BETA FUND TO PARTNER WITH HORSESHOE CANYON RANCH LAND OWNERS TO REPLACE AGING HARDWARE AT POPULAR ROCK CLIMBING DESTINATION
ST. LOUIS (Sept. 18th, 2017) – BETA Fund is pleased to announce its partnership with Horseshoe Canyon Ranch to replace and re-bolt aging hardware on rock climbing routes throughout the property. BETA Fund is committed to working with land owners to maintain climbing resources in the Midwest; by spearheading this fundraising initiative, BETA Fund aims to demonstrate that climbers and land owners can work together to improve climbing access for generations to come.
Horseshoe Canyon Ranch is a family operated ranch in Jasper, AR, which offers a wide variety of outdoor activities including horseback riding, zip lining, and rock climbing. Climbers have enjoyed climbing in the canyon since 2000. Since then, approximately 500 routes have been established ranging in difficulty from 5.4 to 5.14. For many new climbers, Horseshoe Canyon Ranch provides easy access to high quality climbs.
With the popularity of climbing on the rise, Horseshoe Canyon Ranch and BETA Fund have discussed how to adequately address the evolving needs of the growing climbing community. Last year, BETA Fund donated and installed two emergency first aid kits on the ranch, one on each side of the canyon. The re-bolting project represents the most recent collaboration between the non-profit and the owners of Horseshoe Canyon Ranch.
More than 200 routes must be re-bolted due to the age and condition of existing bolts and anchors. In an effort to maintain safe access, BETA Fund and Horseshoe Canyon Ranch will work directly with the climbing community to replace roughly 2100 bolts, and 200 sets of anchors, an overall project cost of $30,000. Horseshoe Canyon Ranch has already purchased all the anchors and hangers (an investment of approximately $5,000) and has committed to paying for all labor costs associated with removing aged bolts and installing updated hardware (an estimated $9,000). An additional $16,000 is needed to purchase the remaining hardware to complete the project. To help reach this $16,000 funding goal, Horseshoe Canyon Ranch and BETA Fund will match donations from the climbing community dollar-for-dollar up to $8000. BETA Fund is asking the climbing community to make donations in order to reach the project’s overall funding goal.
“We are committed at the Ranch to continue providing the climbing community with safely bolted routes, ongoing cleaning and development and an overall quality experience. We have invested heavily in infrastructure and will continue to improve the camping facilities and access to the climbing areas,” says Barry Johnson, owner and operator of Horseshoe Canyon Ranch. “We’re excited to partner with the BETA Fund for the next phase of improvements: the replacement of all the plated steel bolts and anchors in the canyon. The climbing community has always been very good to us, and due to the scale of the project, we are hoping to receive their support as we move forward with this exciting new initiative.”
ABOUT BETA FUND
BETA Fund exists to help preserve and maintain access to climbing areas in the Midwest. BETA Fund strives to represent the interests of the climbing community while establishing a positive working relationship with State and Federal land managers and private land owners. For more information, visit www.BETAFund.org.
ABOUT HORSESHOE CANYON RANCH
Horseshoe Canyon Ranch is a family operated ranch in Jasper, AR that offers a wide variety of outdoor activities including horseback riding, zip lining, and rock climbing. For more information, visit www.horseshoecanyonduderanch.com.