Owens Valley Climber Impact

In recent years Owens Valley, CA has increasingly become a national and even international climbing destination, especially for bouldering. A friend of mine had a discussion with a BLM scientist doing impact studies there. This person stated that over the Labor Day weekend there were 150,000 user days between Owens Gorge and the Happy Boulders! 150,000! It was further stated that there may be some endangered species issues that will affect access. Of course I have no way to verify these 3rd hand statements.

But I think it's safe to say the BLM is studying climber impact at these areas, with a particular focus on the Happy Boulders and other recently exposed, fragile, high desert bouldering areas.

It seems we are headed for Hueco all over again. Is the very act of developing and calling attention to the places we love ruining them? Is the price of 'being part of the scene' worth the destruction of these magical places? This pains me because some of my friends are involved. Hell, to be honest, I'm involved.

I'm not complaining. I'm not castigating. I am saying we are being watched with unfriendly eyes. I don't have any answers.

Do you?

One that is highly unsatisfactory: boulder in the gym.

The other one is to have a local watchdog pounce on people who are sluffing their pads around, removing plants (cacti) and rocks, so their falls are 'clean.' Kick people out who are camping in the endangered areas.

More than likely the whole thing has gone too far. X-mas 1999 when I was hanging with Mick Ryan et al. and spent New Years Eve there, lots of young boulderers from all over the country told me they were moving or already had moved to Bishop for the bouldering. Also, a number of them were very young, still in school and probably unable to invest in expensive

Maybe, but could you please tell us a little more, first? From what you yourself have seen, do you think that climbers ruin areas they climb in?

I've been to ORG and would be willing to offer it as my opening bid on ebay if the BLM were in a bargaining mood. I've also been to Linville Gorge NC and felt that I could only visit such a place once, because that was my turn, and the beauty and wildness were linked in a way that too much use would change. The Gunks are heavily used and still beautiful.

Andy Cairns, magic-smug in Canada

I wouldn't say that! Hueco was closed because the superintendant wanted it closed, not because of any real environmental problem.

When most land managers see high use levels, they get the clue that people enjoy the recreational opportunities and try to accomodate the use while at the same time they may try to minimize its impact. In any case, the Endangered Specied Act is a serious threat to climbing, particularly given that we are in a era of mass extinctions. Our best option is to accept the rare closure as necessary and support good science so we have data to back up our side of the argument.

If you want my opinion, the answer is 'yes'. At the same time developing climbing areas has benefits, but look at the word we are using 'development'! How natural should one expect a 'developed' area to be'? But it goes well beyond climbing. Almost everything we do has direct or indirect impacts on the environment, and the population is steadily growing!

I agree. As long as it is the rare closure that was supported by good science and not by just an enviromental group / land manager claiming to use good science. I also say climbers are just another land user group that is no better than the others. And all groups have the right to use the land as much as the other. Instead of supporting the elimination of certain groups, we need to understand that we are all user groups that are seen as negative to the enviroment by some.

We need to join with other user groups to better protect our right to use the land. Grouping together will bring more money for good science, education and understanding of the others love of the enviroment. It will show the land managers we are serious about protecting the land for the people. 4wd folks are just as enviromental as Climber folks as horse folks and........... There will always be bad apples to give all of us a bad name and there will be things about the other that we dispise. Sticking together however, we will have more say and resources to use for our agenda.

Philip bgndmts