Our work to protect sustainable Wilderness climbing and America’s climbing legacy never stops, and this week we’re thrilled to announce some big news. A bipartisan group of 14 U.S. Senators just came together to urge the Biden administration to not unnecessarily impose a blanket prohibition on all fixed anchors in all Wilderness areas. This group of Senate champions also requested an update on the administration's progress in revising regulations governing climbing access in Wilderness, highlighting their commitment to preserving access while ensuring responsible management. This unprecedented action by national elected leaders is one more reminder that climbers aren’t on this journey alone—and some Senators are climbers too. We are so thankful for the 14 Senators who stood up for sustainable climbing in Wilderness.
As the Senators wrote in their letter:
“While intended to provide over eight million American climbers with clear guidance on the use of fixed anchors to maintain wilderness area protections, we are concerned the policy change would unnecessarily burden our National Parks’ and Forests’ already strained budgets, limit access to these special places, and endanger climbers.
“We are hearing that this new determination could threaten over a century of precedent, hinder the establishment of new climbing routes, and complicate maintenance of fixed anchors. This means access to some of America’s most iconic climbing routes such as The Dawn Wall on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, big walls in Utah’s Zion National Park, adventures in the Wind River Range of Wyoming, many historic climbs in Washington’s North Cascades, and climbing opportunities in Arkansas’ Ozark-St. Francis National Forest could be limited. We believe that fixed anchors should not be considered installations in wilderness and urge the agencies to protect these fundamental safety tools.”
Our team is headed to Washington, D.C. soon and we’ll echo this message to federal officials—and we’d love to tell them that you’re with us. Will you add your name to our petition asking President Biden to protect sustainable Wilderness climbing access?
The unpopular proposed guidance from the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service would prohibit all existing fixed anchors (slings, pins, bolts, etc.) in Wilderness areas until an intensive bureaucratic process determines whether to remove a fixed anchor or provide an administrative exception for every existing and future climbing route that requires fixed anchors to ascend or descend safely. It would impact more than 50,000 routes in 28 states, including some of America’s most iconic climbing routes such as The Nose on El Capitan, big walls in Utah’s Zion National Park, adventures in Wyoming’s Wind River Range, historic climbs in Washington’s North Cascades, and more. Fortunately, existing fixed anchors can be used by climbers until federal land managers conduct their analyses.
Washington, D.C. © Kennedy Carey.
Access Fund supports effective regulations that provide for appropriate Wilderness climbing opportunities and protect Wilderness character, including standards under which Wilderness fixed anchors are occasional and placed as a last resort with a hand drill. At the same time, many Wilderness practitioners, elected officials, recreation managers, and mountain guides agree that changing the 60- year standard of Wilderness fixed anchor management from ‘allowable and regulated’ to ‘prohibited installations’ is not only an unnecessary waste of taxpayer dollars, but also is not in the best interest of Wilderness protection. It even goes against the intent of federal legislators who sponsored legislation and voted to designate Wilderness areas in the first place at places like Rocky Mountain National Park.