On Saturday, September 6, more than thirty rock climbers descended on the Mohonk Preserve with spray bottles, scrub brushes, gallons and gallons of water, a positive attitude and a singular goal: to scrub clean an entire section of the cliff. Spearheading this undertaking was the Gunks Climbers' Coalition (GCC), who chose the September date to coincide with The Access Fund's national "Adopt-A-Crag" day.
"Chalk tends to build up on popular climbs at the Gunks but the Preserve unfortunately doesn't have the resources to clean the rock," said Christopher Spatz, a Steering Committee member of the GCC. "We see this as an opportunity to not only work with the Preserve but to give back to the sport we appreciate so much."
On a section of near-vertical and overhanging rock called the Mac Wall, volunteers cleaned more than a dozen climbing routes. Others organized a trash cleanup, netting more than four bags of refuse gathered along Preserve trails and the 44/55.
"Some of us have climbed here for decades and it's important
we show that climbers can be stewards of the land," says
Lizz Bartlett, GCC Steering Committee member and Access
Fund Regional Coordinator.
To top off a great day, the GCC held a party to celebrate the good work that was done - with lots of cold beer to drink and tall tales to tell, everyone had an outstanding time.
Given the success of this clean-up effort, the GCC and the Mohonk Preserve will be staging future events that target different sections of the cliff.