhance access to local climbing areas. This crew has some big projects coming up and needs your help to make it happen. Consider donating to support CCC’s efforts. More info here.

Resource Center

  • The fall is one of the busiest times for Adopt a Crags. Make sure to register yours here so we can help with marketing and send you supplies.

  • Catch up on the latest podcast episodes from The Climbing Advocate to learn about respecting cultural resources from the founders of the Indigenous Field Guide, about how multiple LCOs work together across Pennsylvania, and how the executive director of the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) tackles similar advocacy issues.

  • Speaking of Indigenous Field Guide, check it out to learn how your LCO can educate your community on the importance of recognizing and respecting Indigenous spaces. Your LCO can sign the pledge here.