Torrential rains dampened neither spirits nor the festivities at the Reebok Climbers' Rendezvous, held Sept. 24-25 at the Mt. Cranmore Recreation Center in North Conway, New Hampshire. A combination of fundraiser, party and business event, the fourth annual Rendezvous celebrated the recent Access Fund purchase at Rumney, located one hour from North Conway. The weekend raised a record $22,000 for Access Fund projects around the country.
Hans Florine's show "20 Classic Climbs in 20 Days" opened the weekend activities. Later Friday evening the Sponsors and Awards dinner program recognized the volunteers and companies that gave outstanding support to the Access Fund in 1994. Patagonia, Bluewater Ropes, REI, Boreal and Wild Country earned the corporate "Extra Mile" awards. The "Sharp End" awards went to John Anderson for his work preserving Cradle Rock, New Jersey; Brad Udall for providing leadership at the Washington summit meetings; and Chris Archer for his negotiations to open Bridalveil Falls and efforts to acquire North Table Mountain, both in Colorado.
President Rick Accomazzo presented the 1994 Bebie award, the highest honor given by the Access Fund for exemplary volunteerism. Named for Mark Bebie whose bequest provided the Access Fund with an endowment for land acquisitions and other projects, it was bestowed upon Marion Hutchison for his work preserving climbing at the Wichita Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma.
Also feted was out-going Executive Director John "JJ" Juraschek. After five years of championing the Access Fund, JJ left to pursue his writing career. Testimonials and gifts, including a substantial bonus donated by corporate sponsors, ushered JJ into a new, less stressful life.
On Saturday more than 500 attendees strolled through the converted indoor
tennis courts to shop at sponsors' booths, enter fun climbing contests, and bid
on gear and memorabilia. The most coveted piece of memorabilia, a Hans Kraus
photo and piton from High Exposure in the Shawangunks, sold for $950. Close
behind, the valve from the Maestri compressor on Cerro Torre donated by Jim
Bridwell garnered $850. Royal Robbins' slide show "40 Years of Adventure"
followed the spending spree. As in previous years, diehard Rendezvousers
climbed the wall and danced to live music past midnight.
Business took precedence on Sunday as the Board of Directors met to chart the course of the Access Fund. After eight hours of lively policy discussions and voting on proposals, the board adjourned. Access Fund board meetings are open to the public, and congratulations are due to the few hardy non-board members, including Glen Pinson, Ken Cline, Peter Gold and Mark Vallance of Wild Country, who attended the entire meeting.
Looking ahead, the next Board of Directors meeting will be in Chattanooga, Tennessee on March 11 and 12, 1995. Local climbers are invited to an access forum on Saturday morning and the subsequent board meeting; on Saturday evening the Access Fund will host a reception open to all interested parties. The next Climbers' Rendezvous is tentatively scheduled for Phoenix, Arizona in the spring of 1996. Make your plans now! For more information, call the Access Fund Boulder office at 303.545.6772.