conversely, if you improved those cabins just a bit, they would be worth the price of a Premium/Charter/Lifetime membership (another idea I wouldn't immediately discard... Look to the AAC for some guidance on this, too)

Finally-

When and if ya start selling plots, let me know... I've already got a buyer for one of them.

A very reasonable $750,000.00

Are those fins owned by Stu?

I was just talking to Dr. Goodwhack about this thing... do you know who the engineer that designed the Via was, or could you get that info from Stu? The Via has some issues- which I would be happy to address now, beginning the day of the sale, as a cartaker/camp host/maintenance man...

there are folks right here in WV that could live there and work for you for rent and climbing privileges, n/a... nothing against your bud in Richmond, but he's in Richmond, where there are jobs... we're in WV where they are a little harder to get... but I digress (imagine that).

even if someone competent did design and install it, you'd want to get an engineer out there to re-inspect it before you agreed to any price... the thing is a big enough liability as it is.

Go for the snob appeal and charge 'em $250.00 per night and you'll be beating the golden-parachuting CEOs and investment bankers who just repo'd all those homes and made a tidy windfall away with a #13 Hexcentric, man!

conversely, if you improved those cabins just a bit, they would be worth the price of a Premium/Charter/Lifetime membership (another idea I wouldn't immediately discard... Look to the AAC for some guidance on this, too)

Lifetime membership, that is exactly what I was alluding too! I would love to have a little cabin in that neck-o-the-woods.
Put me down for one as well...seriously.

Bold lines and HARD moves made Nelson what it once was, back when there were no cabins, and the place was covered in greenbriar and poison ivy and rarely visited by anyolne outside the circle of maniacs who put up lines there. Lucky enough to have been friends with one or two of those folks and to have climbed there in the day.

Nelson was a place of scattered hard routes and a few moderate lines. Not much "beginner" ground, not the horn o' plenty that Seneca is, nor the overwhelming parallel reality of champe, or Judy Gap. In Nelson, you were a long way from anything, on sometimes challenging terrain, moving in the footsteps and sometimes the shadows of giants. You went there humble, and you went there strong, you climbed smart and you backed off when you had to, and went for it when you could, or had no other choice.

You either got your head handed to you, a balance statement on your reality checking account, or the incredible feeling of standing atop a lost world, hiding in plain sight in the middle of one of the most travelled valleys in Eastern America.

Nelson is a place like no other. I would like to think that any climber with any inkling of the importance of this place in the history of West Virginia, Eastern, and North American rock climbing would chip in to keep it from becoming just another Future Generations string of private mansions dominating a public landscape.

So tell me, organizers... anyone really think we could put together a plan to buy one of the legendary hardplaces of the Southeast?

The c.c.c. and s.e.c. have purchased laurel knob and other places. Someone should talk to some of them. Some are on here and some aren't anymore.

While I do not have personal funding to throw in the pot, I may have some value to bring to the table. I'm good friends with all of the folks over at a large outdoor monthly mag for the region. Those folks would likely have good contacts/ideas and certainly could provide some stories/coverage for helping to make this happen.

With the right land manager and a supportive community...

Hey Mike, I knew you couldn't resist contributing.


While I don't share all of your sentiments, I think you are right on a number of points that concern the idea of Nelson being purchased by the public through a climbing coalition type set up. Based on the research I have done over the last week on crag acquisitions that have taken place in the recent past, I'm convinced that the purchase price and location of Nelson are pretty much prohibitive. Stu would have to lose money to bring the price down low enough and not only is that region not really a "hot spot" for climbing right now but there is an abundance of free climbing to be had. I'm not going to pursue that as a avenue to acquisition, I think it would be great if it could be worked out but I just don't see it happening.

For now I'm gonna focus on getting together a small group of individuals who want a stake in ownership and management of the property. The fate of the Via Ferrata will be determined by the eventual owners and the type of access structure that is developed. If anyone wants to be an owner and have full access to the property, cabins and climbing let me know. If the Via operations are continued they alone can pay the mortgage and owners would simply be guarantors responsible for a down payment and contributions to development funds for roads, cabins, trails, etc. If the Via is chopped or access is not charged for then everyone would be responsible for mortgage and development costs.

I am going to do some math and come up with some realistic numbers concerning financing periods, down payments, annual payments and development costs. I also have past financial information for the current and past via ferrata operations and if we get a solid group of investors together then I will talk to Stu about making them available at a group presentation to prospective buyers. For now all I will say is that it can and will pay for the mortgage (plus some) at the current purchase price.

Spread the word and if you know of anyone who may be interested please have them contact me. Once I have more info. together I will look into ways of gathering investors beyond the internet and word of mouth. For now though things are still early in the planning stage.

Dear AF Supporter,

We’ve got big news…

The Access Fund is thrilled to announce the launch of the Access Fund Land Conservation Campaign (AFLCC), the first-ever multimillion-dollar campaign to save endangered climbing areas.

As we look to the future of climbing access in America, we see private land pressures increasing every day. More and more private climbing areas are changing hands, putting many of our crags at risk of being lost to development or closed for other reasons.

This challenge is what drove the Access Fund to launch the AFLCC, which is a revolving loan and grant program that provides local climbing organizations and other agencies with funds and expertise to swiftly protect threatened climbing resources.

We want to give you the opportunity to be a part of this landmark campaign, which has the potential to change the face of climbing access in America! Please consider giving an addition donation today or joining the Access Fund if you aren't already a member. Every dollar helps the effort to put threatened land in climber friendly hands!

what's the latest?

not concerned about access, personally. just curious.