Chapter 10
Recommended Park Development Plan

Page 24
Rock Climbing

Rock climbing is a popular recreational activity along the south facing cliffs of Rumbling Bald and at the Chimney Rock Attraction. Fox Mountain Guides, a licensed concessionaire to the State of North Carolina, operates fee-based climbing clinics at the Chimney Rock Attraction. Chimney Rock State Park currently operates public climbing access from the Rumbling Bald Climbing Day Use Area. This area contains a network of trails that connect to the climbing cliffs and boulder fields owned by the Carolina Climbers Coalition and The Nature Conservancy. Many of the trails have fallen into disrepair and are in need of major rehabilitation. In order to support increased user interest in this area, maintenance of these trails by their respective land managers will be necessary.

Most of the desired climbing areas in the Chimney Rock State Park study area are located in nationally significant natural heritage areas with sensitive ecosystems worthy of protection. Although the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation provides access to the south face of Rumbling Bald from the climbing day use area on Boys Camp Road, much of the south face climbing area is on privately-owned property. Current or future access to the south face of Rumbling Bald will be determined by the existing landowner(s). Lands owned by the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation presently used for rock climbing are already being negatively impacted by this historic use. The N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation must protect the nationally significant natural heritage areas, and therefore, rock climbing in the park will be limited to the impacted areas where rock climbing is currently allowed.

Chimney Rock State Park is closed to climbing with the exception of all existing routes on the south face of Rumbling Bald as they are identified in the Climbers Guide to North Carolina, Third Edition, by Thomas Kelley; and Selected Climbs in North Carolina, First Edition, by Yon Lambert and Harrison Shull. Bouldering is also allowed in the boulderfields below the south face of Rumbling Bald. Routes are identified in the Rumbling Bald Bouldering Guide, First Edition, by Chris Dorrity.

As Chimney Rock State Park is enlarged in the future, some of the acquired lands may include desired rock climbing areas. Providing recreational opportunities compatible with the character of Chimney Rock State Park and its natural resources is a goal identified in the master plan. Close examination of natural heritage data in desired rock climbing areas will determine if this activity is feasible. Using data from the well-documented Natural Heritage Program and Natural Resources Program, the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation should develop a comprehensive park climbing management plan that identifies potential areas for this recreational activity.

hey jung you mind directing me to where in the plan you read that??

yes i am that lazy

Their reasoning for not opening up more climbing is poor. Most of the climbing on the north side and round top mountain is not privately owned. How can they say we are destructive and then go and build miles of mountain biking trails... Make as many comments as possible.

The CCC does trail day at RB every year. We also plan on giving them part of the boulder field purchased by climbers. Hard to say we aren't good stewards.

J. Young
My address and stuff

State Parks Planners
NC Division of Parks and Recreation
1615 MSC
Raleigh, NC 27699-1615

Dear Planners,

I am writing today to express my dismay and frustration over the Draft Management Plan for Chimney Rock State Park, specifically as it relates to rock climbing. From my perspective, we raised funds, lobbied and build a coalition to support the acquisition of land for CRSP. And now we find that we have less* climbing access than before! This is a slap to the face.

The Draft Plan makes it clear that Greenways views climbers as destructive and irresponsible. Climbers, however, have a history of responsible stewardship. At the New River Gorge in WV, I sit on the Board of Directors of the New River Alliance of Climbers. Here, we have dozens of climbing areas incorporating thousands of climbs, and not one of them is off limits to us. Every single day, the National Park Service recognizes enormous advantages in terms of climber volunteerism and cooperation. We replace out-dated and unsafe fixed hardware, build thoughtful, environmentally sound trails and clean the trash left by other user groups -- all at our own expense. In return, we earn the respect of the Park Service, and all of us reap the benefits of a positive and cooperative relationship.

Climber activism and stewardship is a boon beyond measure for any land manager. When we organize around a plan, we are a potent force for conservation. The opportunity for CRSP to take advantage of this powerful volunteer resource, however, is dangerously close to disappearing.

Sincerely but angrily,

J. Young
Board of Directors
New River Alliance of Climbers

*By limiting climbing to Kelley and Lambert/Shull climbs, the Plan effectively bars us from climbing every pre-existing route not listed in those books, even though they exist on the same cliff sections as accessible climbs! This is but one example of the ignorant manner in which this process played out.