Richard developed 13 routes in Rifle.
"...Wright developed countless new routes along the Front Range of Colorado, though he is perhaps best known for putting up the first sport climb redpointed in Rifle: Rumor Has It (5.11b), along with longtime climbing partner Mark Tarrant, in 1989 [...]"
Ward Gulch Fire is fully contained now and climbers can come back for climbing and camping into the Rifle Mtn Park. There will most likely a fire ban for the rest of the summer.
The annual Cleanup Day event took place on Sep. 29.
Thanks to joint efforts of dozens of climbers who participated in this event, the Canyon shines with lots of replaced hardware and many bags of trash removed.
Thanks to our sponsors CAMP, Metolious and to funds collected from donation by RCC members some routes (like "Pistola" and "Bulges of Munge") got all bolts replaced.
Additional 20-25 single bolts were replaced on several other routes where hangers or bolts showed serious wear.
A couple dozen of routes were re-equipped with new anchors or new lowering biners many permanent quick-draws were added or replaced.
Full list of all replaced hardware will be posted later.
Over 100 people joined for food and drinks, movies from Reel Rock and raffle (thanks for all the sponsors who contributed schwag for this!! - Camp, Black Diamond, Millet, Rock & Ice, Access Fund, Metolious, La Sportiva, Wolverine Publishing - sorry if anybody is missed here).
Bill and Pat with power tools after rebolting entirely 'Pistola' 12a at Sno-Cone.
New Routes for Top Colorado Climbing Area Unanimously Rejected
Climbers in Colorado seemingly botched an opportunity for access to more routes in Rifle. Some of the finest — and hardest — limestone routes in North America are located in Rifle Mountain Park ...
(...)" - read more at the link above.
"Rifle Mountain Park is a climbing Mecca for those who know good rock.
According to area rock hound and Rifle Climbers' Coalition board member Mike Brumbaugh, the rock walls of Rifle Mountain Park are world-class.
(...)" - read more at the link above.
"So far, it would seem, the Rifle Climbers' Coalition has done everything right. Yet, in the eyes of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission (CPWC),
something just feels wrong. (...)" - read more at the link above.
- RD Pascoe from Access Fund along RCC's Mike Brumbaugh and Patrick Pharo stood in front of Division of Parks and Wildlife to
present climbing community's proposal to allow access to Lower Rifle Canyon.
It was supposed to last 15 minutes. Took an hour and ten, and it was obvious that the presentation kicked the hornets' nest.
RCC and AF joint proposal to open the lower canyon to climbing lives to fight another day. A couple of Wildlife Commissioners were dead-set on the demise of presented plan.
There was sufficient push back by Parks Commissioners that we will need to have at least one more meeting before they can issue a ruling.
There was also some serious argument about the direction that the newly merged department should take, and our cause is right in the middle of it.
That doesn't mean RCC have the go-ahead. Hold your Bosch, everyone. But...that doesn't mean we are dead in the water.
The Commissioners main areas of contention were liability, conflicts with wildlife (that golden eagle nest), and a dispute about the ability to collect fees
from a non-hunter/fisherman user group.
The Parks/DOW staff needs to get further information together, and they'll be reaching out to the Access Fund and RCC for info on their main areas of concern in the next 6-8 weeks.
It looks like we're going to primarliy need to convince them that raptors and climbers can coexist. There is plenty of data out there that helps our cause.
The tough part will be getting the staff to use it. We'll have a tough task ahead of us, but are looking forward to showing the public that climbers and wildlife can thrive in coexistence.
Thanks to RD Pascoe and Mike Brumbaugh for speaking up for us, and everyone at the RCC for their tremendous support.
- The status of a bird study that the RCC and The Access Fund have ordered for Lower Canyon - In an effort to convince the newly minted Division of Parks and Wildlife, owner of the lower canyon below Rifle Mountain Park,
to allow climbing, the RCC and AF asked a third party environmental consultant to review bird activity in the area.
The study is complete, and thanks to a generous grant from The Access Fund and the fundraising efforts by the RCC undertaken at this year's cleanup, fully paid for.
A large Golden Eagle nest was found on a main wall below the Vatican, as well as several other nest sites that appear to have been occupied this year.
With this knowledge, both the RCC and AF will press the Division of Parks and Wildlife to reasonably open access to the lower canyon,
albeit with consideration for the raptors.
The combination of the Division of Wildlife and State Parks Department could possibly be of great benefit for Rifle Climbers. The Division of Wildlife, the now defunct entity which previously owned the lower canyon, would not allow climbing. We are hoping that a new mission statement and fresh ears at the combined Division may allow for climbing access. Over the coming months, both groups will be lobbying for a lifting of the restriction.
Please note that, as of now, the lower canyon is still closed to climbing and route development.
Basically, we are going in front of the Wildlife Commission in the next few months to present them with a citizens' petition for rule change,
and we will show them with a plan wherein we ask for climbing access. Other than just asking them to change the rules and allow climbing in the lower canyon,
we need to come up with a consensus on what we can, as a user group, offer in exchange.
Sept. 17, 2011 - Jen Vennon sends first female 5.14b in Rifle - ''Stockboy's Revenge!''
Jen on "Stockboy's Revenge" 5.14b
Here on her first 5.14 - ''7 PM Show''
08/21/2011 - Matty Hong sends Rifle's hardest route - 5.14c - ''Bad Girls Club''!