| The Southeastern Climbers Coalition donated $1,000 to help the Carolina Climbers Coalition (CCC) with there mission to purchase land and secure access to the Rumbling Bald boulders. The CCC has been on a crusade lately with their grand-daddy purchase of Laurel Knob, a lease of the Asheboro boulders and now Rumbling Bald. The SCC wants to continue to support our brothers and sisters in their fight to open and secure access to our many southern climbing gems. | 
Boulders at Rumbling Bald |
CCC President, Anthony Love explained "The CCC is once again ecstatic to have the support of the Southeastern Climbing Community and the Southeastern Climbers Coalition. The SCC helped to lead the way and has continued to be supportive of our efforts along the way, first with Laurel Knob and now with Rumbling Bald. The climbing community of the South has alot to be grateful for with the efforts and a support of the Southeastern Climbers Coalition!
Thanks so much to Paul, Brad, Michelle, Kirk and all the others who have lead the way and continue to make progress at making protecting and providing access to many wonderful climbing areas. Thanks so so much once again for your incredible support.
You can help the CCC on this project by donating online at:
http://carolinaclimbers.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=2
More info on the Rumbling Bald Project --
INTRODUCTION
Founded in 1995, the Carolina Climbers’ Coalition (CCC) is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve, protect and expand rock climbing opportunities in North and South Carolina. Nationally recognized for rock climbing advocacy, the CCC has a membership base of nearly 300 individuals.
Since embarking on a new land acquisition project, an application to the Conservation Alliance Grants program has been an essential part of the project’s plan.
RUMBLING BALD BOULDERS PROJECT PROPOSAL
With the Rumbling Bald Boulders Project, the CCC proposes to complete the permanent protection of a 6.12-acre tract of natural land in Hickory Nut Gorge, North Carolina. The project’s goals are as follows:
• Preserve recreational access to one of the Southeast’s most popular rock climbing areas.
• Permanently protect a federally endangered plant on the tract.
• Provide an essential view-shed buffer between public park land and private resort land.
• Assist N.C. State Parks with acquisition and eventual transfer of state-prioritized tract to Chimney Rock State Park.
Our major fund-raising efforts are aimed at repayment of the low-interest, two-year conservation loan used to purchase the property. Individual donations, outdoor industry grants, and other conservation funding will match the grant. The Triple Crown Bouldering Series has already granted the CCC $5000.00 to “kick-off” the project, pledging another donation of a same or higher amount in the next year. Additionally, the Felker Family Foundation and the Kenneth Kratz Family Foundation granted the CCC gifts totaling $4000.00. Most recently, the wonderful folks at the SCC have give us a contribution of $1000.00.
PROJECT BACKGROUND
At the edge of the Blue Ridge escarpment, Hickory Nut Gorge is renowned for natural beauty, outdoor recreation, and major ecological importance. The Nature Conservancy calls it an “ecological treasure of national significance,” and today more than ten conservation groups continue a decades-long effort to protect the area’s remaining natural lands.
In 2005, these efforts reached a milestone. N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation created the new Chimney Rock State Park (CRSP), made up of roughly 4,000 acres of conservation lands in Hickory Nut Gorge. Among the significant natural features of CRSP is Rumbling Bald Mountain, home to some of the best rock climbing in the Carolinas.
In early 2009, a private developer contacted conservation groups with an urgent need to sell property on Rumbling Bald. For years this developer allowed hikers and climbers to use his land, easily accessed from adjoining state park land. Now, facing financial trouble, the developer intended to sell—if not to conservation-minded buyers, then to another developer.
Rock climbing—or “bouldering”—on Rumbling Bald’s numerous boulders is the area’s most popular outdoor activity. As it turned out, the developer’s property held the most popular boulders at Rumbling Bald and, in some cases, the entire state. Typical weekends find hundreds of “boulderers” enjoying these boulder’s adventurous challenges. Hikers enjoy the property too, taking in views across the gorge, over Lake Lure, to Chimney Rock and 400-foot Hickory Nut Falls. For climbers and hikers, the boulders at Rumbling Bald are a treasured natural and recreational resource. Losing the 6.12-acre portion of the boulderfield to development was unimaginable.
Climbers weren’t the only group standing to lose a valued resource. A biologist identified White irisette on the tract—development would destroy this federally endangered flower forever. From Chimney Rock, views would be ruined by highly visible, ill-placed homes. Finally, N.C. State Parks would not only lose recreational land, but a critical natural buffer between private land and public park land. Crippled by budget cuts, the state couldn’t make a high-priority acquisition.
Moving as quickly as possible, the CCC sought help with the Access Fund, a national climbing advocacy organization. After an initial site-visit and review, the Access Fund approved a $72,000 conservation bridge-loan for the acquisition, to be repaid within two years. On January 6, 2010, the CCC closed on the deal, protecting one of the region’s most unique outdoor venues.
CONCLUSION
The unique combination of recreational resources and national ecological significance make this project an ideal expression of the Conservation Alliance grants program for land protection. Protecting Rumbling Bald’s boulders, and adding to a state park, goes to the heart of what the outdoor tradition is about: an invigorating adventure in natural surroundings, with an eye towards preserving that one-of-a-kind resource for generations to come.
