Fixed Anchors in Wilderness Areas

Colorado Mountain Club Policy Position Statement

October 1998

Preface

The Colorado Mountain Club supports the integrity of the 1964 Wilderness Act and opposes any effort to weaken the protection and preservation of the wilderness resource.

The Colorado Mountain Club supports the 1989 Regional Forest Service wilderness guidelines: "In most issues between the biophysical wilderness resource and human desires, the resource and its preservation will be given priority . . ."

General Principles

Climbing as a legitimate Wilderness activity

• Rock climbing is a legitimate use of public lands and should be allowed in wilderness areas as long as it does not undermine wilderness values.
• Although "clean climbing" should always be the preferred method, permanent fixed anchors must sometimes be used for rappel anchors to ensure climber safety. Permanent fixed anchors are defined as bolts, pitons, cables, or any other permanent climbing device. Slings are not considered permanent fixed anchors.
• Within designated wilderness areas, or areas otherwise protected for their wilderness values, climbing, including the use of fixed anchors, should be subject to the same standards as other recreation activities to ensure the preservation of wilderness characteristics of these lands.
• Land management agencies should work to preserve wilderness values and accommodate climbing and other recreational activities consistent with wilderness values.

Local Participation

• As the popularity of climbing changes and the need for fixed anchors varies, the appropriate use of fixed anchors should be determined at each site through a process of public input and planning. Input should include that from the local land managers, the climbing community, and the conservation community.
• Land managers should use education and other "soft" management approaches to minimize the use of fixed anchors and other climbing impacts. The climbing community can play an important role in educating its own members in this regard.

Environmental Considerations

• The use of fixed anchors should be minimized to the extent necessary, substantially unnoticeable, and an insignificant impact on wilderness characteristics and values.
• Local land management agencies should restrict or prohibit climbing and the use of fixed anchors in areas of environmental sensitivity.

Existing Fixed Anchors

• Existing fixed anchors which are deemed as infringing on wilderness aesthetics or other values should be camouflaged or removed as determined by the local land manager in consultation with the climbing community.
• Where appropriate and necessary, the replacement of fixed anchors by climbers should be allowed in designated and proposed wilderness. The process for determining the need for anchor replacement should be established by the local land manager, but should be expedient for the purposes of safety. When necessary, this process should allow for replacement on a piece-by-piece basis.

New Anchors

• Establishment of any new permanent fixed climbing anchors should be done in accordance with an applicable climbing management plan or pursuant to other appropriate authorization of the land management agency.
• Request for the creation of new routes using fixed anchors should be made a review process. Review criteria should include, but not be limited to, resource impacts, aesthetic impacts, the density of existing routes and need for additional ones.

Passed unanimously by the Colorado Mountain Club Board of Directors on October 17, 1998.