Access Fund

Access Fund says "the scale and speed of the response exceeded expectations," but warns that the bill contains other threats to public lands.

A real estate mogul teaming up with a local climbing organization isn’t your typical climbing access success story. But would the largest climber-led land deal in U.S. history have happened without it?

If the "One Big Beautiful Bill" moves forward, climbers could lose access to dozens of historic crags, from Joe’s Valley to Ten Sleep Canyon.

The bill removes safeguards to responsible drilling, defunds conservation projects, and lets developers pay to fast-track environmental reviews.

Takeaways for climbers from the finalized Bears Ears Management Plan

Climbers score a huge win in the Red River Gorge

The landowner cites “the climbers’ sense of entitlement”

And climbers collectively breathe a sigh of relief

The Asheboro Boulders could have been destroyed by a mining company. Instead they were saved by the North Carolina Zoo.

Roughly from 1986 to 1993, Armando Menocal was one of the founders and de facto leader of the nascent Access Fund. It is hard to imagine where climbing would be today without him. He fought for climbers’ rights, and though he wasn’t a fan of bolts he believed the government shouldn’t dictate how or where climbers place them. When government agencies tried to ban bolts, Armando stood in their way.

Thorne is a climber of 30 years and has decades of experience as a strategic and collaborative leader.

Despite overtly acknowledging that climbing is an appropriate use of wilderness land, two new proposals, one from the National Forest Service, another from the National Park Service, would give land administrators the tools to unravel America’s wilderness climbing legacy.

Home to more than 150 high-quality sandstone lines, the Citadel Boulders help further solidify northern Alabama as a climbing hotspot.

“This is one of the most popular climbing areas at Index,” says Chris Kalman. “It’s hard to imagine the ramifications it would have had if this property fell into less climber-friendly hands.”

Access Fund, the largest and most influential climbing advocacy organization in the United States, is looking for a new executive director.

Putting our donations and membership dollars to work, Access Fund has given 2023 conservation grants to 10 local climbing organizations.

The Weekly Roundup: Owen Whaley Does his fifth 5.14d—Climbing Stewards are coming to the Red—Maui's climbing community could use our help—Lattice tackles the age-old question: should beginners hangboard?

Chris Winter is stepping down, but he leaves Access Fund in strong hands 

A climbing advocate asks what climbing means given the context of the great environmental challenges of our time.

There are a lot of misunderstandings around about why exactly we need to protect wilderness climbing and what those protections actually mean. Here are the facts.

The Conservation Team is composed of land restoration experts who travel the country and work on bringing climbing areas back to health. But they need our help.

Currently, climbing access is only available through a permit, and those permits are extremely limited, unpredictable, and highly restricted.

With federal land management agencies poised to reinterpret the Wilderness Act and ban bolts in wilderness areas, a new bipartisan bill aims to provide legislative protection for America’s rock climbing

When the BLM proposed a fee and reservation system for Calico Basin, the local climbing community and Access Fund fought to make sure their voice was heard.

Access Fund urges climbers to join the fight for climbing areas; sustainable access

“The idea that a lawsuit attacking [Bears Ears National Monument] is going to do a better job protecting cultural resources is just absurd.”

Paradox Sports and the Access Fund enrich the climbing world and its participants—let's show them some love back.

The bolt-replacement grants were distributed to nine local climbing organizations.

The Access Fund does many things, but one of their most effective strategies has been to help local climbing organizations acquire and protect threatened climbing areas.

The BLM’s decision, made in acknowledgement of the site’s importance to the Shoshone-Bannock people, will remove hundreds of routes—significantly changing climbing opportunities in southeast Idaho.

Camp Hale served as a training ground for the 10th Mountain Division during the Second World War, playing an important if indirect role in the creation of the outdoor industry.

Pay your passion forward for the betterment of the planet.

Slugg's Bluff has roughly two dozen existing routes and more on the way. Permanently protecting this area is a big win for Upper Peninsula climbers.

“We’re proud to support projects across the country that protect and conserve the land, ensure sustainable access, and build a community of climbing advocates.”

Climbing caught up with Chris Winter, Executive Director of the Access Fund, to talk about what this means for climbers, local tribes, and the long-term health of the region.

Gnarly Nutrition’s new film, “Home Crag,” profiles the embattled canyon, which plays a centering role for the Salt Lake climbing community.

This is a big win for Midwest climbing.

Protection to 85% of Bears Ears was withdrawn by the Trump administration in 2017.

The Access Fund is hiring seasonal stewards to help minimize climbing’s environmental and cultural impacts in Indian Creek. It’s a model that will soon go national. 

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The transfer of Oak Flat would have resulted in the destruction of this sacred site and the largest-ever loss of climbing on America’s public lands.

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Enormous swaths of public land around Moab have been nominated for leasing to oil and gas companies, encompassing classic desert climbing areas. Public comment is open for the next 30 days to prevent leasing the land.

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As the COVID-19 curve flattens in certain regions, restrictions are loosening and climbing areas are opening once again, though it’s not a free-for-all.

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Western Mass Climbers Coalition, Ragged Mountain Foundation, and Access Fund partner to acquire Hanging Mountain in Southwest Massachusetts

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13 climbers, companies, and coalitions get honored by the Access Fund for their work in the betterment of the climbing community and environment.

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Congress passed the Natural Resources Management Act by a landslide vote on February 26, 2019. The bill is the first-ever piece of federal legislation to include climbing-specific language and protection, and sets an invaluable precedent for the years to come.

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