Episode #41- Pennsylvania LCOs

The Climbing Advocate

We’re heading east on this month’s episode to interview three advocates, each representing a local climbing organization in Pennsylvania: Kate Fetterolf with Eastern Pennsylvania Alliance of Climbers, Ryan Shipp with South Central Pennsylvania Climbers, and Joel Brady with Southwestern Pennsylvania Climbers Coalition. Kate, Ryan, and Joel shared their perspective on what’s happening in their respective region of the state and also weren’t shy boasting about how great the climbing is in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania is rich with a wide variety of climbing opportunities. Perhaps it's mostly known for its world-class bouldering but opportunities abound to sport and trad climb as well. Each organization does a great job addressing needs and any issues in their area and have been incredibly supportive of each other. Whether it’s working through forming a new LCO, access, or closures, they can depend on each other to be a supporting network. Follow along to hear the latest on climbing advocacy in Pennsylvania. 6:20- Kate’s intro 8:30- Ryan’s intro 11:23- Joel’s intro 15:52- Kate & the Eastern PA Alliance of Climbers (EPAC) 22:34- Being in close proximity to major metro areas 29:59- Engaging with a diverse group of climbers 33:53- EPAC’s 2022 agenda 36:45- Aldo Leopold ethos 38:24- Ryan & the South Central PA Climbers (SCPC) 46:08- SCPC’s major areas and projects 58:27- SCPC’s ambassador program 1:00:54- JEDI resources 1:02:10- Joel & the Southwestern PA Climbers Coalition (SWPACC) 1:13:37- Working with the PA Gaming Commission 1:18:01- Partnering with indoor facilities 1:13:30- Recommendations for how other regional LCOs can collaborate Eastern PA Alliance of Climbers: https://epaclimbers.org/ South Central PA Climbers: https://www.scpclimbers.org/ Southwestern PA Climbers Coalition: https://www.swpacc.org/