Grayson Highlands Bouldering & Stewardship Weekend
Memorial Weekend, May 26-27th, 2018
Hello Folks! It is time for the 6th annual GHSP Bouldering & Stewardship Weekend! Thank you all who made it out last year’s event and past events as well. Together we have made a huge difference at GHSP and helped set precedence for how we can be greater collective stewards within State Parks and the wider climbing and outdoor community as a whole.
This year will be an awesome one and a celebration of the newly purchased and protected AVP Boulders. While the AVP Boulders are absolutely open to climbers right now, we will get to officiate the opening of AVP with signage and improve the existing trail while providing some much needed TLC to the landing areas, setting the stage for the season ahead. We will also put in some hard work in the Picnic Area Boulders and the nearby, newly developed Outlaw Boulder. Both AVP and Picnic Areas are some of the most popular bouldering locations in the park, and this stewardship event will offer landing area erosion prevention and more sustainable access trails. We will work on trails in both locations (including improving the access trail to the massive Outlaw Boulder in the Picnic Area), rock armoring landings, trash removal and removing tick marks and built up chalk.
As always, this is a low key grassroots stewardship effort. There is no competition or on-stage events. There are no concerts or food vendors. This is simply an annual organized collective effort of people who want to put in the dirty work to help sustain one of the best and most beautiful boulderfields in Appalachia. For event volunteers park entrance is free, as is Saturday night’s camping (camping in the field is free, but if you reserve a standard park campsite the fee still applies). A short bullet point and summary for this year’s event is as follows:
-Before the event checklist:
- Click on FB Event Page or message if you are able to attend
- Pack gloves and closed toed shoes
- Pack food, water/drinks
- Pack tent/hammock, sleeping bag
- Pack climbing gear!
- Pack a water sprayer/super-soaker if you have access to either (washing off chalk)
- Raffle $$ and food $$ if you plan to go out for food at all
–Day of and duration of event timeline:
- Meet at 9:00am at the Picnic Area parking lot on Saturday the 26th
- Carpool in the van to AVP and improve trails and rock armor until 2:00pm
- Climb in the Picnic Area or anywhere else until dark/dinner time
- Hang out/night climb and camp
- Meet at 9:00 at the Picnic Area parking lot on Sunday the 27th
- Work on rock armoring the Olympus Boulder and establishing trail into the Outlaw Area until 2:00pm
- Event will informally end after 2, but we will climb until the day’s end
Prior to Attending: Please message or click on the Facebook Event Page if you plan to attend. Please bring work gloves, closed-toed shoes (we will be moving big rocks), Food, Water, Super Soaker or water gun, Bouldering gear, Tent/hammock & Sleeping Bag. Consider bringing a guitar, ice cold sodas, and $10 or more for the CACC Raffle! You can get delicious food at the Grayson Highlands General Store, so bring $$ for that if you want to pick up some food or supplies!
-For a longer description of this year’s work agenda read below:
Saturday the 26th will start at 9:00am at the Picnic Area parking lot. We will gather tools and begin trail work down to the awesome Outlaw Boulder and the surrounding blocks. Please bring food & water, and work clothes. If you plan to stay and climb at the Outlaw Area, bring your crashpads and gear as well! We will establish a small footpath throughout the main boulderfield and improve landings there. Likewise, a small group will remain at the main Picnic Area to rock armor the Olympus and Rock House Boulders while picking up trash and scrubbing off tick marks and chalky holds. We will stop working at around 2:00pm, and if you would like to climb elsewhere feel free to do so! Otherwise, hang out and get a tour of Outlaw and session on one of GHSP’s proudest blocks.
The night of the 26th we volunteers get to camp for free in the field above the Park Office. After climbing we can set up camp, hang out, and afterward we can all go night bouldering, or just hang out at the campsite fire ring.
Sunday the 27th starts at 9:00am again and we will hold the raffle before heading out in the van for The AVP Area. We will do much needed trail work and rock armoring and well as focusing on scrubbing off tick marks and picking up trash. After 2:00pm, the event will informally end and we will all go climb! Thank any and all of you who plan to attend, and feel free to message me here or through the Facebook Event Page with any specific questions!
Raffle Swag: Proceeds from the raffle will go to supporting the efforts of the Central Appalachia Climbers Coalition and are made possible by our awesome sponsors. Raffle items this year will include swag from Patagonia, Evolv, Black Diamond, Mountain Sports Limited, Misty Mountain, Scarpa, Organic Climbing, Grayson Highlands Boulderfield & Landscape Maps, swag from Center 45 Climbing & Fitness and a Hatchet Coffee prize pack.
I would like to thank all the awesome and dedicated folks who have made it out and participated in this grassroots stewardship event over the past years, as well as all of the wonderful sponsors that support the event. Also, a huge thank you to the hard work and dedication of the Central Appalachia Climbers Coalition and the Access Fund. The CACC and Access Fund pulled out all the stops and made the AVP Boulder purchase a success. The CACC has done tremendous work for climbing advocacy in the Central Appalachia region over the past several years. Amazing stuff! CACC representatives will be at this event for the entire duration so be sure to say hello and find out about more upcoming events. Raffle proceeds will go directly to the CACC, so be sure to take part and win some nice swag along the way!
Directions to the Grayson Highlands Picnic Area: Here
Below are some shots from the AVP, Picnic and Outlaw Areas which will be the focus during this year’s stewardship weekend. See you all up there!
Grayson Highlands Bouldering 
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