Rock Climbers’ Bolts Banned in Joshua Tree Park

Rock climbers who use anchor bolts will be banned from much of this park under an unprecedented plan to take effect next month in an effort to preserve its ancient granite boulders.

About 75% of the nearly 800,000-acre park, considered a rock climbers’ mecca, will be an “anchor-free zone,” said Ernest Quintana, park superintendent. That means that those areas will be off-limits to climbers who use metal bolts drilled into the sheer rock faces to secure their ropes.

The plan will be the first of its kind in the nation to address the environmental impacts of climbing, said Holly Bundock, a National Park Service spokeswoman. The crackdown, which could be used as a model in other parks, comes as managers of the nation’s public lands are under increasing pressure to balance preservation of natural resources and escalating human recreation.

“It’s a tough thing to do because you’re often dealing with conflicting objectives,” said Christina Cowles, spokeswoman for Yosemite National Park, where authorities will address the anchor bolt issue over the next few years.

The plan goes into effect Dec. 6 barring a legal challenge and will not affect rock climbers who use ropes alone. Bolts that are already there will be removed, Quintana said.

The remaining 200,000 acres will be open to climbers who use rock bolts, but they must apply for permits, he said. Penalties for not getting permits in those areas remain undetermined.

Environmentalists have criticized the anchor bolts as damaging to the rocks and vegetation and as eyesores, while climbers have contended that the bolts make the difference between life and death.