Trussville to get new boulder trail

Rock climbers in Central Alabama may soon have a new space to explore in Trussville. 

Access Fund, a Boulder, Colorado-based climbing group and the Southeastern Climbers Coalition are using a grant from the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham to begin a three-year stewardship initiative. The Greater Birmingham Climbing Resource Improvement Project is designed to improve climbing areas in the region. 

While most of the Access Fund’s work is revitalization of existing climbing areas, the group will help create a boulder-climbing trail at the Trussville Sports Complex during its time in Birmingham. 

“It’s a good fit for the park space that they have,” said Zachary Lesh-Huie, southeast regional director at Access Fund. “It’s a great resource for locals. If you’re somebody who lives nearby and want to get some climbing in after work, or if you want to get some climbing in with kids, it’s a great site.”

The project, which was approved by the Trussville Parks and Recreation Board in July, is still pending approval by the Trussville City Council.

“We’re excited about the prospect of having it here. It will be a nice addition to our city. We’ve got some nice climbing rocks out in the Sports Complex that will be great for this,” said David Vinson, director of Trussville Parks and Recreation. 

The project, which will largely take place in March 2017, will establish short segments of trails and open the base of the existing boulders spread out on the landscape of the park, near the Carter Memorial Disc Golf Course off Riverbend Road.

Should the project be approved by the Nov. 8 council meeting, Access Fund is scheduled to have a conservation team on site Nov. 16-18 to begin work.   

Vinson said he hopes the community will come together to volunteer for the boulder fields like it does in other areas of the complex. 

“We’ve had good luck in the past with people coming out to help with trails and disc golf course. I hope we’ll have just as much help with this,” he said. 

The Greater Birmingham Climbing Resource Improvement Project began in June with a month of graffiti cleanup and erosion infrastructure improvements at Moss Rock Preserve in Hoover. 

The three-year project completed its first phase July 16. After the short trip in October, a conservation team will return to Alabama in March for a 10-week stay, working in Trussville, Palisades Park in Blount County and a four-week stint at Moss Rock. The project will conclude in early 2018 with another 10-week stretch at Palisades, and then will move on to Steele before returning to finish work at Moss Rock. 

“The Greater Birmingham region really has some great climbing opportunities,” said Ty Tyler, Access Fund national stewardship director. “We want to highlight those opportunities and encourage people to get outside, get involved and learn a little more about rock climbing. We see this as an opportunity to expand some use and encourage people to visit the area.”

Those interested in volunteering with Access Fund during the three-year Greater Birmingham Climbing Resource Improvement Project can email Ty Tyler at ty@accessfund.com.