Going up? Climbing rules in U.S. are now open for public comment

It’s one of the lesser known parts of the Mariposa County economy, but that doesn’t lessen its impact.

Rock climbing has been an integral part of this county well over 100 years because of the iconic places in and around Yosemite National Park.

Now, the United States Department of the Interior has opened a 60 day comment period focusing on the rules of rock climbing across the nation.

“In the past, someone else overseeing climbers doesn’t work out that well,” said Ken Yager, founder of the Yosemite Climbing Association as well as the Yosemite Climbing Museum in Mariposa and one of the most iconic figures in the sport.

According to a press release from the Department of the Interior, officials are seeking to establish a “consistent approach to recreational rock climbing management across designated wilderness areas.”

The press release states the “proposed recreational climbing guidance establishes consistent, common-sense standards for evaluating and managing climbing activities, including the use of fixed anchors, in accordance with existing laws and policies.”

But what does that mean?

Yager said he still isn’t quite sure what it means but is encouraging everyone in the rock climbing community to familiarize themselves with the proposed rules and make comments to the government.

He said when it comes to Yosemite especially, making rules and enforcing them are different animals.

“Part of the reason is this area is so vast in the park as far as climbing, it is virtually impossible to enforce unless it is in popular areas,” said Yager.

But Yager said there is another real threat and that is the relationship the climbing community has established with the National Park Service over the years.

“Through a lot of hard work …. the park service and climbing community has probably the best relationship since the early days, and I’m talking the 1930s and 1940s,” said Yager.

Dropping an anchor

A key ingredient in any rule change, said Yager, is the use of anchors. In rock climbing, an anchor is a secure setup that attaches a climber, rope or load to a cliff face, ice or structure. Its primary purposes are fall protection, supporting a climber’s weight while hanging, or holding a top-rope.

Yager said any rule change that outlaws anchors would completely upend the climbing community.

“If they banned anchors, you couldn’t climb El Capitan,” he said.

El Capitan is considered the pinnacle of climbing and people come from around the world to take on the monolith. That’s part of the economic benefit to the county.

As Yager pointed out, “not everybody makes it every time” they attempt to climb El Cap, meaning those anchors are crucial.

He said it hypothetically could mean that if someone was injured or simply couldn’t make it to the top, they could potentially be in violation of the law if they use anchors to come down should the rules change.

Interestingly enough, Yager was one of the people recently invited to meet Department of Interior Secretary Doug Bergum, who visited Yosemite. The news media was not invited and it appears just a select few hand-picked people were asked to meet with the secretary.

Yager said he spent an hour with Bergum, including showing him bolts and anchors utilized in rock climbing.

“We talked about anchors and gear,” Yager said, also noting he brought a telescope so the secretary could view people climbing on El Capitan.

Bergum has been under close scrutiny by many groups, who believe the goal of the Trump Administration is to overuse public lands. He has also been criticized for opening up public lands to energy development and more.

For Yager, he didn’t know what to expect from Bergum.

“To be honest, it was weird,” said Yager. “He seem like a normal guy; charismatic.”

That, he said, is a far cry from what he thought Bergum would be like in person.

But, said Yager, that doesn’t change the fact the climbing rules nationally are now open to public comments.

“We have got to get educated,” said Yager. “We’ve got to focus on it.”

“America’s public lands are meant to be experienced and enjoyed by the American people,” said Bergum in the press release. “At the same time, we have the responsibility to be good stewards of the land.”

He added that “under President Trump’s leadership, Interior is focused on expanding outdoor recreation opportunities, removing unnecessary barriers and access and use managing public lands in a way that benefits the American people.”

A huge difference

Yager said for the climbing community, how this unfolds will make a huge difference.

One stark recent example involves Half Dome, the famed rock formation in Yosemite where even less experienced climbers can get a feel for the sport by utilizing the cable system to summit the peak at the end of a long hike.

However, Yager said Half Dome is much more.

Recently, a young climber decided to place more anchor bolts on one of the Half Dome routes, something Yager said was unnecessary and possibly dangerous.

He called Half Dome an “iconic formation” and “not quite a popular as El Cap, but a close second.”

That sometimes gets lost on the public but Yager said it’s a real issue now, especially with the added anchors.

He fears more inexperienced people will attempt the route because there are more anchors.

But even with that, he said Half Dome is a dangerous climb and “takes a lot of time.”

That can mean dangerous weather conditions can move in quickly, leaving climbers vulnerable to lightning and high winds.

“You have to move quickly on a long climb like Half Dome,” said Yager.

He said the extra bolts that were put in place “pissed off a lot of people” who fear what could happen.

“Part of climbing is there are steps to get better,” said Yager. “There are certain iconic climbs.”

To get to that level, he said, there is a pecking order in Yosemite where people can learn “to go to this level” by taking other climbs in the learning process.

“The order in Yosemite is to do climbs and get ready for these classics,” he said.

He said the new situation at Half Dome could actually lead to more rescues and even worse.

Yager said Yosemite is not the only place that could see major impacts, but noted the extensive climbing that takes place in Rocky Mountain National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, many parks in Utah and many places in Montana, Wyoming and elsewhere.

Yager said it is important for people to study the proposals and make their voices heard.

Comments can be made through the Federal Register notices found on the websites of each agency, including the National Park Service, Department of the Interior and Bureau of Land Management.