Access Fund Memberships Benefit Local Climbing!

Do you want to be able to support local and national climbing access in one easy step?

Of course you do! - and The Access Fund is making it really easy.

Why Should I become a Member?
The Access Fund recently announced a special member rate of $25 with a portion of that going directly to Mid-Atlantic Climbers!

And on top of that, if we bring in the most new memberships by December 18, Mid Atlantic Climbers will win a $1,000 grant for 2010! Money that will be used to fund future service events (like Rockfest and the Adopt-a-Crags events) but also helping to ensure local access at crags across the region.

How do I become a Member?
Fill out this form on the Access Fund's website- be sure to put “Mid Atlantic Climbers” in the Affiliate Organization box!

What are the Member Benefits?
As an Access Fund member, not only do you get the assurance that you’re helping the climbing community, you will also receive discounts on great outdoor gear and merchandise from:

• prAna
• Mountain Gear
• Zeal
• Rock & Ice
• and others

In addition to discounts on merchandise from the AF store, members also receive the Access Fund's newsletter Vertical Times 3x yearly. And of course, members know they are helping to protect our climbing areas at home and across the country.

Do not delay, become an Access Fund member for only $25 today and support Mid-Atlantic Climbers while you’re at it.

Minnewaska State Park Master Plan: Could open up more climbing at the Gunks!

On September 30th, 2009 A new Master Plan was completed for Minnewaska State Park, NY. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the park, Minnewaska State Park is located on the Shawangunk Ridge - just down the road from the world-famous climbs of the Gunks.



In recent history, most of the cliffs of Minnewaska have been closed to climbing, despite miles and miles of cliffs and many waterfalls. While the new master plan was drawn up in response to the park's newly aquired lands, it falls short of the hopes of the climbing community.



Here's what the Gunks Climbers Coalition, Board of Directors has to say:

... [the draft Master Plan] includes an extremely limited increase in climbing in the park to a handful of routes above the Peter's Kill at Dickie Barre. The ban within the park on climbing on the Palmaghatt Ravine multiple cliffs, Murrary Hill,Castle Point, Millbrook, Beacon Hill, and Lake Minnewaska cliffs continues. Climbing ban now also extends to the newly acquired lands including Awosting Reserve (Gertrudes Nose), the Shevchenko parcel crags, and Sam's Point. The ban on ice climbing within the park's numerous falls and flows continues as well. The climbing ban at Minnewaska represents the largest ban on climbing on public lands in the country.

emphasis added by MAC
-via http://www.gunksclimbers.org/

For More Info:
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091020/NEWS/910200313

http://www.nysparks.state.ny.us/inside-our-agency/public-documents.aspx


WHAT CAN I DO?

Write a Comment!

Let the Park Agencies know that you want more cliffs opened up to rock climbing in all of its forms!

***NEW**** Talking Points from GCC http://gunksclimbers.org/talkpoints.shtml


Contact:

Fred Williams, Deputy Director

NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

Bear Mountain, NY 10911

Phone: 845-786-2701

Fax: 845-786-2776

Email: fred.williams@oprhp.state.ny.us



Thomas B. Lyons, Director of Resource Management

NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

Empire State PlazaAgency Building 1 Albany, NY 12238

Phone: (518) 474-0409

Fax: (518) 474-7013

Email: thomas.lyons@oprhp.state.ny.us



Or E-mail Comments to: Minnewaska.Plan@oprhp.state.ny.us



-Chris Irwin

Fall Adopt-a-Crags - Another Huge Success For MAC!

7th Annual Adopt-a-Crag

For the past 7 years, local climbers, outdoor enthuasists, the Access Fund, Earth Treks, Sportrock and the National Park Service have come together to support our local crags with a day of volunteer work that aims to unite the outdoor community and preserve our precious natural resources. This fall, Mid Atlantic Climbers organized well over 100 volunteers and completed more than 10 individual projects.

At Great Falls Nat'l Park, VA:
On Sept. 5th, 2009 more than 50 volunteers came out in support of Mid Atlantic Climber's mission for the first Adopt-a-Crag event of the season. Four teams of volunteers tackled projects identified by National Park Service.

Projects included:
-brushing-in of a major social trail

-trail maintenance in a high-traffic area

-building a slit rail fence and,

-re-grading the path to Overlook 1

After the projects were completed volunteers were treated to a BBQ compliments of Sportrock Climbing Centers and a gear raffle from Mid Atlantic Climbers and the Access Fund.

Carderock, MD

Completed Projects from 2008 and 2009

At Carderock Recreation Area, MD:
On Sept. 26th, 2009 more than 70 volunteers including climbers, hikers and many from the Armed Forces took on several projects in prominent areas of the park. paying special attention to long term park preservation. In collaboration with the US Navy and the National Park Service's Volunteer Coordinator Kyle Anderson,

Projects included:

-Trail maintenance

- re-mulching of heavily trafficked trails

- Erosion control

- Brushing-in of significant social trails

- Replacing the retaining wall below Hades Heights.

After projects were completed, volunteers were treated to a BBQ hosted by EarthTreks Climbing Centers and a gear raffle from Mid Atlantic Climbers and the Access Fund.

A Huge Success deserves a Huge Thank You!

Mid Atlantic Climbers would like to thank this years Adopt-a-Crag partners including:

the Access Fund

REI

Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS)

Sportrock Climbing Centers

Earthtreks Climbing Gyms

Mid Atlantic Climbers would also like to extend a very special thank you to REI for their continued support of the Adopt-a-Crag events throughout the last 7 years! Definitely committed to the outdoor community!

Lastly, none of this would not have been possible without the dedication and enthusiasm of the individual volunteers.

To everyone who has ever participated in the Adopt-a-Crag series, Mid Atlantic Climbers would like to thank you for helping, and to say that we look forward to working with you in the future!

Earth Treks Columbia Gear Swap to Benefit MAC!

Earth Treks Columbia's Fall Community Gear Swap
Saturday, August 29th
9am to 5pm.

Earth Treks has generously offered 10% of the proceeds to Mid Atlantic Climbers / Access Fund. This is a great time to get rid of some of your old gear, or pick up some more gear at a great price!
There will be special "One-Day-Only" membership deals and a BBQ Lunch 11am-2pm ($5/ Free for members).
For more info Contact: derick@earthtreksclimbing.com
Earth Treks is also hosting a members only Night Climbing afterward from 6-8pm
This promises to be a unique experience: lights off and headlamps on!

Fall 2009 Adopt-a-Crag Events

In partnership with the Access Fund, local climbing organization the Mid-Atlantic Climbers invites volunteers to particiate in the 7th annual Adopt-a-Crag events this September at Great Falls National Park, VA and Carderock Recreation Area, MD.

The two events will take place on Saturday, September 5th in Great Falls Park, VA and Saturday, September 26th in Carderock Recreation Area, MD. Volunteers will work with the park service on erosion control, trail maintenance, and other projects to ensure the resources at these national parks remain accessible to all visitors. This year, Adopt-a-Crag program will host clean-ups at over 100 climbing areas around the country including Great Falls and Carderock. Both events are supported by generous donations from Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), W.L. Gore, Eastern Mountain Sports and CLIF BAR.

Last year's DC area Adopt-a-Crag events were supported by over 250 volunteers. For two days, climbers helped lay down over five tons of gravel, three tons of wood chips, and removed several thousand pounds of trash. Volunteers also helped to maintain several miles of trails and wilderness areas that are used by visitors and climbers alike throughout the year.

For more information about Access Fund as well as other Adopt-a-Crag events please visit ( www.accessfund.org/adopt ),

No experience is necessary, this your chance to help sustain our most precious resource as rock climbers -our local crag.

To volunteer please contact Mid-Atlantic Climbers at midatlanticclimbers@gmail.com for more information.

Dates and Locations:
Saturday, September 5, 2009 at Great Falls National Park, Great Falls, VA
Saturday, September 26, 2009 at Carderock Recreation Area, MD

Time: 9:00am-2:00pm, check-in at 8:30am

Timbering in Coopers Rock State Forest!

The Division of Forestry has announced a public tour to review proposed timbering in Coopers Rock State Forest.

You can have input on this if you attend a public tour on Saturday, July 25th at 10am.

Meet in the Day Use Parking lot of Coopers Rock State Forest. This is the very first parking lot on the right. The tour will involve a one to two mile hike on trails, old roads and on uneven ground in the woods. Please wear appropriate footwear and clothing. If you have been to Coopers Rock in the past 3 or 4 months you have seen timbering.

This timbering was done for the purpose of clearing an electrical line pathway. There has been significant cutting for this project. Many times the gravel placed on the roads for this project was large and very difficult to travel by foot or bike. Some of the roads built for the purpose of getting to the timber were daylighted eliminating any tree canopy for shade. We don't want this kind of practice to continue in future timbering projects in the forest.

This public walk through is to review a plan for a true timbering project. Please come for a walk in the woods and have your presence felt and your voice heard by the Forest Service.

WHEN: Saturday, July 25th 10am

WHERE: Meet at the Day Use Parking Lot of Coopers Rock State Forest

QUESTIONS: Adventure's Edge 304.296.9007
MORE INFO: www.wvforestry.com

Please don't miss this opportunity to have an impact on the how the forest will be managed.
See you in the outdoors,
Jan Kiger
Adventure's Edge

Mid-Atlantic Climbers on Twitter

For access alerts and Mid Atlantic Climber updates check out Mid-Atlantic Climbers on Twitter,

http://twitter.com/MAClimbers

Keep Smiling,

Ocean Eiler

Mid-Atlantic Climbers

Shenandoah ROCKFEST

(April 18th and 19th, 2009) was a major success! 

Thanks everyone for coming out and making it happen!

The numbers:

100+ volunteers participated and removed

2,375 lbs of trash collected (estimated) from

38 overlooks along Skyline Drive

11 volunteers, who after cleaning up trash all morning, helped carry out an injured hiker from near the waterfall on Rose River Loop

Mid-Atlantic Climbers, The Access Fund, and Shenandoah National Park would like to thank all our amazing Team Leaders and all our awesome Volunteers who came out and participated by picking up trash, directing traffic, cooking meals, and sorting recyclables. 

We would also like to thank Steve Bair of the National Park Service for his advice, patience and permission and Wendy Cass for her presentation about the Rock Outcrop Management Plan and new Climbing Management Guidelines, and how these efforts affect the rock climbing community.

We have two Adopt-a-Crag events coming up this fall:

Great Falls National Park, VA ---- Sept. 5th, 2009

Carderock, MD --- Saturday, Sept. 26th, 2009

Send us an email at midatlanticclimbers@gmail.com if you'd like to be involved in the planning or participate as a Team Leader at either of these events!

Last, but not least, Mid Atlantic Climbers would also like to thank our sponsors, without whom this event wouldn't have been possible.

REI

Solid Rock Climbers for Christ

Arborwear

friksn

Osprey

Hey Look - A Puppy

The Big Experiment

TeamScum

Andalusian Dog

Spiroll Rope Protectors

Sport Rock

Rock Candy Holds

Nicros

SoIll

University of Maryland

Central Coffee Roasters

Seneca Rocks Climbing School

Clif Bar

Rock On!

-Chris Irwin

Mid Atlantic Climbers