NRAC's main source of fundraising is the annual New River Rendezvous (NRR), a celebration of climbing in the region that draws more than a thousand climbers every year, rain or shine.

The 'Vous is about as grassy as roots can get. Organized, staffed and run entirely by volunteers, the NRR has sponsors literally lined up to be part of the action. Its earliest history, however, is a little less than auspicious. It was NRAC pioneer, Blaze Davies, who first realized that the earliest NRAC fundraisers conformed to a doomed model. Those one-evening events in which we fed and beered people then sedated them with a slide show was guaranteed to leave them more sleepy than psyched. Blaze's idea was to extend the event to multiple days and separate the slide shows from the real party. That first "Eastern Climber Rendezvous" occurred in May of 2002, and despite the legendary amounts of rainfall that weekend, it was a rip-roaring success. People still talk about it in reverent tones! Eventually, we changed the name to the New River Rendezvous. Our model resonated within the climbing industry and as we speak, sponsors are competing to join in the fun. And while, yes, there are other climber rendezvous out there, ours is still the grassrootiest and least expensive to attend. We limit our numbers to keep it cozy and sane, so don’t wait to register.

Now in its tenth year ('vous #10), the NRR is in hiatus. When we come back strong in 2013, we'll still have food, beer and slideshows, plus the rockinest funkadelic dance party your booty ever shook to, a bevy of outdoor climbing competitions with cash prizes (including the nation's only trad-climbing comp), clinics hosted by the best and brightest in the field and a host of other attractions. We will continue the expanded format (Thursday-Sunday), and 'vous #10 will blow your mind.

The New River Rendezvous reflects everything that is best in the climbing community - service, volunteerism, adventure and party-like-a-rock star spirit.