The SCC is at it again... expanding YOUR climbing opportunities in the deep South.

We’re buying another crag in Alabama! The ink has barely dried on the contract for Crag X & we’re in full tilt fund raising mode!

The clock is ticking & we’ve got under 90 days till closing. Email & call your friends this is HUGE for southeast climbing! Even if you can only spare $10, every little bit helps. Spread the word & let’s get this thing done so we can all go climb at a new crag in early ’09!

so far we have raised over $6,000 in 24 hours - and another $8k was raised off the radar in the past 2 weeks.

Sorry for the secrecy on the name, the official announcement will be on December 5th at the Stone Fort Triple Crown bouldering comp. This project has been three years in the making.

Here’s a link with more info & to pledge donations.

http://www.seclimbers.org/...iewtopic&t=11226

A minimum $10 donation also gets you a year’s membership in the SCC. You can donate online on the SCC’s website under ‘Join Now’ & type ‘Crag X’ in the For box. But please post your pledge on the above link so we can track donations.

You can donate online here: http://www.seclimbers.org/modules.php?name=membership

just type in "Crag X" into the info box.

It’s an exciting time for SEclimbers. Let’s get this one paid for so we can move on to the next acquisition!

Thanks in advance for your help!!!

The Southeastern Climbers Coalition
http://www.seclimbers.org

So maybe it's just me but what's up with the secrecy? I haven't really jumped into the SCC since I moved to the southeast and this is another reason why.

Asking for money for a secret crag?
Will this be another site where you have to apply to do FA's?

I don't think I quite understand the climbing community out here but it seems to have strong support from it's climbers. Tons of money has been raised already even though I don't understand why.

The thing I like about climbing is being able to explore and put up new routes when and where I want. I disagree with keeping things secret from other climbers and definitely don't want to be a part of regulating who can put up new routes.

I understand that they are fighting for access, I just disagree with the way they are going about it as well as how it is managed once they have it.

Can anyone make this clearer for me? Am I missing a big point here?

J_ung said that all of the FAs have been put up likely, and once the crag opens everyone will be able to climb there, it will not be a secret.

So maybe it's just me but what's up with the secrecy? I haven't really jumped into the SCC since I moved to the southeast and this is another reason why.

That's my impression. I also seem to think that this crag used to be open, then was closed.

I'm a little pissed at myself to be honest. Somebody in the know told me what crag it is, but I was a little tipsy and I don't remember. Seriously. I suppose I could just ask again, but I'm okay not knowing until it's announced.

Well... you might be. First, tell me where you moved from.

J_ung said that all of the FAs have been put up likely, and once the crag opens everyone will be able to climb there, it will not be a secret.

There are always a few rotten eggs who will selfishly put their own interests first, jeopardizing access for all of us. Access to this crag is not secured yet and until it is, I see no problem with keeping it secret. If you're turned off by that fact, then wait until the location is revealed two weeks from now, and then decide whether you want to donate.

Cool, I was mainly thinking about Laurel Knob and have heard the whole FA application has been a cluster. I am just wondering if they are going to continue to do this on other crags, or if it will just be a select few people who get to develop stuff and then it gets released to the rest of us.

I always seem to be moving but have spent most of my time in Utah and Arkansas.

Can anyone make this clearer for me? Am I missing a big point here?

The thing I like about climbing is being able to explore and put up new routes when and where I want.

The point you're missing, which is totally understandable, is that this crag is secret due to its history. Like a number of other crags on private property in the southeast, this one was once open to climbing but was closed down by the property owner. Now the SCC is going to be the property owner. It's taken the SCC a LONG time and a lot of hard work to get in a position to purchase this area, and until all the details are finalized, they don't want anything to happen (like climbers sneaking in) to screw up the deal. Once it is finalized, it won't be a secret anymore. So just be patient.

Before you make judgments about how the SCC or CCC manage the crags they own and open up to everyone, spend some time learning about the history of climbing down here. If not for the efforts of these two groups, several amazing climbing destinations -- the greatest examples being Laurel Knob in NC and Jamestown in AL -- would be totally off limits. Sorry you don't like the idea of regulating new route development, but it sure beats the hell out of not being able to climb at these places at all.

Then you're not going to like it here. As Jay said, most climbable rock in the south is on private property.

JL

Thanks for the clarifications. I'm not trying to pass judgement on them, but the truth is it's hard for an outsider to show up and understand the way things are done. Again thanks for clearing that up for me.

I'm sure I'll find plenty of new stuff to do both at locations that are already well known and at other lesser known but not illegal crags.