Main fundraiser photo

SHARe/UP; Paying it Forward

Donation protected
Smoke Hole Canyon is a West Virginia climbing treasure in the heart of Pendleton County; steep ridges, tall forests, ancient trails and limestone cliffs scattered along the winding South Branch of the Potomac. The canyon area is home to over 225 routes, trad and sport, ranging in grade from 5.4 to 5.13+.



Most of these lines went up in the early 90s; decades of exposure in this humid, rain-soaked forest have taken their toll.

Climbing stewards have stepped up to offset the toll of years; with out-of-pocket purchases, private donations and support from the folks at Metoulious and the New River Alliance of Climbers, longtime area climbers and route developers Michael Fisher and yours truly replaced most of the anchor and crux bolts and many of the old cold shuts at nearby Franklin Gorge in 2008-09.

Along the way, Mr. Fisher created the idea of PHAR/UP, the Potomac Highland Anchor Replacement Program, with Franklin as the first step in an effort to keep climbing safe and involve the community.

Almost a decade later, I'm still trying to make that vison a reality; sponsoring, organizing, and executing trail work, replacing aging bolts and anchors, trying to educate the public about this place called Smoke Hole.


 D.C. resident Tyrel Johnson, co-editor of the rakkup.com Guides to Smoke Hole Canyon , has joined the effort, donating his time and money to help replace the hardware at the Spanker Wall of Long Branch, and taking the lead on trail work events.



When the Climbers’ Guide was published, most of the profits went into supporting trail work events and the replacement and upgrade process.


As the guide has been translated into electronic format on rakkup.com , that tradition continues, but even with the volunteer labor of skilled climbers, profit from sales fails to meet more than a small part of the expense of re-bolting an entire crag.

And the bolts are only getting older…


Now a new generation of climbers is rediscovering the legacy of the Smoke Hole area, and we are reaching out to that community to pay it forward, and help us keep Smoke Hole area climbing safe and sustainable for years to come. 

With our partners Climb Tech and rakkup.com, we're excited to announce the launch of SHARe/UP, the Smoke Hole Anchor Replacement/Upgrade Project.



Our goal is to begin by replacing the aging bolts and hardware of the Guide Wall and Ninja Walls; that’s 22 routes with 44 cold shut anchors and 167 rusted, 20-year-old 3/8" bolts, upgraded to ½” stainless steel and glue-in Wave bolts, the cutting edge of industry standards.

This will be the first of four projects, with the eventual goal of replacing all the substandard hardware at Long Branch, the Entrance Walls, and Reed’s Creek; over 300 bolts and dozens of pairs of rusty cold shut anchors.



We want to start ASAP; with reduced traffic on the roads and at the crags, winter is the best time for this project, and with more activity focused at Reed Creek, we’ve chosen the Guide Wall for our attention.

Your support will allow us to complete this work with the best materials in the shortest amount of time. Additonal donations above and beyond our budget for hardware will be used to purchase specialty tools for bolt replacement and for trail work to maintain access to the newly-imporoved routes. 

We, the Friends of Smoke Hole , think this idea represents an opportunity for the climbing community to invest in their public lands directly, to better understand more of what goes into creating routes in the first place, and to gain a better appreciation for the dedication and commitment required to keep climbing safe for generations to come.

Donors will receive a public thank you on our Facebook Pages and an invite to our Off Belay celebration at the completion of the project, as well as to future Friends of Smoke Hole and SHARe/Up events.

Premium donors of $50 or more will receive a complimentary one-year membership in our soon-to-launch LCO, Friends of Smoke Hole, as well as invitations and reservations for the coming year of Smoke Hole events, a load of good send karma and some swag to show our appreciation.

The names of all our public donors will be included in the next print copy of the Climber's Guide to Smoke Hole Canyon. Premium supporters will recieve advance notice of publication, and Pro donors will recieve a copy of the Second Edition when it is published.

 
Whether your donation is $5 or $500, it all goes to the crags; this is a strictly volunteer effort.

Every dollar counts; the real payoff is the solid charge of becoming part of the process, paying it forward.

Climb on-

Mike Gray

Donate

Donations 

  • TYLER BARNES
    • $20 
    • 4 mos
  • shayna winkel
    • $20 
    • 4 mos
  • Dee Suzanne
    • $150 
    • 4 mos
  • Charles Christopher
    • $50 
    • 1 yr
  • Brian Duff
    • $50 
    • 1 yr
Donate

Organizer

Michael Gray
Organizer
Franklin, WV

Your easy, powerful, and trusted home for help

  • Easy

    Donate quickly and easily.

  • Powerful

    Send help right to the people and causes you care about.

  • Trusted

    Your donation is protected by the  GoFundMe Giving Guarantee.