If you rock climb or alpine climb on National Park and National Forest Lands, this affects YOU! Proposed change of the fixed anchor policies in National Parks and on Forest Service Lands will make it hard to maintain safe anchors and will have a direct effect on your favorite climbing areas, including:
The American Mountain Guides Association is taking a stand and trying to protect access to safe anchors on our national public lands.
Please review the statement below from AMGA Executive Director Matt Wade, take action and comment!
Hi everyone,
As you may have heard, the NPS and USFS recently issued draft guidance for the management of climbing fixed anchors, particularly in wilderness areas. The proposals would fundamentally change the agencies' approach to fixed anchor management from the current "allowed unless prohibited on specific basis" to "prohibited unless allowed on a specific basis." Essentially, the proposals will prohibit the placement and maintenance of fixed anchors unless the placement or maintenance is pre-approved through a very laborious and time-consuming process called a "minimum requirements analysis" or MRA. It is important to note, the terms "fixed anchors" and "fixed equipment" include slings around a tree or boulder.
The prohibition on the maintenance of fixed anchors is especially concerning. Guides need to be able to maintain fixed anchors in the moment to ensure the safety of themselves and their clients (for example, replacing damaged slings). It is not practical to require a guide to gain pre-approval to maintain a fixed anchor, especially when the condition of a fixed anchor is often unknown until a guide inspects it in the field.
Also of note, the proposals would require all existing fixed anchors to be assessed for compatibility with wilderness character, as funding and resources allow. If anchors are found to be incompatible with wilderness character, they would be removed.
The AMGA will be submitting comments to the agencies to encourage them to:
(1) allow the continued use of existing fixed anchors without further review, unless there are site-specific resource concerns,
(2) allow for the maintenance of existing fixed anchors without prior approval, unless there are site-specific resource concerns, and
(3) authorize the placement of new fixed anchors in wilderness with a simple and efficient permitting process that does not require an MRA (as is current practice under NPS Director’s Order 41).
Please consider submitting your own comments. Even a few quick sentences would be helpful. It is important for the agencies to hear that these proposals need to be modified.
As a frequent recreational user of National public lands for rock climbing and alpine climbing, I would like to encourage this committee to consider the following in order to continued safe climbing on public lands:
(1) allow the continued use of existing fixed anchors without further review, unless there are site-specific resource concerns,
(2) allow for the maintenance of existing fixed anchors without prior approval, unless there are site-specific resource concerns, and
(3) authorize the placement of new fixed anchors in wilderness with a simple and efficient permitting process that does not require an MRA (as is current practice under NPS Director’s Order 41).
These allowances would save lives through allowing maintenance of safe anchors on public lands. Climbing is inherently dangerous, but we do not need to increase that danger by limiting access to safe anchors. Please consider the lives saved by implementing the recommendations above as you make your decision on this critical policy.
Thank you,
Your Name Here
Links to the agency comment portals are also below.
Access Fund webinar: https://www.accessfund.org/events-calendar/stop-the-bolt-prohibition-webinar
Briefing paper: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pAIhY0ytG0iv60UlnH6V5pIhcj_n8DMLhnsdCtshEYk/edit?usp=sharing
Comment periods close at 11pm PST on Jan 30th, 2024!
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Trad climbing at Donner Summit near Truckee, CA.
If you’ve been rock climbing in the gym and you’re ready to take your climbing to the next level in the Truckee/Tahoe area, keep reading! Whether you're interested in top roping, trad climbing, sport climbing, or multi pitch climbing, we'll break it down for you so you can spend more time rock climbing in Tahoe and less time looking!
We'll Cover:
Don’t be surprised if you find the transition from gym climbing to outdoor rock climbing in Tahoe to be more challenging than expected. Making the move from color coded jugs to tiny crimps that you can hardly see can be quite the shocker. Luckily the Tahoe area has a good amount of top roping crags that let you focus on the climbing without worrying about the gear too much. We cannot emphasize enough the importance of taking a course from a professional to gain the necessary skills to rock climb outdoors safely.
90 Foot WallAlong the West Shore of Lake Tahoe lies the 90-foot wall. The approach is fairly short and easy, but your crux of the day will be beating the tourists and traffic exploring Emerald Bay and the surrounding areas. Get there early if you want to find parking.
Not only does this crag have both easy and moderate climbs, but it also has the option to top rope or lead most routes and offers both face and crack climbing. It’s no wonder that the routes are polished from so much traffic - this place has got it all.
Johnny WallIf you’re coming from the Bay Area or Sacramento, Johnny Wall is just off Interstate 80 on your way to Tahoe. This is an excellent location for family or kid’s rock climbing near Tahoe as it offers eight routes from 5.5 up to 5.9 and they are all top ropable. The approach is easy - about a one-minute walk from the road!
If it’s a super-hot day, this may not be your best bet as it’s lower in elevation than Tahoe and also South facing, but the South Yuba River is just down the road if you want to jump in afterwards.
Rappelling while outdoor rock climbing in Truckee, CA.
If you want to find splitter cracks and sandbagged ratings in Tahoe, look no further than trad climbing at Donner Summit. Just like anchor building, learning to place cams and build trad anchors is an essential skill that we highly recommend you learn from an AMGA trained guide.
School Rock - Donner Summit
You can practice placing gear and building trad anchors on Nursery School Slab, a hit for kid’s rock climbing and family rock climbing in Tahoe. The hardest climb on Mountain Project is 5.4 and makes a great place to build confidence with placing gear.
Once you feel dialed at Nursery School, you can graduate to Kindergarten and climb the first pitch of Kindergarten Crack. Once you learn multi pitch rock climbing skills, you can complete this climb in two pitches if you want!
The Emeralds
If you’re new to outdoor sport climbing near Lake Tahoe, it might make sense to drive an hour west from Truckee to The Emeralds. This spot offers a variety of crags with lower grades and fun sport climbing. Some routes can be a little sporty, with bolts spaced father than you might like, so be sure to give your chosen route a good look and read the comments before jumping on lead if you're pushing your grades.
Big Chief
Big Chief is a great crag for sport climbing in Tahoe, offering steep climbs with positive holds on solid, volcanic rock. If you're feeling strong from climbing at the gym, are comfortable leading and are looking for a place to learn to rock climb outdoors, you'll love Big Chief! If you’re a brand-new sport climber, The Chief may not be your best option.
The bolting is generally well done, and with a ton of routes packed into a small area, the density of climbing at The Chief makes it a great place to cram in a lot of climbs. It's also a nice change of pace from the old-school granite trad climbing of Donner Summit!
Learning to rock climb outdoors at Donner Summit near Truckee, CA.
Lover’s Leap
The Caldor Fire ripped through this glorious place during the summer of 2021, but the trails have been repaired and the granite rock climbing is still splitter. If you’re new to multi pitch rock climbing, the Hogsback offers a few great options where you can practice dialing in your systems. The first pitch of Knapsack Crack is rated as a 5.2 and offers a bomber (unquestionably solid) tree anchor. The second pitch bumps up to 5.4 and then 5.5. The lower grades let you focus on your gear and systems rather than the climbing - take it one step at a time!
Please note: none of these suggestions are considered “safe” but they are good options from our personal experience. Before you begin your outdoor rock-climbing career, consider hiring an AMGA trained guide to teach you the skills needed to climb safely. Don’t rely on your buddies who watched a few Youtube videos to teach you. Take a class from a trained professional and get hands-on experience with some guided rock climbing in Tahoe.