Inclusivity Update: 8/17/2020

Fayetteville, WV.

Our newly minted JEDI Committee (Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion) has now met twice, and will continue to meet on Sundays for the foreseeable future.

This past Sunday, members of the committee worked to define its scope and will present that to the NRAC board of directors. Once that scope is approved, it’s full steam ahead.

Just as importantly, we began to work on a process by which offensive route names can be changed. This process places a large amount of emphasis on talking to first ascentionists. Our first step is to gain some more data, but with the next edition of the Volume-2 NRG guidebook headed to press in October, there’s a real sense of urgency to move forward.

Possibly the most contentious potential name change of all that of the Endless-Wall route formerly known as The Racist. That climb is not in Volume 2, so it's a little less urgent. Nevertheless, NRAC president, Gene Kistler, reached out to FA, Doug Reed, who enthusiastically endorsed a change. Doug certainly has a bit of a legendary status in the NRG. Active throughout the 1990s, he established so many difficult FAs, they’re hard to count. He’s working now to come up with a new name—we’ll let you know when that happens.

Guidebook publisher, Wolverine Press, expressed an interest in being part of solutions, and graciously offered us an opportunity to address JEDI in the opening pages of the guidebook. They also offered us an ad—free of charge—to use for a JEDI statement. In addition, Wolverine expressed a desire to include more photos of BIPOC climbers in upcoming editions. We are hopeful we can schedule a photo shoot or two to make this happen!

This is only the beginning. Please bear with us, as NRG climbing moves steadily into the future. The path is long and difficult, but we’re climbers after all, so that’s nothing new. We’re determined and honored to walk it.

We are all stewards of land once held by Yuchi, Tutelo and Moneton people—and likely many other indigenous groups, as well.