Today’s episode is a tribute to one of the most influential characters in the climbing community and the original climbing advocate: Armando Menocal. Armando was a civil rights lawyer turned climber and is known by many as the dedicated founder of Access Fund. He passed away in October 2024 at the age of 83 after a battle with cancer. This episode is a short collection of words from some of his closest friends and colleagues honoring his memory.
Armando’s experience and leadership as a civil rights lawyer representing underserved communities translated well to advocating for climbing access on public lands amid fierce controversy during the rise of sport climbing in the ‘80s and ‘90s. His vision for an inclusive climbing community—embracing all styles, including sport climbing and fixed hardware—helped shape the landscape we enjoy today and contributed to the recent passage of the Protecting America’s Rock Climbing (PARC) Act.
Enjoy this heart-warming episode celebrating Armando’s kindness and his vision for the future of climbing. Thank you to Brady Robinson, Rick Accomazzo, Allen Sanderson, David Rosenstein, Kika Bradford, and Rick Thompson for contributing to this episode.
Brady Robinson- 3:20
Rick Accomazzo- 27:54
David Rosenstein- 31:40
Allen Sanderson- 34:41
Kika Bradford- 38:57
Rick Thompson- 44:43
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Today’s episode is a tribute to one of the most influential characters in the climbing community and the original climbing advocate: Armando Menocal. Armando was a civil rights lawyer turned climber and is known by many as the dedicated founder of Access Fund. He passed away in October 2024 at the age of 83 after a battle with cancer. This episode is a short collection of words from some of his closest friends and colleagues honoring his memory.
Armando’s experience and leadership as a civil rights lawyer representing underserved communities translated well to advocating for climbing access on public lands amid fierce controversy during the rise of sport climbing in the ‘80s and ‘90s. His vision for an inclusive climbing community—embracing all styles, including sport climbing and fixed hardware—helped shape the landscape we enjoy today and contributed to the recent passage of the Protecting America’s Rock Climbing (PARC) Act.
Enjoy this heart-warming episode celebrating Armando’s kindness and his vision for the future of climbing. Thank you to Brady Robinson, Rick Accomazzo, Allen Sanderson, David Rosenstein, Kika Bradford, and Rick Thompson for contributing to this episode.
Brady Robinson- 3:20
Rick Accomazzo- 27:54
David Rosenstein- 31:40
Allen Sanderson- 34:41
Kika Bradford- 38:57
Rick Thompson- 44:43
On this month’s episode, we are joined by Quinn Brett and Sam Sala. Quinn is an adaptive athlete and prominent voice in the adaptive space. As an avid recreationist, she provides her view on how outdoor accessibility can be improved in our national parks and other outdoor spaces.
Sam is an instructor at Paradox Sports where he works with Quinn and other adaptive climbers. Across his tenure, he has gained a first-hand appreciation for how improved accessibility enriches the outdoor experiences for adaptive athletes. The pair discuss some of the barriers, challenges, and successes that they have seen in the adaptive world and what they hope to see in the future. We hope this brings you a better perspective on accessibility in the outdoors, adaptive climbing, and inclusivity for adaptive athletes.
5:48- Quinn and Sam’s climbing histories
10:12- Accessible terminology 101
13:47- What Quinn noticed was missing in accessibility in the outdoors
20:38- Sam’s beginnings with adaptive athletes
26:12- Successes/progress they have seen over the years
33:26- A universal trail in national parks & meshing with Wilderness areas
38:27- Great American Outdoors Act & funding accessible infrastructure
41:26- Quinn is still doing cool sh*t
46:14- How to support adaptive athletes
52:42- Trail etiquette
54:12- Adaptive climbing technology
Quinn’s Instagram: @quinndolina
Sam's Instagram: @fearthenbeer
Paradox Sports: https://www.paradoxsports.org/
A Climb for Greater Accessibility: https://www.rei.com/blog/climb/a-climb-for-greater-accessibility
The Climbing Advocate
Today’s episode is a tribute to one of the most influential characters in the climbing community and the original climbing advocate: Armando Menocal. Armando was a civil rights lawyer turned climber and is known by many as the dedicated founder of Access Fund. He passed away in October 2024 at the age of 83 after a battle with cancer. This episode is a short collection of words from some of his closest friends and colleagues honoring his memory.
Armando’s experience and leadership as a civil rights lawyer representing underserved communities translated well to advocating for climbing access on public lands amid fierce controversy during the rise of sport climbing in the ‘80s and ‘90s. His vision for an inclusive climbing community—embracing all styles, including sport climbing and fixed hardware—helped shape the landscape we enjoy today and contributed to the recent passage of the Protecting America’s Rock Climbing (PARC) Act.
Enjoy this heart-warming episode celebrating Armando’s kindness and his vision for the future of climbing. Thank you to Brady Robinson, Rick Accomazzo, Allen Sanderson, David Rosenstein, Kika Bradford, and Rick Thompson for contributing to this episode.
Brady Robinson- 3:20
Rick Accomazzo- 27:54
David Rosenstein- 31:40
Allen Sanderson- 34:41
Kika Bradford- 38:57
Rick Thompson- 44:43
