Save the Date:
July 18-19, 2026
Salt Lake Climbers Alliance and the Access Fund and the are excited to co-present the 2026 Future of Fixed Anchors x New Router Symposium! This event, hosted at the Petzl Technical Institute in Salt Lake City, will be a first of its kind gathering for sharing best practices around anchor replacement, climber safety, and new routing for a local and national audience. Everything related to fixed anchors!
Who’s it for? Local Climbing Organizations, anchor replacement gurus (and novices!), new routers, land managers, and climbers interested in honing their skills around fixed anchors in the vertical realm.
Mark your calendars, and join Salt Lake Climbers Alliance and Access Fund at Petzl HQ on July 18-19, 2026!
Registration coming soon.
Thank you to Petzl for their generous support of this event and climbing advocates around the country.
Event Details
- Coffee, lunch, snacks, and beverages are included with your ticket-
Additional information coming soon!
Friday, July 17, 2026
Friday Evening (TBD) — Socialize at Petzl
Saturday, July 18, 2026
8:00–9:00 AM
Check-in, coffee from Alpha Coffee, and socializing
9:00–9:30 AM
Introductions & Updates
Access Fund
Salt Lake Climbers Alliance
Petzl
Photos from the 2024 & 2025 New Router Symposium
9:30–10:45 AM
Session 1 — Fixed Anchors for the Next Generation
With the growth and popularity of climbing ever on the rise, how do we ensure the next generation of climbers is fully equipt to meet the challenge of maintaining fixed anchors at our climbing areas? Hear from speakers about strategies and best practices to ensure that intentional training, scalable initiatives , and craftsmanship define the future of fixed anchors.
Pat Goodman - New River Alliance of Climbers
Ryan Kuehn - Boulder Climbing Community
Nate Liles - American Safe Climbing Association
Part of Access Fund's mission is to convene climbing advocates from around the country to share best practices and develop the skills and knowledge they need to protect America’s climbing. These conferences are a valuable experience, but they can be a financial burden for some advocates. The Ghiselli Scholarship Fund exists to ensure that exceptional climbing advocates can attend our conferences and advance their skills, regardless of financial circumstances.
11:00 AM–12:00 PM
Session 2 —Fixed anchors on federal public lands: PARC Act update
Hear from Access Fund's government affairs team on the lastest related to the Protect America's Rock Climbing Act and fixed anchors on federal public lands
Erik Murdock, PhD - Access Fund
12:00–1:00 PM
Lunch & screening of Fixed Points
1:15–2:30 PM
Session 3 — Managed Chaos: Adding structure to new routing
Climber's love the freedom that comes from our shared activity. Many consider new routing to be the highest expression of this feeling, but freedom doesn't mean no rules. In today's environment, more and more land managers are looking for ways to manage rock climbing, including new routes. Hear from a variety of case studies that show how climbers and land managers work together to manage the chaos.
Josh Pollock - Boulder Climbing Community
Billy Simek - Access Fund
2:45–4:00 PM
Session 4 — Contracting for fixed anchor work
Anyone who has spent a day rebolting or new routing will tell you, it's hard work. It can burn out volunteers, and when not purely a passion project can wear out even the most seasoned developer. How do we continue to meet the need for anchor maintenance at our climbing areas? How do we consider scaling things up? Hear from speakers who have begun contracting with LCOs and land managers to install, replace, and maintain fixed anchors.
Sam Bendroth - Friends of the Ledges
Peter Thomas - Contractor / Western Adventure Instructions
Amber Toler - Dinoland Adventure Project
4:00-5:00 PM
Roundtable Discussion
Sunday, July 19, 2026
8:00–9:00 AM
Check-in, coffee from Alpha Coffee, and socializing
9:00–9:45 AM
Session 1 — From First Bolt to Rebolt: Shared Stewardship
This session explores the relationship between new routing and rebolting—two roles that constantly shape one another through stewardship, maintenance, and evolving standards. This session brings together individuals actively involved in both disciplines to discuss how thoughtful route development decisions can reduce future maintenance burdens and help create routes that remain sustainable and long-lasting for future generations of climbers.
Dave Bingham - Idaho
Todd Perkins - Southern Utah
Brian Smoot - Northern Utah
10:00–10:45 AM
Session 2 — The Living Cliff: Ecology & Route Development
Even with the best endurance, no climber can live hanging on the wall. That's not the case for many species that call cliffs and rock formations their home. How best can we balance recreational use with preserving these special vertical ecosystems? Hear from biologists and ecologists about our living cliffs.
11:00–11:45 AM
Session 3 —Risk Management for Anchor Replacement
Risk Management?, Liability Exposure?, Certificates of Insurance? Are those in your pack?? When it comes to scaling up programmatic efforts around anchor replacement, a solid risk managment plan is key. Creating and documenting a defensible program is an important consideration for organizations engaged in this work. Hear from LCOs, Access Fund, and insurance providers about the latest trends and offerings in the insurance world.
11:45AM–12:45 PM
Lunch - Insurance Update
1:15–2:30 PM
Rotating Session — Work at Height and Glue-in Clinic
Group A - Work at Height
Group B - Glue-in Cinic
3:00–4:45 PM
Rotating Session — Work at Height and Glue-in Clinic (Switch)
Group A - Glue-in Cinic
Group B - Work at Height
Work at height best practices
Come get geeky and talk ropes. This hands-on clinic focuses on building safer, more robust rope systems for route development, rebolting, and stewardship work at height. Whether you’re part of an LCO, a local rebolter, or an active route developer, this session is an opportunity to share ideas, learn practical techniques, and improve efficiency, redundancy, and overall rope safety while working on the wall. While not a full industrial rope access course, this clinic aims to move beyond basic single-line systems and introduce practical tools for safer and more effective work at height.
Glue In Best Practices
This in-depth clinic explores the fundamentals and nuances of glue-in bolt installation for route development and rebolting. Participants will learn about proper hole preparation, adhesives, placement considerations, common installation mistakes, and how to properly install glue-in bolts. Whether you’re new to glue-ins or looking to refine your techniques, this session is designed to provide practical knowledge and hands-on insight into modern glue-in installation practices
4:45–5:00 PM
Closing