Upcoming Events
News
CACC collaborates with breaks park to foster new climbers
04/25/25
Each year, we team up with our friends at Breaks Interstate Park to host Spring Breaks, a celebration of outdoor access and community. Thanks to support from the 2024 Cumberland Forest Community Fund, we had the opportunity to welcome students from Mountain Mission School, introducing local youth to the world of climbing and the beauty of the region they call home.
Over the course of three guided sessions, we connected with local families, shared skills, and explored the incredible climbing right in their own backyard. We look forward to offering this program every year at Spring Breaks!
CACC Receives 2024 Community Fund Grant for BReaks Park
07/24/24
We’re honored to be a 2024 recipient of the Cumberland Forest Community Fund Grant for our work at Breaks Interstate Park! This project was made possible through close collaboration with Breaks Park land manager Austin Bradley, and we’re grateful for the strong partnership we’ve built with the park team. The grant will allow us to deepen our efforts to connect local residents with the park—making outdoor recreation more accessible and welcoming for everyone who calls this region home.
CACC Receives 2023 Community Fund Grant for BReaks Park
08/17/23
We are honored to receive the 2023 Cumberland Forest Community Fund Grant for Breaks Interstate Park! This effort was in direct collaboration with Breaks Park land manager Austin Bradley and would not have been possible without our positive relationship with the park. $20,000 of this grant will go directly for multi-use trail rehab with the Access Fund Conservation Team, $7,500 for a Trail System Master Plan to tie in the developing climbing resources with the existing hiking trails, and the remaining $2,500 will go towards hardware to develop new climbing routes at the park. Be on the look out for trail building opportunities at Breaks.
CACC Builds parking lot & Kiosk for "ben's Branch" crag in appalachia
04/02/23
This is a HUGE victory for climbing here in Appalachia. The CACC began working with the town of Appalachia in 2018 in order to gain access to climbing to support and promote the town and its region. These 100ft sandstone cliffs are a great resource for folks living in the surrounding communities and beyond as they are an hour or less drive for a large portion of the tri-cities. Thanks to the town of Appalachia for their help and support through this process.
CACC Installs Game Cameras to monitor and protect peregrines
1/12/23
This was an exciting day at the Breaks Interstate Park as CACC volunteers worked with park staff and Virginia DWR to install game cams at known peregrine falcon nesting sites. The process involved rappelling down a near 300' cliff and mounting home welded mounts (thanks Nick Proctor) at known nesting sites. Peregrines are a rare species that shares a natural habitat with climbers. We are happy to help track their activities so we can interact with our environment in ways that help the natural world flourish.
ACCESS FUND BUILDS SUSTAINABLE TRAILS FOR CLIMBERS AT BREAKS PARK
2/11/22
During our annual "Spring Breaks" work/play event, the Access Fund trail team helped facilitate a group of volunteers in cutting new trail in the Pinnacle Rock area! The trail team continued their efforts for another few weeks and connected major trails around the park. Learn more about the Access Fund and their conservation efforts below.
AVP Boulder Donated to Grayson Highlands!
12/01/22
The Access Fund and Central Appalachia Climbers Coalition (CACC) are thrilled to announce a new land donation to Grayson Highlands State Park, in southwest Virginia. The parcel buffers state park land from private development, protects undeveloped hardwood forest, supports recreational access, and—most important to rock climbers—safeguards an outstanding house-sized boulder known as the AVP Boulder.
Previous efforts
Breaks River Trail Rebuilt!
December 31, 2019
CACC Raises $2000 For Breaks Development Fund
December 31, 2019
The CACC helped the Breaks Interstate Park raise $2000 for new hardware to help develop new routes throughout the park. To date the fundraiser has helped provide hardware for over 50 new routes at the park, especially at the new Lower Lodges crag. This fundraiser is ongoing and can be contributed here:https://www.gofundme.com/f/breaks-climbing-development-fund
CACC Hosts Guest River Trail Clean Up and Reel Rock Showing
November 16, 2019
CACC hosted its first annual Guest River Climbing festival. With over 30 volunteers we were able to pull out over 4 trucks worth of trash from the Guest River Gorge followed by some excellent climbing on premier sandstone. Later that night the CACC hosted a showing of Reel Rock 14 in the Norton City Farmer's Market behind Sugar Hill Cidery. The event was a huge success and is planned again for November 7, 2020.
CACC Receives 2017 Sharp End Award
April 04, 2018
We are incredibly proud of the work our team has accomplished. We have been recognized by the Access Fund as one of 2017s Outstanding Climbing Advocates for the successful purchase of the AVP Boulders at Grayson Highlands and for success in preserving and protecting climbing areas across Central Appalachia. We couldn't be more honored and look forward to growing, taking on new projects, and protecting the places we love to visit and play.
CACC Aquires AVP Boulders
December 11, 2017
With help from the Access Fund, we signed a purchase agreement for the AVP Boulders in Grayson Highlands State Park in September 2017 (Learn More). Over the next three months, we raised over $14,000, which fully funded the purchase - we own it!
Previous Events
Appalachia (Ben's Branch) Trail Day
September 15, 2018
Developed approaches to new the crag and cleaned some freshly bolted routes.
Grayson Highlands Stewardship and Bouldering Weekend
May 26, 2018
With an all-star crew of dedicated, motivated volunteers we were able to greatly improve the AVP Boulders access trail with a small foot bridge and stone reinforcement, repair and improve landings that had started to erode at AVP, and add official climber access signage (all despite some early rain showers). Day two we improved the access trail for the Outlaw Boulders, removed micro trash and scrubbed off tickmarks from all of the Picnic Area Boulders. The event and raffle raised over $350 for the CACC!
Sustainable Climbing Workshop
April 13, 2018
The Access Fund Sustainable Climbing Workshop will provided an opportunity to meet and connect as a broad group of climbing stakeholders, explore the upsides and challenges of managing climbing, and take a deeper dive into topics such as climbing's economic benefits, wildlife and cliff ecology, fixed anchor replacement, stewardship, trails, and more.
Flag Rock Trail Day
September 16, 2017
The Trail Day at Flag Rock was a great success. Check out the event photos and see what all we accomplished!