We are a group of friends, climbing partners and canyon vistors. We come from nearby towns and we come from distant parts of the world.
We are all united by common passion for sport climbing (yes, we do clip the bolts!) and for those enchanting limestone cliffs of Rifle.
Grabing holds and squeezing kneebars in this canyon are not the sole ways of expressing our affection for this place.
We are also an organized group of individuals who want to give back to this unique geological resource by keeping it clean, safe, and beautiful.
The Rifle Climbers' Coalition was formed in 2004 to address all access- and climbing-related issues in Rifle Mountain Park.
We consider this box canyon to be a unique place for its incomparable charm and quality of climbing.
Our mission is to preserve access, promote stewardship of this amazing natural resource, manage the installment of new routes and to expand opportunities for climbing in the region.
We want to keep our climbing activities discrete and our steps invisible.
We want to prove to all stake holders that climbing is not a destructive way of accessing natural resources.
By creating RCC we formed a representation that speaks with united voice with canyon's legal owners or land managers.
We want to be partners in management and preservation.
The least each of us, climbers, can do is to adopt an attitude of respect and humility toward canyon's resources, local community and to one another.
As an organization, we can do and achieve more.
The initiatives that we adopt:
- management of new routes permits
- yearly cleanup events (we pick up trash from all cliffs and picnic areas)
- old bolts replacement
- trails improvements and reconstruction
- bridges construction and maintenance
- installations of permanent and durable draws (chains and perma-draws) on popular warm-ups and masterpieces
- removal of old and dangerous junk (worn biners anb webbings)
- construction of wooden benches, belaying stages, drainage lines, installation of signs
- tree pruning at the bases of cliffs