La Sportiva Continues Partnership With Access Fund Conservation Teams

La Sportiva and Access Fund, two iconic organizations dedicated to climbing, have once again teamed up for 2019. La Sportiva has supported the Access Fund for many years and their Conservation Teams since 2017. The Access Fund’s Conservation Teams utilize La Sportiva footwear and apparel while working in the field and will continue to do so in 2019. Long known as a premier outdoor footwear provider, apparel is La Sportiva’s newest category and the Conservation Teams increase the visibility of the product in the field.

“We are proud supporters of Access Fund. Their critical work ensures that some of the country’s best climbing areas remain open to the public,” says Jonathan Lantz, president of La Sportiva North America. “The Conservation Teams play a very visible role in the organization’s work overall and we are delighted that they’ve chosen to wear our footwear and apparel in the field. They are great ambassadors for La Sportiva’s products but also for preserving all of the climbing areas that our business relies upon.”

For 2019, the Access Fund Conservation Teams are outfitted with La Sportiva footwear and apparel. Due to the amount of time spent in the field, the teams are de facto gear testers and provide valuable feedback. They also elevate the visibility of La Sportiva apparel, the brand’s newest product line. Featuring organic cotton, recycled fabrics and insulation, the La Sportiva apparel collection is a great complement to Access Fund’s mission.

According to Michael Fitzgerald, Corporate Partnership manager at Access Fund, “La Sportiva provides much needed support for the Access Fund’s mission by being a sponsor of the Conservation Teams. They provide the teams with apparel and footwear to help them in their trail building work and provide much needed financial support which is greatly appreciated. Having the support of dedicated partners like La Sportiva really make this work not only possible, but also very enjoyable!”

Access Fund’s mission is to protect America’s climbing resources for the enjoyment of all climbers. This is achieved through advocacy and policy work, education, conservation and stewardship, and when necessary direct-acquisitions of land. Conservation and stewardship are at the core of the work that the Access Fund does. This work is heavily supported by 3 Conservation Teams who carry out projects at climbing areas all across the country. The Conservation Teams, being the boots on the ground, work with volunteers to establish and restore trails, build staircases and retaining walls, harden up landing zones at popular areas and perform overall general maintenance at the crags.