Help Access Fund Unlock Jailhouse

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Chris McNamara

SuperTopo staff member

Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 18, 2010 - 02:40pm PT

The Access Fund is pleased to announce that it has secured permanent access to Jailhouse Rock, near Sonora California, through the Access Fund Land Conservation Campaign.

However we need your help!
The current parking lot and approach trail still cross private land, which is up for sale. The Access Fund has secured a route to the cliff through a different access point, but we need your help to raise $40k in the next 12 months to build a new parking area and trailhead, cover insurance and closing costs, and build a stewardship fund to protect Jailhouse for years to come.

You can help protect access to one of the best sport climbing destinations in the country! Please give to the Unlock Jailhouse fund today!

Thanks for your support,

Your Friends at the Access Fund

nutjob

Trad climber

Berkeley, CA

Nov 18, 2010 - 02:59pm PT

Fatty's Sport Ranch, just $17 per visit. Or pay your membership initiation $100 and then it only costs $69 per month. But make sure you bring your Jailhouse belay card so he stays clean with the insurance company.

Sorry, the new management no longer honors the monopoly "Get out of jail free" cards.

couchmaster

climber

pdx

Nov 18, 2010 - 03:30pm PT

Dingus tapped that first? Woot!

Salamanizer

Trad climber

The land of Fruits & Nuts!

Nov 18, 2010 - 08:48pm PT

"One of the best sport climbing areas in the country"?

How do you figure?

bluering

Trad climber

Santa Clara, CA

Nov 18, 2010 - 09:01pm PT

How about some press here on the AF's attempts to get Summit Rock opened in the Bay Area.

Sure it's a small area, but it's pretty close to the hearts of BA denizens. Lots of cool climbs there.

The parks dept. has basically said, "f*#k off, we don't want to talk to you anymore or negotiate" regarding the YEAR-ROUND raptor closure!

We may have to lobby the board of supervisors (intentionally not capitalized) to get more pressure. It will require money.

I know C-Mac is a North Bay climber, but we have encroaching LEO and parks dept.'s f*#king with us too. C'mon!!!!

This closure involves 1 nesting peregrine when you can drive through Mountain View and Palo Alto and see Peregrines everywhere on buildings and telephone/utility poles!!!!

Salamanizer

Trad climber

The land of Fruits & Nuts!

Nov 18, 2010 - 09:06pm PT

I'm not saying it sucks, rather "one of the best" is a pretty big statement.

Anyway, now that access has been secured, I fear the atmosphere around the place is gonna change... And not necessarily for the better, na'mean?

First comes mass awareness, then the guide, then the hordes and there's no excuses to keep .11d the warm up grade anymore.

Some would call it progress, others not so much.

I kinda liked it the way it was.

johnr9q

Sport climber

Sacramento, Ca

Nov 18, 2010 - 09:31pm PT

Hell if you're gonna open up a sport ranch buy the ranch across the river (its for sale) - there's a mile of untapped up there.

Well... *mostly* uptapped. Hehe.

DMT

I'm not sure I under stand all these coded words but if you are referring to the cliff band on the other side of the river from Jailhouse, I have hiked the entire base of that cliff band and there isn't much there.

johnr9q

Sport climber

Sacramento, Ca

Nov 18, 2010 - 09:35pm PT

People have posted here that permanent access to jailhouse is a bad idea and they would like to see it like it was before. I'd say, The previous arrangement was dependent on one man's permission, and that could have been revoked at any time. I applaud what the access fund has done

Jerry Dodrill

climber

Sebastopol, CA

Nov 18, 2010 - 11:41pm PT

I applaud this endeavor. As I understand it, the property where the cliff sits is not for sale, but there are bigger things at play that will likely prevent things from staying as they have been. So this is a terrific and timely opportunity to lock in access. Donate!

Jingy

climber

Somewhere out there

Nov 19, 2010 - 12:17am PT

What a f*#kin gonad...

"Charge admission."

pathetic

don't tell me, you advocate putting in a toll at the base of el cap too right?

sad

Salamanizer

Trad climber

The land of Fruits & Nuts!

Nov 19, 2010 - 12:34am PT

^^^
Yeah, I've climbed a bunch of stuff there, that's besides the point.

I'm not trying to be captain negativity here. I think what the access fund is doing there is definitely a good thing and I'm more than likely going to donate to the cause. I'm just thinking with the additional parking, exposure, likely inevitable guide etc... there are going to be negative impacts and those issues should be raised and discussed as early as possible in order to mitigate them.

One of the immediate concerns, being that with secure access, additional parking etc... there will likely be those who will want to add routes to the area which check in well below the established 5.11d warm up. There is potential for such routes as I'm sure you know. Obviously this would drastically increase traffic and have a negative effect on the area which is something I don't want to see.

What I'm getting at is, with this change in the status of Jailhouse, there is going to need to be some open dialogue and a common precedent set as far as the future of routes and (dare I say) ethic of Jailhouse.

Cheers to the efforts of the Access Fund and those involved.
This is good times for Jailhouse.

Mungeclimber

Trad climber

sorry, just posting out loud.

Nov 19, 2010 - 01:00am PT

I will be practicing my A1 there.

Greg Barnes

climber

Nov 19, 2010 - 01:50am PT

One of the immediate concerns, being that with secure access, additional parking etc... there will likely be those who will want to add routes to the area which check in well below the established 5.11d warm up.

The notice says new parking and access trail, new does not necessarily mean additional parking (assuming that the old trail is effectively closed/signed).

And wasn't there an 11b a couple routes to the right of the 11d that was chopped years back to keep the soft-core away (or was that just a rumor)? If so, any reason to think that similar 'crowd control' wouldn't be practiced these days?

James

climber

My twin brother's laundry room

Nov 19, 2010 - 02:12am PT

Greg-
Actually there's a 4 star 10c that's to the right of the 11d warm-up. It begins in the posion oak bush and climbs through the chossy rock above. Only 3 bolts came out on the blocks it was drilled in. It's a great route for the Jailhouse neophyte.

klk

Trad climber

cali

Nov 19, 2010 - 12:52pm PT

this is really good news.

delighted to see af direct some resources this direction.

Hardman Knott

Gym climber

Muir Woods National Monument, Mill Valley, Ca

Nov 19, 2010 - 06:21pm PT

Actually there's a 4 star 10c that's to the right of the 11d warm-up. It begins in the posion oak bush and climbs through the chossy rock above. Only 3 bolts came out on the blocks it was drilled in. It's a great route for the Jailhouse neophyte.

LOL! Too funny...

Joe is right - all of the good lines were established a long time ago, and there most certainly isn't any place to establish "easy" lines on the cliff, since it is so steep. The biggest complaint I've heard is 5.11 climbers projecting / gang-toproping the 11d warmup route - to the chagrin of the local hardmen. Personally I couldn't care less, as a few hangs going up Soap On a Rope is a better warmup IMKSHO, and in any event the 11d area gets roped off as soon as the eagle returns to its nest each year.

Here's some more info from the Access Fund site (found link on Facebook):

http://www.accessfund.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=tmL5KhNWLrH&b=4992425&ct=8884105¬oc=1

teamwhipper

climber

Bay Area, CA

Nov 24, 2010 - 10:56pm PT

Many thanks Fattrad for your generous contribution, and thanks to those who have also donated online.

The Access Fund is planning a number of events in the coming months to try to get the $40K needed to secure the crag. Stay tuned for announcements in the coming weeks and months about some slideshows from some of our sport's cutting edge practitioners both old and young. We also should have a variety of gear and other stuff that will be auctioned off, both at events in California but also online.

Some of the key conditions of the easement signed with the owner include:
* no camping (try the BLM land in the Red Hills 5 miles away, or commercial campgrounds around Sonora)
* no dogs (there are several hundred head of horses on the property)
* no tunes
* no fires

The current access trail, and parking along the O'Byrnes Ferry Road (which is unlimited, and has no effect on the number of people who climb at the cliff) will be replaced in the months ahead with a new approach. This will feature coming in through a locked gate off O'Byrnes Ferry Road to a new parking area we will need to grade in, likely this winter. All the details of this new approach will be on the Access Fund's website to make sure that climbers know how to get to the crag and what the owners have asked of us while we're there.

Again, many thanks to those who have helped financially, as well to the Access Fund staff in Boulder and to the owners.