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by Heide Andersen
What do the classic Ellingwood Ledges on the Crestone Needle, the east face of Monitor Peak, Wolf's Tooth on Mt. Sneffels, and technical routes on Lizard Head Peak and Kit Carson have in common? Yes, indeed, they are all climbs in the state of Colorado and they all tower above 13,000 feet in elevation. But these are not the only similarities. These climbs are also located in National Forest system wilderness areas and contain fixed anchors to permit a safe rappel off their summits. The recent ban by the Forest Service on such anchors will render these spectacular climbs inaccessible; it will also affect other technical rock and mixed routes across the country.
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The use of fixed climbing safety anchors in designated wilderness areas has been debated for many years. Each of the federal land management agencies has addressed the issue sporadically. However, recent rulings by the Forest Service have brought the issue to the forefront of public attention. In a ruling dated June 1, 1998, the U.S. Forest Service prohibited their use in wilderness. This ruling defined fixed anchors as any expansion bolts drilled into the rock to support climbing hardware, as well as pitons, nylon sling material, or ropes left permanently wrapped around trees or rocks.
In its announcement, the Forest Service de-emphasized the impact of the
ruling on wilderness climbing. Nevertheless, countless peaks and alpine climbs
in the Cascades, Sierras, Rockies, and the Wind River Range will be affected.
These include climbs on Lizard Head in the San Juans of Colorado, Lone Peak
Cirque in the Wasatch Range in Utah, Tahquitz and Suicide Rocks in California.
Additionally, all east-side High Sierra routes, including Mount Whitney and the
Palisades, Mt. Charleston in Nevada, and Prusik Peak and the Snow Creek Wall in
the Cascades of Washington will be impacted.
The ruling prompted immediate opposition from the climbing community, the outdoor industry, and both outdoor recreation and environmental organizations. Consequently, on August 13, 1998, Jim Lyons, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment, initiated a process of negotiated rule-making that will allow for further public involvement. The process will last for approximately one year and will involve extensive public comment from both the climbing and conservation communities. The Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service will probably also use this opportunity to participate in discussions about climbing management on their respective lands.
In order to participate effectively in continuing discussions on the use of fixed anchors in wilderness, the Colorado Mountain Club at its October, 1998, board meeting, approved an official statement. The CMC reiterates its support of the integrity of the Wilderness Act and opposes any effort to weaken the protection and preservation of wilderness. It also acknowledges the legitimacy of climbing as a wilderness activity, and consequently recognizes the occasional need for permanent fixed anchors to ensure climber safety. "Climbers frequent wilderness areas for the same kind of backcountry experience and solitude as other visitors," says Tom Maceyka, Director of the CMC's Technical Climbing Section. "The existence and maintenance of fixed anchors is paramount to safety for some of these experiences."
Heide Andersen, Public Lands Policy Director for the CMC, notes that the club promotes the management of fixed anchors on a local level. "In this way, the land management agencies can take site-specific environmental sensitivity and climber safety considerations into account." The CMC believes that the use of fixed anchors should be minimized, be substantially unnoticeable, and make an insignificant impact on wilderness characteristics and values. The club encourages land managers to use education and other "soft" management approaches to minimize the use of fixed anchors and other climbing impacts, and to use the climbing community as a resource in educating its own members. For the purposes of safety, the CMC also believes that where appropriate and necessary, the replacement of existing fixed anchors should be allowed in designated and proposed wilderness areas.
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This page maintained by Keith Jensen .