Decision 2013

Yes, Decision 2013, the time when you get to speak up, make your voice hear, and help decide what what events and climbing areas Mid Atlantic Climbers will work on next year!

Mid Atlantic Climbers is starting to put together next year's event schedule and we need you to tell us what is important to you. Have you been to a climbing area lately that you think needs some TLC? Did you witness washed-out trails or access issues during your fall season?

Remember, if you climb in the Mid Atlantic region, you are a Mid Atlantic Climber -- so let us know what you think!

10th Annual Great Falls Adopt-a-Crag 10/20/12

10th Annual Adopt-a-Crag Great Falls

Saturday, October 20th, 2012. 

8am - noon.

This is the area's longest running and largest Adopt-a-Crag events. Volunteers will work on various projects throughout the park in the morning and then be treated to a free BBQ and raffle courtesy of Mid Atlantic Climbers and our generous sponsors.

We also need a dedicated crew of about 25 volunteers to work on a trail near Cow Hoof Rock. This crew will will break for the BBQ and raffles with everyone, but will then return and work until about 4pm.  Please contact the Adopt-a-Crag coordinator Victoria Guido if you are interested in this particular project.
 

Links:
Details and Registration (Please RSVP)
Great Falls Event on Facebook

Carderock 2012 A Success!

Hard at work

Last month's Adopt-A-Crag at Carderock was a huge success!  We had a great turnout, with 55 people making short work of the massive amount of mulch provided by the park service.

Getting clever with the "shovelling"

Every year on National Public Lands Day, climbers join the C & O National and Historic Park to mulch the climbing area above and below the cliffs to manage impact and control erosion.  Along with this work, volunteers worked to brush social trails beginning to develop in the surrounding area.

Bombs away!

After all the work was completed, volunteers were fed a generous spread provided by Earth Treks, followed by a raffle of gear provided by our sponsors.

Thanks to all our volunteers as well as our sponsors: REI, Earth Treks, Sportrock, Solid Rock Climbers for Christ, Misty Mountain, Friksn, Patagonia, Eastern Mountain Sports, and Metolius.

If you'd like to see more photos from the event, check out Mark "Indy" Kochte's collection here.

Ilchester Time Lapse

Our good friend and photographer Indy put together this great video high-lighting the trail work completed at our September 8th, 2012 Ilchester Adopt-A-Crag.



Ilchester Trail Work Weekend (9/8/12) - a Time-lapse/slideshow view. from Mark 'Indy' Kochte on Vimeo.

Makes you want to attend an Adopt-A-Crag, doesn't it?

Good thing we've got three more lined up this Fall.  Check out event page for all the details.

Hauling Rocks and Building Trail at Ilchester

The first Adopt-a-Crag of the fall season at Ilchester was a huge success! Mid Atlantic Climbers' volunteers proved once again that they are some of the toughest, most committed volunteers around!  

Thank goodness for climbers and their rigging skills!

More than 40 volunteers came out on a warm Saturday morning September 8th to combat erosion at the Ilchester Cliff in Patapsco State Park. Volunteers moved rocks, logs, and earth, and built new structures designed to stop the erosion at the cliff top. Volunteers even rigged a high line designed to move the heaviest logs, boulders and other materials to the desired location.

Dropping the rock into place.

The logs and rocks were positioned to stop soil from eroding off of the cliff top. The new trail re-route will benefit all park visitors; it connects the stairs down to the cliff top and the trail leading away from the cliff.

After a morning of hard work and pizza lunch courtesy of of REI, MAC raffled off some climbing gear and gym passes thanks our generous sponsors: The Access Fund, Earthtreks, Patagonia, Solid Rock Climbers for Christ, Eastern Mountain Sports, Sport Rock, Osprey Packs and Friksn.
Because of the efforts of our generous sponsors, the folks at Patapsco State Park and volunteer coordinators this event was a HUGE SUCCESS!
 
Events like the Ilchester Adopt-a-Crag truly demonstrate climbers' commitment to the Patapsco State Park and show how much DC and Baltimore area climbers really care about our climbing resources. By cultivating a healthy relationship between the user group and the land owners, MAC is proactively working to keep climbing areas open in DC, MD and VA.

Mid Atlantic Climbers has 3 more Adopt-a-Crag events coming up this fall. Anyone interested in coming out should RSVP HERE and anyone interested in getting involved in planning or leading future events should feel free to contact midatlanticclimbers@gmail.com 

All experience levels welcome.

Ilchester Adopt-a-Crag Sat. 9/8/12

Ilchester Adopt-a-Crag 
Saturday, September 8th, 2012 
8am - noon
Meet at the Hilltop Rd Parking area
 
A beautiful after-work crag in Ellicott City, MD has some serious erosion issues. Volunteers are needed to help install and replace erosion barriers at the cliff base this Saturday!

Need some incentive? We'll have door prizes for ya, and if the work's not done by noon, we'll buy pizza for lunch!

And of course, everyone's welcome to stick around and climb afterward!

Links:
Details and Registration. 
Ilchester Event on Facebook

Local climbing organization committed to supporting regional recreation areas

This fall, more than 100 climbers, outdoor enthusiasts and community members gathered in the fall to support two Maryland recreation areas--Northwest Branch recreational park in Silver Spring and the Patapsco Valley State Park north of Ellicott City.

Paul Barringer, a local climber and MAC member who spearheaded planning of the Northwest branch event says that he enjoys the area because it is a little bit of wilderness right in the midst of the suburbs. “As an urban crag, Northwest Branch gets a lot of use--which brings a host of attendant problems like trash, wear and tear on the trail, and graffiti,” he said. Berringer explained that while bouldering at Northwest branch has a low impact on the environment, and access is easy, it is still important for climbers to play a major role in addressing problems in the area. “It's also great to have the opportunity to make a contribution and meet new people.”

According to MAC President Chris Irwin, both Northwest Branch and Illchester rock, the site of the season’s second adopt-a-crag, could be considered urban parks due to geographic proximity to high population areas, and increasingly high strain on the resources including the climbing areas. “Illchester rock in Patapsco and Northwest Branch are both right off of the highway, close to where people live, and they get a lot of use,” he said. “It is important for us as climbers and as environmental stewards to make sure we have the smallest impact on the natural environment possible,” he said describing several of the projects at the Illchester adopt-a-crag including construction of a retaining wall at the base of the cliff and stairway rehabilitation.


Describing the work completed at Illchester rock by MAC volunteers, Patapsco State Park Ranger and volunteer coordinator Robert Eckhardt said, “This kind of project costs me a lot, and for each of you to come out and do a little bit means a lot. The stairs look great, the retaining wall looks great, you really should be proud.”

Berringer, Irwin and MAC are looking forward to playing a major role in the stewardship of Northwest Branch and Illchester rock in the future and the group has several events planned in the coming months.

Mid Atlantic Climbers is in the process of scheduling follow-up projects at both areas, so that local climbers can continue to show their support for local areas.

Keepin' The Hits Coming - Ilchester Cleanup Recap

Thank Goodness for Good Weather

Hot off the heels of last month’s epic Rockfest 2011, Mid-Atlantic Climbers enjoyed beautiful weather Saturday May 7th at the first ever Adopt-a-Crag at the Ilchester Crag in Patapsco State Park.

Twenty-five volunteers came together and scoured the hillside beneath the cliff, removing a ton of broken glass and trash. Not content with this, volunteers then trekked down to Bloede's Dam and up Hilltop Road for more; finding such gems as a car door, a filthy mattress and creepy children's toys.

Where and What is Ilchester?

Located just outside of Ellicott City, Ilchester is a popular after work spot. And its preeminent route, Blue Rose 5.8+ is a classic sandbag that is famous in the DC area for spitting people off. Unfortunately, the same accessibility is what has lured late-night partiers, trash dumpers and weak-sauce grafitti 'artists' to the cliff.

So Why are Climbers Picking Up Trash?

Events like this are a way for the climbing community to show Patapsco State Park and other land managers that climbers invested in the outdoor resource. It helps to establish a positive relationship between the park and our user group.

Mid Atlantic Climbers would like to thank our sponsors: Earth Treks and Osprey, our team leaders and of course, everyone who gave up a morning of climbing to give back to the community.!

ROCKFEST Recap

It was amazing; 33 MPH wind, 18 hours of rain, 2 tornado warnings. Despite these extreme conditions, Rockfest 2011 was a great success. As one enthusiastic volunteer put it, "Rockfest, not just a service day but an adventure." Rockfest 2011 ranks as one of the most memorable events in Mid-Atlantic Climbers history.

Nearly 50 volunteers arrived Friday evening and Saturday morning, dressed to the nines in rain gear, committed to the cleaning up Shenandoah National Park. Together we managed to brave the weather and scour 12 ares for trash. Teams spread out to cover overlooks and parking areas along Skyline drive, as well as various high traffic spots on the White Oak Canyon, Little Stony Man and Stony Man trails.

Thanks to all our amazing volunteers, our more than 20 sponsors and a special appreciation to Mark from REI, the Solid Rock Climbers for Christ crew, Leave No Trace and Chuck from Long Trail Brewing Co. Your encouragement, support and dedication really shined.

Service projects like these are not only good for the environment but also for relationship between park users and land managers - ensuring continued access for climbers and non-climbers alike.

Best wishes,

The Mid-Atlantic Climbers

PS - We've got more events already in the pipe, so be sure to stay informed through our blog, Twitter and Facebook.

Ilchester Adopt-a-Crag Saturday 5/7/11

Straight off of the heels of Shenandoah Rockfest, Mid Atlantic Climbers and Earthtreks are hosting an Adopt-a-Crag at Ilchester crag in the Patapsco Valley State Park.

The focus of this event with be litter removal from the base of the crag, and the hillside down towards the Patapsco River. This is the first event of what should prove to be an ongoing effort to clean up and improve the park area and the Ilchester crag.

Ilchester Adopt-a-Crag

Saturday, May 7th 2011

8am-12noon

Vounteer picnic to follow courtesy of Patabsco State Park

If you are interested in volunteering please RSVP to the Facebook event page or email Mark Webb, the volunteer coordinator, directly mark@earthtreksclimbing.com

Fall 2010 Wrap-up

Fall 2010 has been busy!
Here is some info on what the climbers of the Mid Atlantic region were doing!

Great Falls, VA Adopt-a-Crag 9/25/10
Thanks to everyone who came out! We had over 100 volunteers work to complete many different projects throughout the park. Including:

• Building an historic fence
• Invasive species removal
• Trimming of trails
• Building a turnpike and erosion control measures on a popular trail
• Hauling out lots of trash from the gorge

Some people have asked, "Why are climbers trimming a horse-trail?" The answer is simple. By being good stewards of the land, it shows the park service that climbers are committed protecting these precious resources, not just climbing. Maintaining a good relationship between climbers and land managers is ultimately what keeps climbing areas open.

UPDATE: Check out our friend Jeremy Bradford's Flikr album from the event!

Earth Treks Gear Swap 9/25/10
Earth Treks Columbia, once again showed their commitment to the climbing community by hosting a Gear Swap. Climbers we invited to bring in their used gear and sell it consignment style; donating 10% of the gear swap sales to Mid Atlantic Climbers and the Access Fund. Their efforts raised over $100 which will be split between the two organizations for the purpose of preserving climbing access; locally and across the country.

A big thanks to Earth Treks for continuing to be so supportive of the local climbing community and caring about preserving the climbing resources!

Access Fund Summit, Fayetteville, WV 10/2/10 and 10/3/10
Representatives from Mid Atlantic Climbers attended this two-day conference with other Local Climbing Organizations (LCOs) from across the country. The goal of this conference was for LCO's to share information on how to preserve climbing resources. The topics of presentations, panels and workshops ranged from Conservation Easements and Land Acquisition, to liability and recreational use statutes, to membership and fundraising for LCOs.

There was also time for a little climbing, and networking with other LCOs:

• Red River Gorge Climbers Coalition (RRGCC)
  
• Carolina Climbers Coalition (CCC)
  
• Climbing Conservancy of Central Pennsylvania (C3PA)
  
• Climbers Resource Advocates for Greater Sacramento (CRAGS)
  
• Washington Climbers Coalition (WCC)
  
• New River Alliance of Climbers (NRAC)
  

Here is a comprehensive list of Local Climbing Organizations from the Access Fund.

The Summit was sponsored by the Access Fund and the New River Alliance of Climbers with the help of the National Parks Service and local businesses.

UPDATE: Check out this very detailed trip-report written by our friend Renee Ross from CRAGS - also has a couple good pics!

Northwest Branch Adopt-a-Crag 11/13/10

Our last Adopt-a-Crag of the season was another HUGE success. On a perfect fall day and under a beautiful blue sky, 79 volunteers from all over came together to show a local bouldering spot some love.

In the end, we hauled more than 30 big bags of trash and over a dozen bags of recyclables out of the woods. Not to mention: four tires, a big pipe and a couple of chairs. After the cleanup, we had an interesting presentation on the geology and flora/fauna in the park from Montgomery County Park Commission biologist Doug Redmond. And of course, the obligatory bouldering sesh.

Thanks to all our great volunteers who gave up their Saturday morning to work hard and give something back to the community.

Thanks also to our sponsors- we couldn’t have done it without you!

• Patagonia
  
• Eastern Mountain Sports
• Earth Treks
  
• REI
• Whole Foods Markets
  
• Starbucks
• Alice Ferguson Foundation

Northwest Branch Adopt-a-Crag

Northwest Branch has some great boulders with sharp crimps, quartz crystals and unfortunately some graffiti.

If you haven't been, it’s a beautiful wooded and boulder-strewn ravine, nestled between suburban neighborhoods in Silver Spring, MD.

Come out and help to preserve and protect this local climbing resource as we clean up trash and debris, and do trail maintenance.


NORTHWEST BRANCH
ADOPT-A-CRAG:
Saturday November 13th, 2010
8am to 12:00pm

After a morning of hard work, we’ll give away some door prizes, and have a presentation on the geology of the area. Bring your shoe's and chalk (pad's if you have them) and sample some of the local stone.

What to Bring:
Sturdy Shoes, Work Gloves, Water Bottle, Climbing Shoes for bouldering after Clean-Up

Sponsors:
Mid-Atlantic Climbers, Earth Treks, Patagonia, REI, Starbucks, Alice Ferguson Foundation and of course the Access Fund the people who created Adopt-a-Crags.

Event held in conjunction with the Maryland-National Capital Park Planning Commission

To preregister, please email: adoptacrag@midatlanticclimbers.org

Great Falls Adopt-a-Crag 2010

Welcome to the Fall!

Fall brings crisp temperatures and good friction, the Triple Crown, and of course...

The 8th Annual Mid Atlantic Climbers Great Falls Adop-a-Crag!

This year, the Adopt-a-Crag coincides with National Public Lands day. Our efforts to preserve our local climbing resource will be mirrored by thousand of projects and volunteers all across the country.

At Great Falls National Park, VA we will be focusing our efforts on trash-removal at the climbing sites and along the riverbank, as well as re-blazing (marking) trails.

After a morning of hardwork, we'll get together for a bar-be-que and local climbing legend John Greggory will present a discussion on the history of climbing along the Potomac River. We'll also have some door prizes and a gift for every volunteer (Hint: its not a t-shirt this year).

Make sure you bring work clothes, gloves and water for the morning, an appetite for the BBQ, and climbing gear for the afternoon!


The 8th Annual Mid Atlantic Climbers Adop-a-Crag!
Location: Great Falls Nat'l Park, VA

Saturday, September 25th 2010

Check-in 8am
9-12noon

please RSVP with the number of volunteers in your party to adoptacrag@midatlanticclimbers.org

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!

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

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