The ACC Needs A President & Vice President! A Letter From Current ACC President Will Roth

When talk started in 2017 of reviving the Local Climbing Organization (LCO) for the Adirondacks it was mostly due to the proposed amendments in the High Peaks Wilderness Unit Management Plan (UMP). The most notable action that would affect climbers in the High Peaks Wilderness UMP was the continuation of the ban on fixed anchors that had originally been started in the Giant/Dix Wilderness UMP in the early 2000’s. But other climbing related issues also needed to be addressed. Climbing in the Adirondacks in 2017 was again seeing a major spike in use. And the little infrastructure in place at popular climbing sites wasn’t enough to keep up with it.

In 2017 Dustin Ulrich was working at the Mountaineer outdoor store and passed my name on to Mike Morin, who at the time was the Access Fund Northeast Regional Manager. Mike cold called me to talk about starting an Adirondack LCO. An Adirondack LCO had been on my mind for a while and Mike’s call really lit a fire to get things moving. Allison Rooney was motivated, probably even more than me, to make an LCO a reality. Jim Lawyer had the contacts necessary to organize the motivated locals due to his meticulous documentation of climbing resources in the Adirondacks. Robbi Mecus had the insider knowledge from her role as a NYS Forest Ranger. Tom Dubois and Dominic Eisinger had been involved with the previous Adirondack LCO and were again excited to be involved. Jeremy Haas and Doc Livingston were ready to represent the Southern region. And Royce Van Evera was willing to continue organizing the peregrine monitoring. There were many other folks who contributed in so many ways, both large and small, to get the ACC off the ground I can’t list them all.

In February 2018 an organizational meeting at the High Peaks Cyclery Guide House resulted in officers and board members elected. The ACC as an organization was off and running! In the ensuing nine years the ACC has been able to perform sanctioned trail work, provide climbing recommendations for UMP’s & RMP’s, work with state & local officials around parking issues, create a Fixed Anchor Policy & Climbing Management Plan and bring the climbing community together for our Adirondack Climbing Legacy Series.

Why did I spend the time telling an abbreviated history of the ACC? Because it shows that by working together the climbing community can accomplish things. The saying “it takes a village” is true. And that saying has been demonstrated time and again throughout the past nine years of the ACC.

The ACC is looking to the village again for support. For the ACC to continue we need a President and Vice President to step forward and volunteer! These roles may sound daunting. They aren’t, and don’t have to be. Continuing the work we have started is all that’s needed. The ACC is ready to pass on the organization to a new set of leaders. The foundation is all there; 501(c)3 status, bank account, liability insurance, Volunteer Stewardship Agreement (VSA), website, email, social media, event/promotional material and trail work tools. The organization just needs some folks to take the reins. We currently have a strong board of directors to lean on and a list of events and projects already in the works.

If you’re interested in either the President or Vice President role, please get in touch with me willclimbz@hotmail.com. Ideally you could shadow and observe the way the organization is run until January 2027, when you would take over. And, once you take over, I’ll still be around to advise and support. Let’s all work together to keep this great organization going! 

-Will Roth

President Adirondack Climbers’ Coalition