Episode #48- Iowa Climbers Coalition

The Climbing Advocate

This month we head to the Midwest to hear from Raud Kashef and Adam Brummett of the Iowa Climbers Coalition. You read that right, Iowa. No time was wasted as Peter, Raud, and Adam dove right into what makes them so passionate about climbing in a state that many might write off as not having any climbing at all. Raud and Adam prove this theory wrong and talk extensively about the great climbing opportunities in the Hawkeye State. Much of the conversation focused on the ins and outs of a major trail project that they completed at Pictured Rocks County Park with the assistance of one of Access Fund’s Conservation Teams. The project was a serious undertaking and the Iowa climbing community showed up strong each and every day. It was a clear demonstration of the Iowa climbers’ connection to place. Tune in to hear more about what’s happening in Iowa and some of the history of the Iowa Climbers Coalition dating back to the early 90s! 3:13- Raud’s intro 11:27- Climbing in unsuspecting areas, like Iowa 17:00- Thinking “locally” 27:30- Dynamics with other user groups 34:12- History of the Iowa Climbers Coalition 39:42- Pictured Rocks County Park 48:45- Major trail project at Pictured Rocks 1:06:32- Approval process for the project 1:12:24- Lessons learned from the project Iowa Climbers Coalition website: https://www.iowaclimberscoalition.org/ Iowa Climbers Coalition Instagram: @iowaclimbing Access Fund article on the ICC and Pictured Rocks: https://www.accessfund.org/open-gate-blog/pictured-rocks-climbing-community-rallies