Mills Bouldering

McConnells Mill State Park, Pennsylvania
Restoration, Conservation & Policy Proposal for Rock Climbing
September 3, 1999
Copyright, 2000 The Access Fund

Who We Are______________________________________________
The Access Fund is a national, non-profit conservation and advocacy organization which represents the interests of more than 1,000,000 active rock and mountain climbers in the United States. The Access Fund's mission is to conserve the climbing environment and to keep climbing areas open. To accomplish this the Access Fund provides funding for conservation and resource impact mitigation projects; produces climber educational materials and programs; underwrites scientific studies relevant to climbing; acquires and manages land; works closely with land managers in the planning and implementation of public lands management and policy; and works with private landowners to adopt access agreements that promote responsible enjoyment and conservation of the landowner's property.

Introduction & Purpose_____________________________________
Consisting of more than 2,500 acres of diverse public lands, McConnells Mill State Park (hereinafter the Park) provides regionally significant recreational opportunities including boating, fishing, camping, hunting, hiking, picnicking, rock climbing and rappeling. This area is one of the most important rock climbing sites in western Pennsylvania, often drawing people from more than 100 miles to enjoy its high quality sandstone cliffs and scenic river gorge. Climbing has been an established and sanctioned recreational activity in the Park for nearly forty years.

The goal of this evaluation and plan is to restore and conserve areas where recreational impacts have degraded portions of the Park, while exploring creative methods of enhancing climbing opportunities in other portions of the Park through a carefully designed blueprint that will balance resource protection with recreation. The Access Fund has extensive experience in designing climbing management strategies specific to a particular area's needs and has funded more than $1,000,000 in trail and restoration projects. We would be pleased to assist the management team at the Park in this capacity.

Currently two areas are designated for climbing in the Park: Breakneck and Rim Road. (See Map 1) This evaluation focuses on the Rim Road area including its northerly section known as the Projects. (See Map 2 & Map 3) Rim Road is a significantly more popular climbing site than Breakneck. The names of features used as references herein coincide with those commonly used names used in Classic Rock Climbs in McConnells Mill State Park, Falcon Publishing 1999; a copy of which has been provided to Park Management. The accompanying maps are excerpts from that guide and are incorporated herein for reference.

Types of Climbing Practiced at McConnells Mill_________________
Due to the growth and evolution of climbing over past few decades a discussion of climbing and its impacts cannot be generalized. Like many other sports, specialized niches have been established. These include mountaineering, aid climbing, ice climbing, traditional lead climbing, sport climbing, toprope climbing, bouldering, and rappeling. Of these, four are commonly practiced at McConnells Mill: toprope climbing, rappeling, bouldering, and sport climbing. Traditional lead climbing, while practiced on occasion, is generally not considered safe at McConnells Mills due to the nature of the rock. During the unusual winter when sustained cold weather allows local waterfalls to freeze-up ice climbing can be practiced at a few locations in the Park.

Because the nuances and social patterns associated with each of these niche climbing activities results in differing impacts, each should be understood and evaluated separately. Once understood, the management and resource conservation strategies subsequently adopted should be dynamic and responsive to changing conditions as new technology develops, and recreational use patterns evolve. A description of the four types of climbing commonly practiced at McConnells Mill follows:

1. Toprope Climbing
Toprope climbing involves ascending steep rock faces with the use a rope pre-anchored at the top of the cliff to protect the climber in the event of a fall. In order to set up a toprope climb an anchor is first rigged at the top of the cliff. This usually consists of webbing which is secured to one large tree, or two or three smaller trees. The rope is then threaded through a carabiner which is attached to the webbing anchor and the rope is then draped down the cliff so that both ends of the rope touch the ground. With the rope now hanging from above the climber ties-in to one end of the rope and climbs upward while the other end is run through a belay device (braking device) which is controlled by the climber's partner. As the climber progresses upward the slack in the rope is pulled through the braking device, thus in the event of a fall the climber is held by toprope. (See Diagram 1) When the climber reaches the top they are simply lowered back to the ground by the belayer using the belay device to control the lowering speed. Once on the ground the next climber can tie into the rope and repeat the climb. This type of climbing is usually done in parties of two to four people. Toprope climbing is the most popular type of climbing in the Park, and has been practiced here since the Slippery Rock Chapter of the Explorers Club of Pittsburgh first began climbing here in the 1940's.

2. Rappeling
Rappeling is the act of "sliding" down the rope with the use of a braking device to control one's speed. The rope is typically secured to a large tree (or two or three smaller trees) at the top of the cliff and draped down the cliff face so that both ends touch the ground. (See Diagram 2) Once at the bottom the rappeler can hike back to the top of the cliff and repeat the rappel as many times as desired. Although rappeling is used by climbers for descent of climbing routes, locally it is an activity entirely separate from climbing. Unlike climbing, which tends to be slow and methodical, rappeling is known for its thrill factor. It is typically done by large, organized groups. Rappeling is an important EMT rescue skill, and Rim Road is one of the region's most popular training sites.

3. Bouldering
Bouldering is the ascent of short rock climbing routes (in bouldering they're called "problems") typically 15 feet or less in height, without the use of a rope. It can be practiced on medium-to-large boulders, low cliff bands, or along the base of taller cliffs. A typical McConnells Mill boulder problem involves a series of technically difficult, and sometimes gymnastic, moves up the side of a boulder. Another example would be a traverse along the base of a long wall, ensuring your feet never touch the ground, thus the climber can do a very long boulder problem with their feet never more than a short distance above the ground. The boulderer is normally spotted (much in the way a gymnast is spotted) by their climbing partner in order to safeguard them in the event of a fall. (See Diagram 3) A small safety mat, or pad, is often used in lieu of a spotter to cushion the boulderer in the event of a fall. One of the most enjoyable aspects of bouldering is that it can be practiced on the myriad boulders in less populated parts of the park, giving one the ability to escape the crowds of Rim Road. A number of these boulders lie outside the currently designated climbing areas and should be evaluated for potential future inclusion in the official climbing area. Bouldering is usually practiced in small groups of one to three people, and has been popular at McConnells Mill since the 1960's.

4. Sport Climbing
Sport climbing involves ascending steep rock faces with the use of safety anchors (bolts) to protect the climber in the event of a fall. This is distinctly different from toprope climbing wherein, instead of relying on the protection of a toprope hanging from above, the climber instead ties into one end of the rope and starts the climb from the ground-up. The amount of the rope that is fed-out to the climber is controlled by another climber (the belayer) using a braking device. As the climber progresses upward they use caribiners to clip their rope into safety anchors which are typically spaced at intervals of four to eight feet. (See Diagram 4) These anchors "catch" the climber in the event of a fall. (See Diagram 5) When the climber reaches the top of the route they thread their rope through a pair of safety anchors (when safety anchors are used at the top of a climb they are referred to as top anchors) which are positioned a short distance below the top of the cliff, (See Diagram 6) and their belayer lowers them back to the ground in the same way the toprope climber is lowered. The climber never exits onto the top of the cliff. Sport climbing focuses on technical challenge and is typically done in groups of two to four people. It has been practiced in the Park since the mid-90's and is currently limited to the Projects.

Understanding Various Types of Climbing Impacts______________
Climbing impacts at the Park take place in two general zones: a) on the cliff face, b) on the ground immediately adjacent to the base and top edge of the cliff. A third area of typical climber impact takes place on the approach trail, but given the roadside access to most climbing in the Park, trails are not a significant issue here.

Cliff Impacts: The cliffs in the Park are composed of durable sandstone and the affect of nearly 50 years of climbing activity has resulted in an almost imperceptible effect on the rock surface. Gymnastic chalk, which is used in toprope, bouldering, and sport climbing, has no chemical or caustic affect to the sandstone, and washes off quickly in rain.

Ground Impacts: This is the area where climbing impacts are most prevalent and tend to be focused due to concentrated use patterns. Of particular interest are the different ways the four types of climbing practiced in the Park impact the base and top edge of the cliffs. It is critical to identify and understand these differences, as insignificant as they may appear, in order to develop effective conservation strategies. In general, the impacts along the base and top edge of the cliff, are closely akin to those of the hikers and general park visitors scrambling around the area.

1. Toprope Climbing Impacts
In this type of climbing the group gathers at the base of the cliff while one or two of the group hikes or scrambles to the top of the cliff to rig the anchor and set-up the toprope. The anchor typically consists of webbing secured (usually girth-hitched) around the trunks of trees growing near the edge of the cliff. (See Diagram 7 & Diagram 8) General cliff top impacts result from this activity which is characterized by vegetation trampling, and compaction and erosion of the thin, sensitive soil layer as it tapers toward the edge of the cliff. Repeated foot traffic associated with setting-up, and taking-down of topropes, results in erosion and gradual loss of soil. These impacts can ultimately result in tree and vegetation loss near the cliff edge when toproping is common place. Smaller specimen trees with their fragile root systems and thin trunks should not be used for anchoring topropes since they are often not strong enough to support the strain. Once this cliff top erosion cycle has started it very difficult to control. The other area of toproping impact occurs at the base of the cliff, where the group of climbers hangs out while awaiting their turn to climb the route. General compaction and erosion of soils are the principal impacts. (See Diagram 9)

2. Rappeling Impacts
In contrast to technical rock climbers who congregate at the base of the cliff, rappelers gather at the cliff top while each member awaits his or her turn to rappel down the cliff. The rappel rope is either directly looped around a large tree trunk and draped down the cliff to the ground, or anchored to a couple smaller trees. Thus, these generally large groups gather and socialize near the edge of the cliff top (often for hours) causing significant compaction and erosion to the sensitive and thin cliff top soils. The repeated foot traffic of rappelers stepping off the edge of the cliff to make their rappel can accelerate vegetation and soil loss in this area. Additionally, the wearing action of the rappel rope directly wrapped around the tree trunk can lead to eventual loss of the bark layer, thus threatening the health of the subject tree. In general impacts at the top of the cliff tend to be concentrated over a wider area than those associated with toprope climbing

3. Bouldering Impacts
Impacts from bouldering are generally limited to the base of the cliff or boulder, and on occasion include limited impact to soils at the top of the boulder. Impacts primarily include soil compaction and erosion which results from foot traffic. (See Diagram 10) In contrast to the concentrated cliff base impacts from toproping at the Rim Road, due to the dispersed location of boulders (and bouldering opportunities along the base of taller cliffs) throughout the Park, bouldering impacts tend to be more widely scattered and of less significance. Social trails can develop in areas where numerous boulders exist.

4. Sport Climbing Impacts
The general impacts associated with sport climbing are akin to cliff base impacts of toprope climbing, wherein climbers belay and hangout while their partner is climbing. This results in general soil compaction and erosion. However, this is where the similarities to toprope climbing impacts end. Due to presence of lowering anchors located at the top of the route (and just below the cliff edge), the climber never has to "top-out" or visit the cliff top area. (See Diagram 11) As a result impacts in this highly sensitive zone can be minimized, provided other uses, such as toproping and rappeling, are precluded. In this way the climbing practice adopted in sport climbing offers a unique opportunity to eliminate a significant portion of climbing impacts, and may be of assistance in future conservation efforts in the Park.

A typical fixed anchor consists of an expansion bolt, approx. 3/8" diam. x 4" long, that is placed in a drilled hole. Approx. 1/2" of the bolt is left protruding from the rock surface. A hanger through which a carabiner can be clipped is then attached to the protruding threaded end of the bolt with a nut. (See Diagram 5) By design, these anchors can hold many times in excess of the force generated in a climbing fall. Modern safety anchors are camouflaged to match the color of the rock (they are either available in earth tone colors, or can be painted to blend with the rock), thereby rendering them almost imperceptible to the non-climber. All told, less than one cubic inch of rock is displaced for each safety anchor. In the event a safety anchor needs to be moved it can be done so without leaving a visible mark, or scar, on the rock surface. This is accomplished by grouting the hole once the bolt has been removed. Due to humid environment in the Park, it is recommended that only stainless steel anchors and hangers be used. Nearly 25 years ago, safety anchors were placed in the Park by hand drill, but today battery-powered drills afford greater ease and a more sound placement method, resulting in higher quality anchors.

Impacts associated with the placement of safety anchors should be evaluated in relation to other area impacts. It is the Access Fund's position that when evaluated in this context the impact of fixed anchors at the Park are minimal. The Access Fund can provide references where land managers have determined that the environmental and safety benefits provided by the placement of fixed anchors far outweigh the impact of drilling a small hole in the rock.

Overview of Area Impacts ___________________________________

Rim Road
The Rim Road area is comprised of a complex maze of walls and corridors, a "rock city" of sorts, which encourages "exploration" of the myriad chasms, corridors and blocks by general park visitors. Indeed the lure of this unique area is both a blessing and a curse, attracting large numbers of general Park visitors. Fundamentally it is this large volume of general visitors that has led to the greatest impacts on this area. The most evident types of which are soil compaction and erosion, both at the top and base of the cliffs. Other impacts include litter, human waste, noise and graffiti. While climbing activities have contributed to the degradation of this area, indeed the bulk of the impacts have resulted from general Park use. A few isolated areas, such as the top of Island Block show climbing specific impacts: rope scars can be observed on tree trunks, the edge of the cliff top shows signs of soil erosion, and the roots of many trees near the edge are exposed due to soil compaction and subsequent erosion. Braided trails are occasionally evident.

At this time there are no comfort stations (toilets) located in the Rim Road area. The existence of human waste in this area should be of significant concern to park management. The wooded area on the western side of Rim Road has become an open-air outhouse due to a lack of sanitary facilities. In light of the popularity of this area, strong consideration should be given to this problem at the earliest possible time.

The availability of numerous parking pulloffs along the eastern side of Rim Road has led to a decline in vegetation, and accelerated soil compaction. As a result there is a tendency for visitors to make a beeline from their parking spot directly over the cliff at the most convenient access point. This has created numerous, unnecessary and unwanted social trails, which have contributed to general erosion and soil compaction problems. (See Diagram 9)

Large organized groups often congregate along the top of the cliffs, which lie adjacent to the numerous parking pulloffs along Rim Road. The location of picnic tables in the area at the top of Rappel Rock introduces large numbers of park visitors to this sensitive cliff top area. It also creates user conflicts of notable concern, forcing large groups of rappelers to commingle with general day users. This particular area shows overall impact levels that may result in irreversible conditions, should existing use levels continue.

Years of using trees along the cliff top as rappel and toprope anchors has resulted in severe impact to numerous specimens. (See Diagram 8) Many have already been lost, and the majority of those that remain are in jeopardy. The placement of top anchors just below the top edge of the cliff would enable climbers to halt their practice of using trees as toprope anchors, with the hope of preserving the remaining specimens.

Cliff base foot traffic has caused erosion and compaction problems, particularly in the area from Sunshine Wall to Island Block. In some areas this impact is severe. This area should be given the highest priority for restoration in this plan.

Overcrowding of the limited climbing resources in the Rim Road area is an increasing problem. Additional climbing opportunities exist in other portions of the park. These should be evaluated for appropriateness, and considered for opening, but only in the case where resource conservation goals can be balanced with recreational use.

The Projects
In contrast to the complex Rim Road formation, the Projects climbing area is composed of a linear cliff band, which serves to naturally focus and limit impacts into a slender corridor along the base of the cliff. Many sections along this cliff base are littered with large flat boulders thereby providing naturally "hardened" sites which serve as durable staging areas for climbs. (See Diagram 12) In general the cliff base appears to be in reasonably good condition. Impacts are primarily limited to staging areas and the narrow trail corridor. The cliff top environment in this area is in excellent condition, showing few signs of compaction or erosion. This is a specific result of the cliff top anchors that are already in place, the primary use of the area for sport climbing (which means climbers aren't impacting the cliff top), lower levels of foot traffic due to its out-of-the-way location, and the lack of rappeling. Overall we believe the Projects is a fine example of how effective minimum impact climbing techniques can be in conserving the cliff environment.

The social trail that has developed from the small parking pulloff (which is now closed) to the base of the cliff should be redesigned and constructed to avoid erosion. While this area offers few bouldering opportunities, it does provide the best quality high-end rock climbs in the Park, and is therefore considered a critical climbing resource.

Park Management and the Access Fund share a strong concern over conservation of this area in its existing condition, and as the Park has already indicated, the Access Fund does not wish to see it become another "Rim Road." Indeed we believe these conservation goals can be met while providing for rock climbing through a carefully designed policy to manage the type of climbing that is permitted here. Our specific proposal for this area is found in Recommendation #7.

Recommended Plan of Action______________________________
These are not listed in order of priority.

Recommendation #1: Develop a trailhead parking site to service the Rim Road area on existing Park owned property on the western side of Rim Road. Upon completion, prohibit parking along Rim Road and the Rim Road outlet road. Existing pulloffs should be revegetated. Fencing, or other obstacles that would prohibit parking (i.e. - large boulders) may be required in order to achieve compliance.

Rationale:
• Allows for remediation of existing parking impact along Rim Road.
• Reduces impact from users descending from parking lot and offers the potential to direct them to the desired access points/trails.
• Centralized parking to both Main Area and Projects allows for easier monitoring by Park Rangers.
• Allows Park Management to build-in peak load capacity for Rim Road Area by the number of spaces provided.
• Potential exists to direct exiting vehicles out to Route 422 in lieu of returning to Gorge via McConnells Mill Road, thus alleviating Park congestion and vehicular impact in the Mill / Covered Bridge vicinity.
• Eliminates eyesore of vehicles parked along road by placing them up in the woods.

Notes:
• Requires long term planning and construction funding from PA DER.

Recommendation #2: Implement a planned trail system along both the cliff top and cliff base. Stabilize, restore, reroute, and rebuild trail as required. Establish "hardened" belay sites at the base of popular climbs. In order to develop a specific plan for this action the Access Fund proposes an initial evaluation of the existing conditions by our professional trail consultant, Jim Angell (see below for more on Mr. Angell). Mr. Angell is preliminarily scheduled to make this evaluation on November 10. This will be done at the sole expense of the Access Fund. Mr. Angell's evaluation would include both the Rim Road and Projects areas. Based upon this field evaluation Mr. Angell will prepare a written plan of recommended action. Subject to evaluation, revisions and approval by Park management, the Access Fund would undertake this project, organize volunteer support, and provide funding through our National Trails Initiative Program to implement it.

Rationale:
• Severely impacted areas require a proactive approach to reverse existing damage.
• Resource in jeopardy - trees dying, significant erosion.
• A commonsense trail network needs to be laid out that provides access into areas of interest while balancing reduced impacts with ease of access. All users must be encouraged and educated to stay on established trails in the high use zones.
• Remediation dollars spent will be lost without a long-term strategy for controlling movement within the most heavily impacted zones.

More on Jim Angell: As President of CorPlan, Inc., Mr. Angell is considered one of the country's leading authorities on the design and construction of climbing trails and climbing-related impact mitigation projects. He has worked extensively with the National Park Service, US Forest Service, BLM, and US Fish & Wildlife Service, as well as numerous state and regional agencies. The Access Fund employs Mr. Angell under a multi-year contract and each year he performs trail design and construction work at climbing areas across the country through our National Trails Initiative Program. In fall '99 Mr. Angell will be designing and building trails at Custer State Park, SD; Red River Gorge, KY (US Forest Service); New River Gorge National River, WV (NPS); Cedar Bluff, IL (State Park); Shelf Road, CO (BLM); and Sinks Canyon, WY (USFS).

Recommendation #3: Education and Outreach. Build an information kiosk at the parking area. The Access Fund could provide funding for this kiosk through our Climbing Preservation Grants Program. The kiosk would feature important information about general safety and conservation messages, local climbing policy, would allow for area specific education on the particular hazards, environmental concerns and code of conduct expected by all users utilizing the Rim Road areas. It would also include the Leave No Trace Rock Climbing message.

Rationale:
• Education and communication is crucial to explain what is going on, why and how climbers and other users can help. The vast majority of users will support guidelines if they are informed and understand them.
• The Park, like many natural or scenic destinations has its unique concerns and specific guidelines should be established for all users enjoying the resource.
• Duplicate information may be posted at the Mill for those users opting for foot access from the Covered Bridge.
• New or diverted parking areas and approach trails should be posted with signs stating the reason for change in use, at least on a temporary basis until new use patterns become established.

Recommendation #4: Install a vault toilet at the "to-be-built" parking facility, or in an area adjacent to the Rim Road. This is vitally important. The Access Fund has provided funding for these types of facilities in numerous areas around the country through its Climbing Preservation Grants Program. Most often this is done on a cost-share basis (50/50).

Rationale:
• Human waste is an increasing concern in the area, and could be affecting local water quality.
• It is difficult to ask users to respect the area when in fact parts of the entire western side of Rim Road are used as an "open air" public toilets. The parking area would be a central location offering access to all users.
• Long-term this will alleviate potential confrontations between the Park and the private landowners where this situation is currently occurring.

Recommendation #5: Install approximately 20-30 sets of top anchors positioned at strategic points along the most popular cliffs in the main Rim Road area. This would eliminate the need to use trees for rigging toprope anchors, thus reducing further degradation of the trees and vegetation. Specific areas where their placement would be important include Sunshine Wall, Rappel Rock, Ship's Prow, Beginner's Face, Island Block, and Five Fingers Block. A few other areas might also be appropriate.

Concurrent with their placement, implementation of regulations banning the use of trees as anchors in this area should be considered. The top anchors should be installed by local climbers who have the specialized knowledge and skills to insure proper installation. We recommend that the Climbing Committee (see Recommendation #10) oversee maintenance of the anchors.

The presence of fixed anchors in a State Park often raises questions about liability. The Access Fund has successfully addressed the concerns of land managers at numerous areas across the country through the support of our Legal Committee. In Pennsylvania the Recreation Use of Land and Water Act (68 PA. Cons. Stat. Ann. §§ 477-1 to 8) has been determined by the courts to apply to governmental agencies, and therefore, we believe Penna. Dept. of Natural Resources should have significant comfort in permitting their use.

Rationale:
• 20-30 sets of anchors would provide significant coverage of all the popular climbing routes in the main Rim Road area.
• The simplicity and ease of rigging a toprope through top anchors allows for a higher safety margin and less chance for human error in setting-up anchor systems. More importantly it will reduce set-up time, thereby limiting the impact of equipment and soil compaction at the cliff top to a much smaller area.
• The top anchors when combined with a cliff top remediation and mitigation plan (Jim Angell will provide specific recommendations) will allow trees to recover from current impacts and prevent further deterioration.
• The use of fixed anchors will be less obtrusive to general park visitors than strings of webbing criss-crossing the top of the cliff. This will also provide safer conditions for general Park visitors because it will eliminate the potential for them tripping over webbing.

Recommendation #6: If the use of trees or a different fixed anchor setup is required for training (rappeling/rescue) the Park should consider one or two "sacrifice zones" for this purpose and consider a policy of written authorization required. Likely areas would be a station between Laidback and Crater Expectations on Rappel Rock which would provide a free hanging experience and a station on Ships prow providing a beginner type, slabby rappel.

Rationale:
• Park Management would be able to control and limit large groups using the cliffs for this purpose and ensure the group will conduct itself in an environmentally sensitive and safe manner.
• Both of these areas offer natural elements that serve to minimize potential large group impacts.

Recommendation #7: Officially open the Projects area as a sport climbing area only. Rappeling, rigging topropes from the cliff top (you would have to lead the routes in order to get a rope through the top anchors), and other cliff-top access should be prohibited in order to preserve the cliff top in its current condition. Fixed anchors, including top anchors are currently utilized at the Projects for many of the more popular routes. Installation of additional fixed anchors on other routes that are currently toproped (currently trees are used for anchors) is crucial on several remaining popular routes in this area. In addition, a policy of prohibiting anchoring to trees should be implemented at the Projects area. We also recommend that parking be prohibited along the road above the cliff. This would require visitors to park at the Rim Road area and make the short hike.

Opening this area in the manner proposed offers a significant opportunity for the management team at McConnells Mill to take a proactive lead in achieving balanced resource protection with recreation.

Rationale:
• The use of fixed anchors will prevent further degradation of Park resources.
• The Projects has not yet become popular with rappelers and the opportunity exists to limit that impact before it occurs.
• Due to the overhanging nature of this cliff, the Projects is a technically high-end/difficult climbing area. This attribute makes it unique in the Park, and therefore an invaluable recreational resource.
• Provides a fine opportunity to develop an innovative management prescription that will set a standard of excellence in balancing resource protection with recreation.
• Will help distribute and disperse climber overcrowding at the Rim Road area. Attempting to confine increased climber activity to the Rim Road area is self defeating in the remediation and long-term management plans of that area.

Recommendation #8: Establish a formal bouldering policy within the Park. As discussed in the Bouldering Impacts section, bouldering has the lowest environmental impact of the four types of climbing practiced in the Park, and this activity is compatible with Park conservation goals. Many excellent bouldering opportunities exist in portions of the Park not officially open to climbing. We recommend the Park evaluate these areas and open them, where appropriate, to bouldering only (no toproping or rappeling would be permitted). The area known as Traverse of the Swine is an excellent example. (See Map 4) The area is out of the way, no user conflicts exist, the activity would have minimal impact to the area, and opening it would help disperse climbers from the main Rim Road area. A specific proposal listing potential areas for consideration will be submitted in the near future.

Rationale:
• Bouldering opportunities are a significant recreational resource in the Park.
• Of the four types of climbing practiced in the Park, bouldering has the lowest impact, and has lesser impacts than the non-technical "rock scrambling" that occurs throughout the main Rim Road area.
• Bouldering is an established historical use in the park.
• Expanding bouldering opportunities will reduce climber crowding in the Rim Road area.
• Bouldering would be subject to the same rules and regulations as any other Park user regarding liability for damage to Park resources and would be subject to citation for any breach of these regulations.

Recommendation #9: Volunteer Stewardship. Organize an annual "Volunteer Clean Up Day" at the Rim Road area in conjunction with local outing clubs and other concerned climbers. This would include a general trash clean-up, graffiti removal, and an annual inspection of fixed anchors by experienced responsible local climbers and inspection and maintenance of trails and remediation efforts. It could also be set-up as a trail maintenance project.

Rationale:
• Would provide for on-going efforts to maintain the Rim Road climbing resources.
• Keep Climbers proactively involved and aware of the resource.
• Provide for maintenance that the Park would not otherwise be able to complete.
• Builds community support, investment and stewardship in the Park.

Recommendation #10: Organize an informal, small climbing committee that would meet with Park Management annually, or on an as-needed basis, to establish and organize an Annual Volunteer Clean-up event, respond to management concerns, establish priorities for the year, and review climbing policy recommend and adjust policy to meet any new conditions or concerns. The climbing committee would be composed of the representatives for Park management & staff, several to-be-nominated local climbing activists, and the Regional Coordinator Access Fund. Other potential members include representatives from local outdoor groups such as Slippery Rock College, and the Pittsburgh Explorers Club.

Rationale:
• Invests the community in helping with conservation and stewardship in the Park.
• Provides for efficient targeted maintenance and clean-up efforts by volunteers.
• Allows for ongoing communication, exchange of ideas, and problem resolution.
• Establishes a process for continued Plan review and revision if needed.

The Access Fund appreciates Park's review of this proposal and looks forward to working with the Park management team to assist in conserving the beautiful resources at McConnells Mill State Park, while providing for progressive recreation management. We look forward to discussing this proposal at your earliest convenience.

Cordially,
The Access Fund

The Access Fund would like to thank the following people for their assistance in this proposal: Kath Pyke, Access Fund Conservation Director for invaluable consultation, Dean Morgan for use of his photos & John McMullen for use of his illustrations.

Access Fund Index

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