MARQUETTE – The Upper Peninsula Climbers Coalition has been awarded a 2015 Sharp End Award by the Access Fund for successfully opening the AAA Walls to recreational climbing.

The rock formations are in a remote area off Marquette County Road 510 outside of Big Bay.

The Access Fund, based in Boulder, Colorado, is a national climbing advocacy organization.

“It’s a beautiful place,” said UPCC President Philliip Watts. “The quality of the rock is good.”

Climbers, he pointed out, prefer solid rock that neither breaks nor falls apart and has good, challenging terrain, and the AAA Walls offer those things.

Since the AAA Walls were reopened in 2015, Watts said they have been popular with Northern Michigan University students, the local community and climbers outside the area.

The AAA Walls were closed in June 2014 due to liability concerns. The UPCC and the Access Fund then began working with the landowners, the Longyear Realty Corp., to allow limited public access.

The solution was a collaborative recreational license agreement enabling individuals to use the rock formations for recreational climbing. The license is renewable annually.

Watts said the license agreement, though, has rules and policies. For instance, the UPCC has liability insurance that allows individuals to climb for recreational purposes. However, organized groups wishing to climb must make requests for their trips through UPCC and Longyear Realty and must show evidence of having their own liability insurance.

Guided groups are not approved for climbing at the AAA Walls, he said.

According to the Access Fund’s website, every year it recognizes individuals, organizations and businesses that go above and beyond to volunteer their time and efforts to protecting America’s climbing. The recipients of the Sharp End Awards also stand out in their commitment to the American climbing community.

The official presentation of the Sharp End Award will be Oct. 22 at the 25th Access Fund Anniversary Celebration Dinner in Boulder.

The UPCC is a nonprofit organization that works with landowners, conservation groups and climbers to ensure responsible usage and long-term access to climbing resources across the U.P.

Founded in 2012, the UPCC has worked in partnership with land managers and owners to steward areas like Little Presque Isle, Palmer and the AAA Walls.

For more information visit www.upperpeninsulaclimbing.com.

Christie Bleck can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250.