On April 6th, 2019 Tallahassee Rock Gym held its 9th annual Save the South. If you’re not a climber at TRG (Tallahassee Rock Gym) you might be asking what is Save the South? Save the South is a benefit competition for the Southeastern Climbers Coalition (aka the SCC) hosted by Tallahassee Rock Gym. All of the proceeds go to keeping our crags clean and accessible. For nine years the event has helped raise funds to preserve climbing areas in the Southeast, United States.
This is my third and last Save the South as a Tallahassee resident. Over the years I’ve watched this event get bigger and better as people come together to participate in an epic day of climbing. I’ve also seen my role in this competition evolve. Three years ago when I first participated, I was a newbie, having only climbed for a couple of months. Then a year later helped design the t-shirt and recapped the event on my blog. You can read about Save the South 2018 in this blog post. This year I was asked to donate something to the raffle. I decided to go big and paint this large canvas. It made my day when my Yosemite painting ended up being the first item chosen!
Cover photo by John Rawley
Leading up to this event was a three-day transformation of TRG involving setters, staff, volunteers, and countless cups of coffee. I’ve got to give props to these people, they’re the real MVPs of Save the South. Together they stripped the walls, cleaned holds, and set routes ranging from V0-V8. I think these behind the scenes photos say it all.
Behind the Scenes of Save the South
| Behind the scenes photos taken by Nestor & Liz |
The Day of the Event
The day of the event TRG had a line leading out the door where participants were eagerly waiting to check in. This year there were 150 participants from Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Gainesville, Asheville, Chattanooga, and other southeastern cities. As the competition started, the gym was filled to the brim.
Together we raised $6,200 for the Southeastern Climbers Coalition
| Competition Photos by: Noah Mobley |
| Competition Slideshow Photos by: John Rawley |
Sponsors & Shout Outs
During the competition, I climbed with my younger sister Shelby. She traveled from Gainesville to compete with me. This was her second time attending Save the South.
I have to give a shout out to my boyfriend Noah who was one of the comp route-setters. He went above and beyond to contribute his talent and time to the creation of this event. I know this to be a fact because I didn’t see him for a week because he was always at the gym. Even until 4 am the night before the competition. Not to mention he took some sick photos during Save the South that I’m using in this post.
Huge thank you to all of our sponsors! Here are a few.
Grasslands Brewery | Boulder Denim | Westward and Woven | Dirtchalkbags | The Art of Traveling | Joshua Tree Skin Care | Adidas Terrex | Evolve | Patagonia | Kingsley Wild Outdoors
I wish I could thank everyone individually that came out to set, climb, donate, and spectate for Save the South 2019. This event would not have been possible with all of you!