CRAG-VT is a not-for-profit (501(c)(3)) organization dedicated to preserving access and conservation of Vermont’s climbing resources. We serve the climbing community of Vermont through a variety of mechanisms:
- Preserve and aid in the protection of climbing opportunities in Vermont by building and maintaining long-term relationships with landowners. Current and future access will be fostered through outright purchases of property, obtaining conservation easements, or securing landowner agreements.
- Serve climbers, land managers, landowners, and the general public as an educational resource for responsible climbing, access status, historical information, species and habitat protection, and legal matters.
- Promote responsible stewardship and reduce environmental impacts by conducting trail maintenance, volunteer clean-ups, and producing educational materials
Justice, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Climbing
CRAG-VT is committed to incorporating the principles of Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (JEDI) into our work.
CRAG-VT’s mission is to support climbing access, share the story of Vermont’s climbing history and offer a vision for its future. Historically, much of our effort has focused on where we climb; we now recognize that the barriers to climbing extend beyond land ownership and parking concerns. Many people feel unsafe or unwelcome in the climbing community due to racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia and other forms of bigotry. Looking forward, we are committed to expanding our definition of securing access to include addressing the social and economic barriers that limit who climbs.
Regardless of intention, climbers can perpetuate an exclusive climbing culture that curtails accessibility. We believe in the Vermont climbing community’s ability to resist these forces and we are committed to working to make climbing available to anyone who wants to rope up or drag a crash pad into the woods. We believe CRAG-VT plays a vital role in breaking down the barriers to the sport we love, and will actively engage in the following activities to help better ourselves and our community:
- Understand and learn from the implicit biases that each of us carries, and actively work to change them
- Define norms and expectations to guide our property management and climbing acquisition work that consider the access needs of our community
- Create educational materials, host events, and build community with all climbers, regardless of experience level, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, belief system, or neurodiversity
- Continue to listen to and learn from our community by directly confronting and learning from mistakes and experiences
We are committed to nurturing a diverse and strong climbing community, and to the continual process of learning and action needed to do so.
