The Climbing Advocate

The Climbing Advocate

Learn more about the work that is happening beyond the crag to keep climbing areas around the United States open and cared for. Check out more on Access Fund's mission at accessfund.org.

Episodes

Episode #62: Tribute to Armando Menocal

January 27, 2025 • 51 mins
Today’s episode is a tribute to one of the most influential characters in the climbing community and the original climbing advocate: Armando Menocal. Armando was a civil rights lawyer turned climber and is known by many as the dedicated founder of Access Fund. He passed away in October 2024 at the age of 83 after a battle with cancer. This episode is a short collection of words from some of his closest friends and colleagues honori...
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Episode #61: Climate Resiliency & Conservation in Tennessee

November 5, 2024 • 83 mins
Today’s episode features multiple guests who all bring a unique perspective and area of expertise to the topic of climbing and climate resiliency. The first half of the episode features Brian Tickle, Access Fund’s National Acquisitions & Texas Regional Director and Joel Houser, Director of Capital Grants with the Open Space Institute. Together, Brian and Joel break down some of the basics of what climate resiliency is and how it in...
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Episode #60: Fixed anchors in Wilderness areas, mentorship, and working in the tech industry

September 6, 2024 • 62 mins
Today’s episode features Access Fund’s new executive director, Heather Thorne. Heather joins Access Fund with nearly 30 years of climbing experience and nearly 15 years after she began climbing, advocacy helped save one of her favorite crags. Coming from a long background working in the tech industry, she aspires to apply a scientific approach and use a high level of creativity for how the organization approaches opportunities and ...
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Episode #59: The "stewardship gap" and creating adaptive access with Access Fund's Conservation Team

June 28, 2024 • 69 mins
This month’s episode features Loryn Posladek and Kyle Leihsing who are leading the charge on national stewardship efforts representing Access Fund’s Conservation Team. For the last five years, Loryn and Kyle have traversed the country dedicating themselves to assisting LCOs and other conservation partners on building sustainable trails and other critical infrastructure at our beloved climbing areas. Loryn and Kyle highlight trends...
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Episode #58: Daniel Dunn & Meagan Evans: New boulder fields, economics, and Tennessee conservation

April 11, 2024 • 75 mins
This month’s episode features two rockstars out of the Southeast. Meagan Evans, Executive Director of the Southeast Climbers Coalition (SCC) and Daniel Dunn, Access Fund’s Southeast Regional Manager. Together they have worked to steward and conserve some of the region’s most cherished climbing landscapes. Most recently, the SCC protected a 58-acre boulderfield in northern Alabama known as The Citadel Boulders—an area that the SCC h...
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Episode #57 - Dave Thompson, Crystal Hudelson and Keith Murakata

February 22, 2024 • 78 mins
On today’s episode, we host two conversations to recap Access Fund’s 2023 Annual Climbing Advocacy Conference in Bentonville, Arkansas. First with Dave Thompson, president of the Arkansas Climbers Coalition, and then with Crystal Hudelson and Keith Murakata with Climbers of Color. Dave shares insight into how the explosion of tourism in Arkansas has garnered support for climbing among land managers at the state and federal level ...
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Episode #56- Erik Murdock

December 21, 2023 • 77 mins
On today’s episode, Erik Murdock returns to take a deep dive into an issue that Access Fund and the climbing community have worked on for decades: how fixed anchors are managed in Wilderness areas. It’s an issue that requires context, history, and nuance, which is what this episode delivers. Erik begins with a thorough history of climbing in America’s Wilderness areas, then we get into the finer details of why managing fixed ancho...
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Episode #55- Andrew Staff

November 3, 2023 • 73 mins
On this month’s episode, we chat with Andrew Staff, president of the Illinois Climbers Association (ICA). Andrew’s experience climbing in southern Illinois spans over two decades, so it’s safe to say that he has intimate knowledge of the local climbing and a strong connection with the local community. What the ICA has been able to accomplish over the past 20+ years is exemplary. Whether it’s stewarding or purchasing climbing area...
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Episode #54- Rob Schorr

August 31, 2023 • 57 mins
Today we are joined by zoologist and founder of Climbers for Bat Conservation, Rob Schorr. Rob has a particular passion for bats, which can be somewhat elusive and challenging to study given where they often roost. That’s where climbers come in. Around 10 years ago, Rob recognized an opportunity to partner with climbers to expand research on bat ecology. Since climbers and bats share the same vertical landscape, climbers are able...
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Episode #53- Stephanie Giguere

July 14, 2023 • 57 mins
Our guest for this episode is Western Massachusetts Climbers Coalition (WMCC) operating director, Stephanie Giguere. Stephanie recently took on this leadership role after spending multiple years as a volunteer with the organization. In the past few years, WMCC has worked through a couple of major projects, securing access to important regional crags like Farley Ledges and Hanging Mountain. Stephanie walks us through some of the f...
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Episode #52- Quinn Brett & Sam Sala

May 31, 2023 • 59 mins
On this month’s episode, we are joined by Quinn Brett and Sam Sala. Quinn is an adaptive athlete and prominent voice in the adaptive space. As an avid recreationist, she provides her view on how outdoor accessibility can be improved in our national parks and other outdoor spaces. Sam is an instructor at Paradox Sports where he works with Quinn and other adaptive climbers. Across his tenure, he has gained a first-hand appreciation...
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Episode #51- Molly Kawahata

April 17, 2023 • 80 mins
Our guest for April’s episode is alpinist and climate activist Molly Kawahata. You may recognize her name from The Scale of Hope, a Patagonia-sponsored film that came out last November. Leading up to the release of that film, Molly was becoming a household name in the climate movement. Pulling on human psychology and neuroscience, her approach to communicating climate action is arguably unprecedented, as she moves to make it more r...
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Episode #50- Chris Sharma

March 17, 2023 • 66 mins
This month marks the 50th episode of the Climbing Advocate podcast! Chris Sharma, our guest for this special episode, needs little introduction as one of the most prolific and influential climbers of our time. His contribution to the climbing community extends from the crag to the boulder field to the gym with his new indoor climbing ventures. After nearly 30 years of climbing, Chris’s psych is as high as it’s ever been and his con...
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Episode #49- Elaine Elliott

February 6, 2023 • 68 mins
On today’s episode we head south with Elaine Elliott. Elaine is one of the founders and writers of Steep South, a climbing media company. Elaine aspired to find a way to share the rock climbing treasures of the Southeast while also blending in themes of conservation and advocacy. With her history in writing, she found a sweet spot, linking up with local filmmakers in Chattanooga to produce two beautiful climbing films that share co...
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Episode #48- Iowa Climbers Coalition

January 13, 2023 • 79 mins
This month we head to the Midwest to hear from Raud Kashef and Adam Brummett of the Iowa Climbers Coalition. You read that right, Iowa. No time was wasted as Peter, Raud, and Adam dove right into what makes them so passionate about climbing in a state that many might write off as not having any climbing at all. Raud and Adam prove this theory wrong and talk extensively about the great climbing opportunities in the Hawkeye State. M...
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Episode #47- Access Fund Annual Conference

December 13, 2022 • 67 mins
Each year, Access Fund rallies dozens of exceptional climbing advocates from across the country and this year was no exception. Peter had the chance to catch up with two prominent advocates based in the southeast and discuss some of the things happening in their respective areas. First up is Caleb Timmerman, marketing and outreach director with the Southeastern Climbers Coalition (SCC). Caleb’s expertise goes beyond marketing and...
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Episode #46- James Maples

November 4, 2022 • 113 mins
Though James Maples, who holds a doctorate in sociology, isn’t a climber himself, he’s still an integral member of the climbing community. As an associate professor at Eastern Kentucky University and director of the EKU Division for Regional Economic Assessment and Modeling, Maples focuses on Appalachian studies and economic impact research. This combination of interests was the impetus for James to conduct his first study in 2015 ...
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Episode #45 - Kyra Condie

October 5, 2022 • 43 mins
We’re not really sure how much free time training for the Olympics leaves you, but we’re pretty sure it’s not a whole lot. Which makes it all the more impressive that Kyra Condie’s resume boasts a number of climbing advocacy and inclusive access accomplishments, most notably as a member of the USA Climbing board of directors. A climber and advocate from a young age, Kyra first learned about Access Fund and her local climbing orga...
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Episode #44- Kris Hampton and Josie McKee

September 1, 2022 • 83 mins
On today’s episode, we’re joined by Kris Hampton of Power Company Climbing and Josie McKee of the Central Wyoming Climbers Alliance. Together with these Lander locals, we discuss what it means to be a better climber. Being a better climber goes beyond improving at climbing and includes our social and environmental impacts. Kris and Josie offer their thoughts on what they have learned from other climbers that Kris has spoken with on...
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Episode #43- Daniel Dunn

August 3, 2022 • 69 mins
This month, we're joined by Access Fund Southeast Regional Manager Daniel Dunn. Daniel has a unique perspective to share, thanks to his work with the Boulder Climbing Community and Front Range Climbing Stewards. We discuss his new role with Access Fund and his dedication to stewardship. Now working regionally, Daniel collaborates with local climbing organizations, land managers, and other partners to advocate for climbing in the ...
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