Today we’d like to introduce you to Timothy McGivern.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Timothy. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
SNECC started as just an idea thrown about in a discussion with a friend of mine on how to go about saving some boulders we love. Now we’re on a seven-member board of an all-volunteer organization that is growing larger by the day. It’s taken on a life of its own. Once you start showing people that something they care about can be hurt or taken away, it’s not very hard to convince them to help out. That’s all we’re really doing.
I’ve been rock climbing in eastern Massachusetts since high school which was close to 20 years ago now. Over the years I’ve fallen in love with a handful of places that I return to over and over again. One of these places is located in Peabody, Massachusetts and is usually referred as the Promised Land. It has always been a place to climb new boulders or find a new classic line recently put up. About a decade ago a large portion of this climbing area was sold to a housing developer and slowly but surely we’ve watched the destruction of dozens of boulders and cliffs. We always knew it was private property. We always knew other boulders were destroyed for other houses in the past. We always knew the loss could be real. Now’s it happening. You can go watch them do it (from a safe distance). It’s terrible to watch, and I’d like to see if we can save the rest.
Climbing areas in this region tend to be small in size with smaller rocks and cliffs compared to other regions. They are spread out across the region and lie in a variety of landscapes from private parking lots, to public forests. Most of the areas see very little traffic so if an access issue arises, there aren’t the warm bodies needed to stand together and speak on behalf of the rock and the land it lives on. A perfect example of what I’m talking about is a rock known as Ship Rock. It is a famous glacial erratic in Peabody that is host to a dozen or so climbs, two being roof lines. It sits on the top of a hill surrounded by private parking lots and industrial buildings. Climbers go there, but not many. It’s a boulder that we should care about and be ready to protect at a moments notice. At this moment, as far as I know, there is nothing stopping the owner from caging it off to the world.
There are also areas such as Lynn Woods, Lincoln Woods, Redrock, Hammond Pond and others which see plenty of traffic but access is not really an issue (at the moment). These areas are also large enough to have relatively small groups of climbers that take care of them. They act as stewards of the land. Another excellent example that most climbers in the region are familiar with is Quincy Quarries. There was a time when it wasn’t covered in graffiti, empty spray bottles, empty 40’s, broken glass, needles, and discarded sex toys. There was a time when local legends trained on the sheer clean granite cliffs to prepare for bigger, more challenging cliffs elsewhere. Apparently, rock climbers are the only people who truly care about this special place, yet we’ve lost touch with coming together as a community and working hard to change the status quo.
As I started to talk to climbers and other climbing organizations like the AMC, WMCC, CACC, and the Access Fund, it became really clear that the region needs a framework to tackle not only existing access issues but future access issues as well. There is no doubt that with the surge in popularity in rock climbing we’re going to see folks moving from inside the climbing gym to the real rocks outside. I spoke to the climbing community in a variety of different ways including the internet, visiting gyms, going to events, and visiting other climbing organizations. I proposed a vision for a Local Climbing Organization and folks came out, signed up.
The climbing community is going through this incredible change right now. Not only is it surging in popularity, but it is surging inside on artificial climbing walls. There is a pent-up energy within the community that is screaming to be released outside where the true rock lies. Someone needs to be there to protect what we love and there’s a bunch of folks out there who want to do it, so we are.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I think smooth is a good word to describe it. Everyone involved has an unmistakable passion for rock climbing and feels like they want to do something good for their community. It is really nice to start something based on a passion and watch it unfold in a very organic, natural way. It’s a very human thing to watch happen. I think as projects progress and stronger opinions arise, there will be disagreements, but I think that because we’re based in passion, we’ll find a way to resolve things. Everyone seems to understand that working together towards a common goal involves bumps and bruises along the way. We’re talking about rock climbers here, so bumps and bruises don’t really bother them. In fact, the idea of failure as preparation for success is very prevalent in our community.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Southeast New England Climbers Coalitions (SNECC) mission is to protect, maintain, and obtain access to climbing areas throughout the region. We also exist to help a new generation of climbers take the skills they are learning inside to the cliffs and boulders outside. Our framework allows any climber or group of climbers to declare themselves a steward of a climbing area they love. A steward then has access to the resources of SNECC to complete whatever access project they have on their sites.
We are still really young, so I don’t think we’re really known for anything just yet. I like to imagine that in the future we’re known for saving climbing areas. I’d like us to be known as the voice of our climbing areas. The protectors of what we hold dear.
I’m proud of my community of rock climbers. We all have at least one thing in common and we’re usually pretty obsessed with it. It’s the type of community that when you meet someone new and then find out they are a rock climber, you can instantly feel connected and part of a community. It’s the type of community that is unique and ranges from the alpinist who prefers solitude to a boulderer who’s in it just for the pad party. All of them hold our outdoor climbing areas sacred and we all have our stories to share.
What were you like growing up?
I grew up in a pretty normal suburban environment on the north shore of the Boston metropolis. I’ve always enjoyed being in the woods and figuring things out. I’ve always been a bit of a loud voice trying to make light of situations and adding a bit of comedy to take some of the tension away. In general, I’m quite optimistic and tend to be pretty easy going. I’m interested in learning just about everything but there are a handful of topics that have been consistent over the years: STEM (science, technology, engineering, math), songwriting, and climbing. I have also always been interested in everything behind the human condition. That includes history, philosophy, psychology, politics, etc. Basically, my interest in these areas lies in how and why we tick. I also love working on projects whether it’s a construction project or an access project.
Something that is unique to where I grew up is the climbing. My friends and I would go climbing in Cape Ann which is mostly short roped climbing or bouldering. It was very normal for us. That is something that I took for granted until recently. The rock quality is as good as if not better than other places around the country, and the access was always a short drive away.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.SNECC.org
- Email: sneclimbers@gmail.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SNEclimbers/
- Other: https://groups.google.com/d/forum/snecc
Image Credit:
Shannon McFarland
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