Craggin' Classic Climbs into Bentonville, Arkansas

The American Alpine Club is bringing its renowned Craggin' Classic climbing festival to Bentonville, Arkansas from May 10-12, 2024. This multi-day event offers climbing workshops, gear exhibitions, camping, and a stewardship day at local crag Lake Lincoln.  

Climbers of all levels can learn new skills, explore Northwest Arkansas' urban and rural climbing areas, meet fellow enthusiasts, and give back through trail projects. Don't miss this rare chance to experience Bentonville's emerging climbing scene at the Ozark Craggin' Classic. Listen now! 

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Transcript

Jaclyn House: 0:11

Welcome to A New American Town, a podcast proudly presented by Visit Bentonville. I am your host, Jaclyn House, broadcasting from Haxton Road Studios in Bentonville Square. Join us as we share captivating stories and updates from our city, connecting you with the locals that make this town worth visiting. And, as you know, there are always very, very cool things happening here in Bentonville. And joining us today, we have Eddie Espinosa, Dennis Nelms, and Byron Harvison. They are here representing the American Alpine Club. Welcome to the podcast.

Eddie Espinosa : 0:47

Thank you, hi, happy to be here.

Jaclyn House: 0:50

So let's start with this question what is the American Alpine Club?

Eddie Espinosa : 0:56

I can start so the American Alpine Club. We started in 1902. We're the nation's largest non-profit climbing organization. It originally started to support climbing and research international expeditions and has evolved over the years to where it is now. We're a national organization supporting climbers of all kinds, from rock climbers, ice climbers, boulders, alpinists, mountain climbers, and offer grants, education. We work in advocacy in the policy space with Byron and generally our community builders. We gather in climbing areas and communities around the country to support climbing and the climbing way of life.

Jaclyn House: 1:51

Yeah, Eddie, since you kicked us off, tell us what your role in the organization is.

Eddie Espinosa : 1:56

So I'm the director of community programs and I've been working with the club now for around 10 years.

Jaclyn House: 2:02

Okay, okay, Byron, how about you? What's your role?

Byron Harvison: 2:06

So I'm the Director of Policy and Government Affairs. I was a longtime volunteer with the American Alpine Club and then came on full-time about a year and a half ago and retired from the Army.

Jaclyn House: 2:18

Oh nice, Thank you. Thank you for your service, Dennis. What's your role?

Dennis Nelms: 2:23

So I actually don't work for the Alpine Club. I work locally. I'm from Fayetteville, we're up there and I am a consultant. I work with the Runway Group and help them with the strategy for rock climbing across the state. So I help connect advocacy groups like the American Alpine Club and other organizations to Arkansas.

Jaclyn House: 2:46

Oh, nice, okay, Okay, always working collaboratively. I love that. So, coming up to Bentonville very, very soon, within the next month, the Craggin' Classic, am I saying that right?

Dennis Nelms: 2:59

Yeah.

Jaclyn House: 3:00

Okay, what is that? What can people expect at this event?

Eddie Espinosa : 3:05

So the Craggin' Classic is an event we've been running for over 10 years now and it started Okay, what is that?

Eddie Espinosa : 3:10

What can people expect at this event? So the Craggin' Classic is an event we've been running for over 10 years now and it started at some of the more iconic climbing destinations around the country and it's a sort of a national level festival that tours to places like Smith Rock, to Rumney, to the New River Gorge. Uh, we had it in Moab, um, Devil's Lake in the Northeast, uh, or Midwest, uh, excuse me, um, but it's, uh, it's a. It's an event that brings communities together, um, offers education, it offers advocacy. Uh, essentially, uh, uh, I don't want to call it a party, but, uh, you know, it's a big social event for that. That brings the climbers together in community. We get to know, they get to know each other, they get to meet new folks, new climbers, new climbing partners, tell each other stories and maybe learn, learn some new techniques or learn how to climb along the way. That's sort of generally the the blueprint of what these events are.

Jaclyn House: 4:07

Yeah, we've got some great spaces here in Bentonville. Is that one of the reasons why it was selected for this year's event?

Byron Harvison: 4:19

I'll let you go ahead, Dennis, sorry.

Dennis Nelms: 4:20

Well, we really were looking at a space. The Craggin' Classics are in different areas. They're in campgrounds, pretty isolated places, and then they're also in an urban setting and you know it is going to draw a lot of people from this region to Northwest Arkansas, not only Arkansans but people from all over Central US and outside, or you know in this area, the Central US and outside, or you know in this area. So we wanted to really have some variety in what this first Craggin' Classic can offer and so we named it Ozark Craggin' Classic in thoughts that we could move it to different areas, and Bentonville seemed like the natural fit for the first one.

Jaclyn House: 5:03

Okay, Byron, did you want to add on to that?

Byron Harvison: 5:06

Sure, just as far as some specific places near and around Bentonville and Fayetteville, you know, Mount Fitzgerald is really, I think, a premier example of what an urban crag could look like, and so we look forward to highlighting just that great craggin' area, Lake Lincoln down in Lincoln, Arkansas, another pretty long-time standing climbing area nearby that's another area we'll be taking folks to. We also look forward to working with some of our partners, like the Arkansas Climbers Coalition. They're hosting a climbing stewardship day on the Sunday of of our event, doing some trail maintenance projects, uh, over at Lake Lincoln. So, yeah, we we like to highlight, you know, the, the local climbing organizations and uh, really enjoy cooperating with them yeah, and this event happening over a weekend.

Jaclyn House: 6:00

Can you give us maybe like a breakdown what people can expect each day?

Byron Harvison: 6:05

um, yeah, sure.

Eddie Espinosa : 6:08

So, typically, if you go to a Craggin' Classic, you have an opportunity to take workshops on different aspects of climbing at a relatively reduced rate.

Eddie Espinosa : 6:22

It's important for us to be able to offer this education as part of our mission to make sure that climbers are competent.

Eddie Espinosa : 6:34

and um practice good, good techniques that, uh, you know, move them, move them towards, uh, towards being safe climbers. Uh, so we we like to spread that out and include it in our events. Um and uh, there, uh, we'll have a vendor fair, uh, in the evenings, where local vendors and national level sponsors uh put up tents, can talk about their products, can share the things that they are involved with, you know, including local organizational partners and nonprofits will be there as well, and so that goes into the evenings. And we'll have a stewardship day on sunday where we'll uh give back to the crag or the places where we climbed and uh help tidy it up and leave it better than when we found it. So, uh, that's, that's, that's kind of it in a nutshell. We'll offer, uh, we'll offer, camping for folks coming in from out of town, um, in a, you know, in a, in a communal space and, you know, again, encourage the community to meet and hang out with each other.

Jaclyn House: 7:38

And then where, specifically in Bentonville, will this Kraggin Classic take place?

Eddie Espinosa : 7:46

It's going to be in the same. I'm trying to Byron. You would know this off the top of your head. The name escapes it.

Byron Harvison: 7:51

Now it's right in the middle of town the Coler preserve or that, I think it's Applegate is actually where the camping is going to take place. But then we're we're highlighting some of the other areas. I mean, Coler area is just is frankly, world famous from the mountain bike community, and so we're we're looking to spotlight some of those amenities um as well. But but yeah, the the camping portion is going to be over at, uh, Applegate.

Jaclyn House: 8:16

What are you hoping that um attendees? What are you hoping they come away with after the event for the weekend?

Byron Harvison: 8:26

So I'm I'm hoping, um just that the the rest of the world is going to recognize just how how beautiful, amazing Bentonville is and what just all the amenities that have to offer. I think the mountain bike community certainly is very aware of that. But I think, exposing also to the climbing community just how easily accessible these climbing areas are, how proximate they are to these urban areas that have, you know, good restaurants, good places, good pubs to go grab a beer if that's what you like to do, and just great access to the outside, Again, I think the mountain bike community has discovered the secret and made that very evident, and we're hoping to let the climbing community in on that secret. We're hoping to let the climbing community in on that secret.

Jaclyn House: 9:12

Yeah, I've heard you reference the crag a couple of times. What does that mean?

Eddie Espinosa : 9:19

Go ahead, Byron.

Byron Harvison: 9:28

So when you say the crag, that's just kind of a I guess, another word for a climbing area, right? So normally whenever we say crag, it's usually kind of a smaller kind of more intimate climbing area, right? So normally whenever we say crag, it's, it's usually kind of a smaller, a smaller kind of more intimate climbing area. Um, but, yeah, that's that's, that's just another name for the climbing destination okay, okay, good to know.

Jaclyn House: 9:41

Can people still sign up for this event? It's happening may 10th to the 12th, is that right?

Eddie Espinosa : 9:50

That's right and they can. They can still sign up. Go to American Alpine Club. org and navigate your way to our events and there is a is a page just for the. The Ozarks Craggin' Classic. Links to registration are there and we'll be taking. We'll be taking registration up until up until the event.

Jaclyn House: 10:08

OK, ok, good to know, Dennis, because you are local to us here in Northwest Arkansas. Do you have some favorite places that you like to climb here locally in Bentonville?

Dennis Nelms: 10:20

Well, you know, really proximity to Bentonville, fitzgerald is probably the best place to climb. It's kind of on the east side of Springdale and so it's 10 minutes from my house, so it's kind of nice. But really when I go outside of that area you go to Newton County, to Horseshoe Canyon Ranch. It's a world-class destination in its own right and it's it's only about an hour and 20 minutes from Bentonville, and a lot of the participants that don't sign up for the classes are probably going to find themselves in that area climbing some of the more iconic deposits of rock out there. And horseshoe is just an incredible space that has over 500 climbs, with another three to four hundred boulder problems, a restaurant on site, zip lines and they're putting in mountain bike trails now. So it is becoming quite a destination for people in Northwest Arkansas.

Jaclyn House: 11:34

One thing I've loved about hosting this podcast is I've lived here for a very long time in Northwest Arkansas. But finding out, like new things, that there is to do and this is one completely new to me I did not know that there were places that people could climb and then have an event of this magnitude coming here to our community is huge. To your port, Byron. You know the mountain bikers know, but now you know making other people aware that we have this piece of the climbing area and aspect available here in our community too. That's very, very cool.

Dennis Nelms: 12:06

Well, if there's anybody that's really curious in North Coast Arkansas about climbing, this is a great way to get introduced to it in a safe environment A lot of like-minded people. There's also three local climbing gyms Boulders and Brews in Fayetteville. There's Ozark Climbing Center in Springdale and then Climb Bentonville, which is also in Bentonville, and that's another way to kind of get your feet wet with climbing.

Jaclyn House: 12:34

I was just going to ask too, you know, is this an event? You know, if people are brand new to climbing, is this an event that you would recommend for them to attend?

Dennis Nelms: 12:45

Oh, absolutely I would. I mean, it's such a fun event. You'll meet people that are into it and also the educational aspect of the Craggin' Classics are really catered to those people that are new to it.

Jaclyn House: 12:58

Byron and Eddie, have you been to Bentonville before?

Byron Harvison: 13:03

So I actually just live over the border in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, so I'm nearly local Not quite, but nearly local. But yeah, I visit Bentonville and the surrounding areas pretty often.

Jaclyn House: 13:15

Okay, do you have any favorite spots that you like to climb while you're here?

Byron Harvison: 13:20

You know I love all the climbing. One of the other areas that I've been to a bit is Sam's Throne, just north of Little Rock. There it's pretty famous, but I consider Lincoln my home crag, so that's really. It's really special. I've been visiting there since gosh, since around 1995. So it's certainly a special place to me.

Jaclyn House: 13:42

Yeah, Eddie, have you visited us here in Bentonville before?

Eddie Espinosa : 13:48

It will be my first time when I go down there for the event, coming out from Seattle. So I'm excited to get down there. I'm also bringing my bike too.

Jaclyn House: 13:57

Oh nice, Okay, so you're going to do all the outdoor things.

Eddie Espinosa : 14:00

I'm going to do all the outdoor things, okay.

Jaclyn House: 14:05

Any last-minute things that people need to know about the Craggin' Classic.

Byron Harvison: 14:11

I would ju st offer that, if you have any questions, just please look us up at the americanalpinecluborg. We have a lot of resources. You know, specific to this event, but also on the website you can find out what other things we work on, especially in terms of advocacy, and you know a lot of the work we do impacts the ability for folks to get outside and enjoy the outdoors in our public lands, so I encourage people to take a look at that.

Jaclyn House: 14:40

Yeah, and then Dennis, remind us again of those places that you mentioned about. Maybe, if you're interested and want to learn more about climbing, that we have here locally.

Dennis Nelms: 14:49

Locally. The local areas are Lake Lincoln and then Mount Fitzgerald in Springdale and then a really iconic place and easy, easily accessible place is Horseshoe Canyon Ranch and they have a website you can find out information. They also have guides there so if you're new to it, you can actually get outside with a guide on site.

Jaclyn House: 15:12

Well, thank you all so much for joining us. This is a very, very cool event coming here to Bentonville. Thank you so much for joining us today and we hope that you that are listening don't forget to visit Bentonville. We you so much for joining us today and we hope that you that are listening don't forget to visit Bentonville. We are here to assist you and navigate you as you're trying to find things to do, like this Kraken classic where to eat and stay and what's going on in the city. Give us a follow on social media and check out our website at visitbentonville. com. Thanks for listening.