Potter Climbs Delicate Arch

[Jim]

Patagonia's response to my concerns of Dean and his limitless ego. My response was this is cya and I'll be tending towards Arteryx.

 

Hello,

 

Thank you for writing us with your concerns. Patagonia ambassador Dean Potter's May 7 free solo of Delicate Arch has generated significant controversy about the legality and appropriateness of the climb of what has

been described as a national icon. We'll be interested to follow the controversy and to listen to views of those on both sides.

 

A few facts are in order. First, no crime has been committed. The National Park Service has conceded that its regulations were ambiguous and that they will not cite Dean for the ascent. They have said they will seek to clarify their regulations to prevent a second try. The Park and a number of opinion leaders have argued that Delicate Arch is an icon that should not be climbed.

 

It is important to note that Dean did no harm to the route or to the rock. He free-soloed the arch, placing no anchors and creating no impact beyond blowing dust off the holds. As he says, "No one reveres rocks more than me.

I consider all rocks sacred, as do most climbers."

 

Dean, like all Patagonia ambassadors, undertakes his own climbs on his own terms. He told us about the climb afterward.

 

We have taken positions in the past on a number of issues of climbing ethics, including bolting. We take no position on this one. As Casey Sheahan, our CEO, notes, "From the early days in the Tetons to the rebelliousness of Yosemite's Camp 4, every generation of climbers has had

its run-ins with government regulations that attempt to restrict climber's freedom of expression. At Patagonia we don't control the ways our sponsored athletes conduct themselves except to encourage respect for the environment

and uncommon approaches to every challenge. Dean is at the pinnacle of free solo climbing, makes decisions for himself, and has our complete support."

 

Again, we thank you for your time and your opinion.

 

Patagonia

[cj001f]

Patagonia's response to my concerns of Dean and his limitless ego. My response was this is cya and I'll be tending towards Arteryx.

Because of all the winners in the AmerSports pantheon?

[MisterMo]

Good golly. Ten pages of this hoo-hah. I may as well make it ten and a twenty-somethingth.

 

Sooo....

The climb:

Any and all subsequent self promotion, publicity, and such latherings:

 

It was refreshing to go to the archives and dredge up the following from Chuck Pratt's long-ago delightful essay on desert climbing:

One last try at Spider. It will be Roper's first time and my third. We are wary of the Indians and the rangers both so we use a bit of stealth finding the Bat Trail into the canyon. At the start of the trail we find a sign that states, quite unequivocally, "No Climbing." "Balderdash," I say and "Bullshit," says Roper and we turn the sign around so its blank side shows and proceed into the canyon...

 

...Returning to the cosmopolitan atmosphere of Chinle, we disguise ourselves as tourists and edge discreetly towards the ranger headquarters to find out how much of a stir we have caused, for we know intuitively that since we feel so happy, we must have done something illegal.

Edited May 17, 2006 by MisterMo

[jmace]

Nice one MO

[dan_forester]

so that's not just another, subtler, kind of self-promotion?

[klenke]

From the Patagonia response:

"Dean is at the pinnacle of free solo climbing, makes decisions for himself, and has our complete support."

 

I wonder what they would have said had he fallen to his death or seriously maimed himself while climbing the arch.

 

Because it sounds to me like Patagonia is more interested in keeping Potter on board because of the publicity he generates for them--be it good or bad. Because any publicity is better than the shriveling-away of no publicity at all. It's like how Madonna (and many others like Courtney Love or Neil Young or you name the entertainer) would periodically do or say something outrageous or rash to generate publicity to generate renewed interest to offset lagging sales.

 

America likes a bad boy or bad girl. And maybe Patagonia (read: Patagucci) would like to instill more of a bad boy image than they currently have.

 

All in all, though, my assessment of this tired subject and thread is:

[faster_than_you]

I feel that one important issue has not been raised, and if we're lucky, it could lead to another 10 pages...

 

Did he really have any third party witnesses? We all know what photoshop can do... Perhaps this is all a big publicity grab?

[olyclimber]

Nor did he mention how long exactly it took. the video linearity could easily be altered, so it can't be relied on as an Official Source of Record.

[faster_than_you]

Yea, and what a GPS recording... I smell a hoax...

[G-spotter]

It's not over yet by a long shot!

 

From mountain.ru

 

http://www.mountain.ru/article/article_display1.php?article_id=1032

 

Dean Appeals for Help! Send a letter of support or phone call to CEO of Patagonia!

[DirtyHarry]

"It would help morale and give a balanced set of comments if they heard from people who support judgments based on fact. Here are the facts."

 

Where?

[faster_than_you]

I copied the text below. PLEASE HELP ME!!! I wonder if it's really from Dean?

 

I intend to write Patagonia, but I want to point out the outrageous lies and misinformation. Until there are confirmed third party witnesses, this ascent is nothing more than hoax!

 

Dear everyone,

Patagonia is being flooded with complaints by people who are saying I broke the law, hurt the environment and disrespected nature by free soloing Delicate Arch. None of those accusations are true, but people keep repeating them. It would help morale and give a balanced set of comments if they heard from people who support judgments based on fact. Here are the facts. You would be doing me and Steph a favor if you would either put this message in your own words or just copy and paste it into an email, then send it to the CEO of Patagonia: Casey_Sheahan@patagonia.com. Additionally, if you have time, a phone call would be great. The free number is 1-888-344-4567 x4802.

Please keep it short if you do call...."I support Dean and his climb of Delicate Arch. It's in line with Patagonia 100%."

 

Also, please forward this to other people you know who would send this message. The more the better, as there have been a lot of complainers.

Thanks, Dean

 

"I object to the criticism of Dean's climb of Delicate Arch. It was not illegal. No harm was done to the rock. It is unfair and libelous to criticize Dean on the basis of inaccurate reports and unsubstantiated opinions. I respect Dean's no impact climbing style, and I think it is completely in line with Patagonia's strong environmental ethics. Thank you for supporting Dean."

 

[cj001f]

I copied the text below. PLEASE HELP ME!!! I wonder if it's really from Dean?

 

I intend to write Patagonia, but I want to point out the outrageous lies and misinformation. Until there are confirmed third party witnesses, this ascent is nothing more than hoax!

 

Heh. Potter pulls an Everest Eurocopter?

[faster_than_you]

I copied the text below. PLEASE HELP ME!!! I wonder if it's really from Dean?

 

I intend to write Patagonia, but I want to point out the outrageous lies and misinformation. Until there are confirmed third party witnesses, this ascent is nothing more than hoax!

 

Heh. Potter pulls an Everest Eurocopter?

 

Dean hasn't seen "nothing." I've started a new site, www.deans-climb-of-delicate-arch-is-a-hoax.com.

[kit97210]

Post deleted by kit97210

[Dechristo]

Perhaps a bald face...

 

Considering how he climbs, every part of him has to be balls.

[kix]

you all are like a bunch of clucking old hens at a church bake sale with all your pointless outrage and letter writing.

 

there is so much more worthy stuff to write letters and be outraged about.

[DirtyHarry]

there is so much more worthy stuff to write letters and be outraged about.

 

Well said. For example, Ranier beer isn't even brewed in Washington anymore. It's brewed in Wisconsin!!

If that doesn't make you as mad as a diseased cow, nothing will!

[sexual_chocolate]

I'm going for the second ascent. It'll be more fun and badder asser now that it's illegal.

 

Wind up your panties now, bitches.

[richard_noggin]

Potter is badass...so he is a little of a bad boy... i like that about him.

Like they say don't do the crime if you can't do the time, so if they could fine him they would, but asking for his job is too extreme.

So there was a grey area in the rules that will be fixed in the future, I don't see it as such a bad thing ,just basic evolution.

[Off_White]

Well, as the next installment in the soap opera, it appears that Arches National Park has banned all new fixed anchors and all use of pins for protection, making many existing routes now illegal and effectively preventing virtually all new route activity. Apparently, they've been innundated with requests from across the country to ban climbing there entirely.

 

Thanks Ambassador Dean!

[dmuja]

Apparently "the climb" was more like 'several climbS' by DP that morning. He must not have gotten enough good vibes from just the one ascent. I pretty much agree with the op-ed below.

 

 

Arch ascent was all about the climber

 

 

excerpts;

 

 

"..Ignoring rules in place to protect Utah's most recognized icon, he climbed Delicate Arch in Arches National Park not once, but several times.."

 

"..Then Patagonia comes out in support, saying it prefers to deal with people like Potter who don't go "by the book." Meaning what, it encourages its ambassadors to violate, in this case, the intent of the law to preserve a national treasure?.."

 

Patagonia wants to support the spirit of the climber/rebel/hardman of the past but fails to realize that this is not the "60's or 70's in the valley", its 2006 and the key word is cooperation. A Big to their argument in defense of DP.

[EWolfe]

Jesus People.

Let it go, already.

 

 

There was a time when climbing was a fringe community of deadbeats and scofflaws, and look how you treat such types now.

 

Seems to me homogeneity is the goal with this reactive nature.

 

I know some of you are very active, BTW

[olyclimber]

I don't think it is homogeny so much as preserving access that people have one their minds. Access can be pretty binary, and if you are a 0 instead of a 1, it can make all the difference sometimes.

[G-spotter]

If climbing is banned, then only outlaws will climb