Changes to LRC/Stone Fort Bouldering

[Josephine]

I just received this email:

LRC/Stone Fort Climbers

Beginning Sunday March 1, 2009, climber protocol for visiting LRC/Stone Fort will be updated—New signage is now in place at the Montlake climber parking lot that supports these changes.

**A review of the rule updates is below—we ask that everyone make themselves familiar with the new rules and pass on this information to the climbing community.

Montlake will institute a fee of $5 for parking and all climbers will be required to 'sign-in' at the clubhouse before entering the boulderfield.
***Vehicles with 6 or more climbers must make different payment arrangements with the clubhouse.


Climbers will still follow the protocol for registration on-line. The climber registration limit will be kept to 35 climbers/day, but the parking limit has been increased to 25 cars/day.

As an example:

1. A climber planning to visit Stone Fort/LRC will go to the SCC website, click on LRC/Stone Fort Access, and download a climbing/parking pass as they do currently.

2. The climber will drive to the Montlake clubhouse, park in the designated climber parking area, place the upper portion of their parking pass in the driver side dashboard, and take the bottom portion in to the clubhouse.

3. The climber will present the bottom portion of the parking pass to the clubhouse manager, sign-in and pay the $5 fee for parking. The climber will also be required to include the License Tag Number of their vehicle.

4. The climber can then enter the boulderfield.


*Climbers that carpool can, of course, share the expense, but everyone (parkers and riders) are required to sign-in.
**If the climber is unable to print their parking pass (no printer or ink), a computer and printer will be located in the clubhouse for the climber/parker to use to print their pass for the day.

Occasionally (less than 10 days/year), the clubhouse closes due to holiday or inclement weather. There will be a climber kiosk placed next to the clubhouse door with an envelope for climber/parkers to place their sign-in information and $5 parking fee. The envelope will then be placed in to a dropbox on the kiosk.

If a clubhouse manager is not available or the clubhouse is simply closed, climbers are requested to follow the protocol as above. It's in the best interest of the climber/parker to bring the payment in the form of cash just in case the clubhouse is closed.

The above changes are being made in Montlake's continuing effort to support 'limited climbing access.' Protecting and maintaining the property is very important to Montlake and also very important in general to climbing access. Montlake and the SCC want to be sure that climbers continue to support their own access by creating a more formal system for visiting the property.

Visitors to the boulderfield that fail to follow all of the rules above will risk having an immobilizing boot placed on their vehicle. A $50 fee will be required to remove the boot.

We ask that everyone do their best to pass along the new protocol to everyone that visits the area.

Please do your best to support the decision that Montlake is making. Ultimately, the changes support our access to this fantastic boulderfield and helps control our impact to the area.

Very special thanks to everyone who has followed the rules to Stone Fort/LRC over the past six years. Your efforts have been the key to access for the entire climbing community.



Important Note:

Beginning fall 2009, Montlake has agreed to increase the parking limit for climbers thru the fall/winter months between October 1 and April 1 to 40 cars from the current 20. The climber limit will be eliminated during those months.

Please continue to visit the Southeastern Climbers' Coalition website for access updates to all crags and boulderfields throughout the southeast. www.seclimbers.org

[Rollo]

just make it 10$ a climber and get rid of the stupid restrictions once and for all.... i don't think i'm going there anymore.

[tbwilsonky]

yes. those pristine boulders are now totally ruined.

[Josephine]

well - i don't know what the laws are in Tenn - but in KY if you don't charge for climbing & someone gets hurt you have legal protection from lawsuits. that may be 1 reason to not charge per person and instead charge per car.

Another thing to consider is that during prime bouldering season is when they're lifting the climber-limit restriction and increasing it to 40 cars per day. Since there were no golfers there at all when i went (might have had to do with low temps + scattered snow!) that gives them a way to make $$$ during their off season. maybe after a year or two they'll increase access even more.

i think it's kinda nice for them to increase access and i certainly wouldn't mind paying for parking. shoot - i pay way more than $5/day to park on campus and i don't have nearly as much fun in a day of going to class as i would in a day of bouldering!