Newhalem update?

[Jens]

Can I bolt at Newhalem now?

The Park service has had a "wait and see" stance for how many years now?

[glassgowkiss]

last fall i talked to a park ranger there, who btw is a climber. so far there are no plans to allow any type of fixed anchors around newhalem crag. also at this point there is hardly any reason, since much better cliff was discovered around MT Vernon.

[kurthicks]

since much better cliff was discovered around MT Vernon.

 

do tell!

[jonah]

Portions of the Newhalem area are officially open once again to new route development!

 

The NPS, Washington Climbers Coalition and the Access Fund recently finalized an agreement lifting the voluntary moratorium on new route development in certain areas. This means that the main area and the large buttress just to the east, as well the Diablo Crag, are open for new routes. Part of the agreement is that climbers maintain low impact techniques, especially only cleaning as much moss as is necessary for the route to go, and camouflaging hangers. The WCC will post the final signed agreement on its website soon, and I will write up a full, detailed explanation of the agreement, too. But that is the gist of it. Go put up some new routes!!! This has been a long time coming, and we owe a lot of thanks to existing NPS personnel and some of the new administration who recently arrived and were able to look at this issue through new eyes. They really facilitated reaching this agreement. We have a great working relationship with the NPS up there right now, so let's do everything we can to maintain it. Knowing some of those rangers as I do, I bet we'll be seeing them out at the Newhalem crags this season, so say hi and thanks.

Edited April 1, 2008 by jonah

[jonah]

I should add that the moratorium on new bouldering problems being cleaned IS STILL IN PLACE.