On April 11th 2022, Mapo Tapo will be launching our second Share For Bolts initiative.
A non-profit initiative, Share For Bolts is an awesome way of supporting the development of rock climbing in lesser-known areas and helping local climbing communities grow.
This article will tell you everything you need to know about the Share For Bolts initiative, including what it is, which of our local partners are involved, and what you can do to help out.
Share For Bolts contestant, Andy, climbing in Northern Chile © Cris Posadas / Gamantri
Share 4 Bolts is a non-profit initiative supporting the development of sport climbing in lesser-known areas. We do this by:
1) reinvesting part of Mapo Tapo’s profits in the development of local sport climbing infrastructure (e.g. paying for bolts/ anchors/ bolting equipment).
2) raising awareness of some of the awesome off-the-beaten-track climbing areas out there, and sharing the stories of local climbers and developers.
Easy! You share, we donate.
On April 11th, Mapo Tapo will release a post on our official Instagram account with the tag #ShareForBolts. You will have until April 21st to share this within your network. For each person who shares the post, we will donate 1€ to a local climbing developer. So:
The more shares, the more money goes to fund local climbing development.
You will then have a week - from April 22nd to April 29th - to vote on which of our local partners the money will be donated to. You can learn more about this year’s contestants below.
Carlos Simes on the route "Quáquá Come Kiki" (8b) in Fenda, Portugal © Ricardo Alves
Climbing is a rapidly growing sport, and as a result some of the more famous outdoor areas are suffering from overcrowding. But there’s thousands of other equally beautiful areas that are not as well known, and where the local community would benefit from some additional visibility.
Share For Bolts is our way of helping develop these lesser known climbing areas and, as a result, helping the local climbing community grow in a healthy and sustainable manner. It’s also a great way of inciting you to discover some of these incredible areas and climb a little more off-the-beaten-track.
In 2015, all United Nations member states adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at its heart.
We built Mapo Tapo with the aim of contributing to UN SDGs number 8 and 12:
UN SDG #8 - Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all.
UN SDG #12 - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
We strongly believe in developing tourism based around extreme sports as a means of supporting the sustainable economic development of local communities. We promote responsible tourism, caring for the environment, and help support local climbing communities.
Share For Bolts is a (hopefully fun!) way for us to reinvest some of our profits in the development of off-the-beaten-track climbing areas. This has been our aim right from the start of Mapo Tapo.
Share For Bolts contestant, Elena, climbing on Tenerife's characteristic basalt © Mikko Vänskä
Bolting routes used to be a very controversial topic in the climbing world, and in some areas still is. However, thanks to the huge growth in popularity of sport climbing over the past decades, bolting is becoming much more widely accepted, and in many parts of Europe it is now the main way of protecting outdoor routes.
While the purpose of this article is not to discuss the merits of one style of climbing over another, it is worth noting that all Share For Bolts partners operate in areas where bolting is a well accepted and widespread practice. We have chosen to support bolting initiatives for a variety of reasons, not least because sport climbing is one of the most widely practiced, safest and most accessible forms of our sport.
We have been lucky enough to meet some incredible bolters through our various projects. If there’s one thing we’ve learnt along the way, it’s that bolting is A LOT OF HARD WORK.
Most often, bolters finance the development of an area themselves - paying for their equipment, bolts and time. Sometimes they get small sponsorships, but this is rarely enough to cover the sheer amount of work.
The least we can do is provide them with some funds to continue their activities, so that there’s more awesome climbing for you all to enjoy!
An unbolted crag in Southern Chile with the potential for some beautiful technical multi-pitch routes. Cris and Andy already have plans if they win Share For Bolts! © Cris Posadas / Gamantri
Mapo Tapo ran our first Share For Bolts campaign in the spring of 2021. Our post got 500 shares, so we donated 500€ in bolts. The vote produced a clear winner: Davide “Cata” Catalano, a climber and developer living in Western Sicily, and one of the first Mapo Tapo local partners.
With the 500€ prize money, Cata was able to bolt a new crag in Trapani, which he called Antro dei Ciclopi (roughly translated as Cyclops’ Cave).
Antro dei Ciclopi is a beautiful cliff rising above the sea, close to Grotta di Polifemo. This area has the potential for two sectors with climbs suitable for all levels. It’s the perfect spot for the hot Sicilian summers: the wind blows constantly from the north, and conditions are good even on the hottest summer mornings.
Along with his friend and fellow bolter Lele Vigiani, Cata was able to put up 12 routes from 5a to 7b in Antro dei Ciclopi, with 4 open projects awaiting first ascents. But the area’s potential is far from being exhausted…
The North Facing cliffs of Antro dei Ciclopi, which today boast 12 routes from 5a to 7b and potential for many more © Massimo Cappuccio
Seba moved to live in Mallorca full-time in 2009, but he visited the Balearic Islands on many occasions in the years before that to go deep water soloing, sport climbing, cliff jumping and mountain biking.
“At my favourite crag on the island, I can feel the calmness and the strength of nature combined with the best quality limestone. I feel blessed just to have the chance to be there, and even more so when climbing.”
His inspiration for bolting is to be able to share with others the beauty and possibilities he sees in a crag or route. He enjoys the challenge of making the climbing world a bit bigger all while trying to find the balance between climbing aesthetics and respect for the environment.
With the Share For Bolts money he would re-bolt an amazing crag on Mallorca’s coast, as well as bolt some new routes with incredible views of the sea.
Sebastián deep water soloing in Mallorca © Rock & Water
Serra da Arrábida - a region just outside of Lisbon - has been Filipe’s home and vertical playground since he started implementing the Biovilla project in 2011. He has been living in the Setúbal region on and off for the past decade, and ultimately always comes back to it.
“My home climbing area is characterised by majestic limestone cliffs rising from the deep blue Atlantic ocean. It doesn’t get much better than that. I choose to live, climb in, and develop my home area because it’s unique and majestic in all its senses. Because it’s there and it’s f****** epic.”
With the Share For Bolts money, Filipe would re-bolt and upgrade many historical lines in the area that have not seen many recent repeats due to deterioration of the gear. It’s about honouring the past, while making it safe for the future.
Filipe sport climbing on the beautiful Atlantic Cliffs just outside of Lisbon © Filipe Alves
Andy is a climber, instructor and route developer who has lived in Chile his whole life. In each area of the country that he's visited, Andy has discovered a huge potential for countless crags, routes and places yet to be discovered.
Cris is a climber and professional outdoor photographer who has lived and travelled throughout Chile for 5 years, promoting responsible tourism and respect for the environment through his work.
“The rock formation in my home area is very beautiful… it gives the feeling of wanting to be up there immediately. Probably the most iconic thing is the possibility to set 3-to-4-pitch routes of sustained delicate face climbing… Having a place near my home with safely set routes will allow me to keep pursuing my passion for climbing and get the locals involved. This is a rural area, so climbing is really just a nascent sport.” - Andy.
Cris and Andy would use the money raised through Share For Bolts in the first instance to buy bolts and anchors which are pretty expensive in Chile. In the long run, having a beautiful, safely developed crag will not only help promote a new area in the region, but help grow the climbing community and spread the love for nature and wildlife that comes with this sport.
, and of course, share it with us all!
Cata climbing in Antro dei Ciclopi, a crag located just outside of Trapni, Sicily, which he bolted using last year's Share For Bolts prize money © Massimo Cappuccio
Elena and Erik are climbers and guides living in Tenerife, and owners of Climbing House Tenerife. Elena was born on the island, and Erik has been living there for 18 years.
Their favourite thing about climbing in Tenerife is the basalt rock, which offers a huge variety of climbing styles. On a single route you might find cracks, crimps, slopers, friction climbing ,and even overhangs… truly 3D climbing!
“We choose to live, climb and develop climbing in Tenerife because we strongly believe in the economic development of rural areas through outdoor sports like climbing. We want to offer future generations the opportunity to grow up as climbers and help people discover outdoor sports, a healthier way of life and love of nature”.
They would use the Share For Bolts prize money to continue developing new climbing areas for all levels, and maintaining and re-bolting routes to keep them safe.
Elena sport climbing on the 3D basalt characteristic of Tenerife © Erik Baquero
Roberto, Tuscany
Roberto has been climbing and developing new crags in Camaiore for the past 40 years. Once he moved from La Spezia, Liguria and he established himself and his business here, he has been able to really enhance the climbing offer within the area.
“Tuscany has an incredible food, wine and cultural heritage. Camaiore is very close to culturally rich cities such as Pisa and Lucca. From a landscape and climbing point of view, however, the beauty of Camaiore is that it is slightly more off-the-beaten-track compared to other world-wide known climbing destinations in Northern Italy. You can climb on walls the sea-view and find yourself 800-meters high above the water. Furthermore, in less than an hour you can climb on Monte Procinto. There are many shaded walls that can be easily climbed even in summer - less hot than Finale Ligure for sure! - although the best times to climb is spring and summer.
I am emotionally connected to this place. This is one of the first places where I’ve been climbing as a kid. Moreover, Camaiore potential is huge and being lesser-known compared to other destinations in the surroundings you can always find crags where to climb away from the crowds.”
Roberto is committed to keep pushing the climbing maintenance and bolting initiatives in Camaiore, just like he did during the past 40 years.
We hope our local partners’ stories have inspired you to get involved in the Share For Bolts campaign. It’s pretty easy (and totally free!) - all you have to do is share our post, then vote for your favourite contestants. All the money raised will go to fund bolts and other hardware needed to develop or maintain local crags.
Of course, there are other ways to support our incredible partners. One of them is by taking part in a Mapo Tapo trip! We always make sure to work with local climbers and guides, and support local businesses - favouring B&Bs run by climbers themselves. Plus, we’ll reinvest part of the profits from the 2022 season to further support the development of the sport…
Andy in action, bolting a crag in Chile © Cris Posadas
Cover Photo: Davide 'Cata' Catalano climbing in Antro dei Ciclopi © Massimo Cappuccio
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