Fact: Climbing is a popular sport. And it’s gotten even more popular during the COVID-19 pandemic. In places like Yosemite, the mecca of North American big wall climbing, that popularity has led to ever-increasing amounts of climbers on multi-day routes like those on El Cap or Half Dome. In response to those growing crowds, and the impact they have on the walls they climb (read: leaving poop and gear on routes) the National Park Service is testing out a new system requiring all overnight climbers to obtain a free wilderness climbing permit. The new system goes into effect on May 21, 2021. This does not affect climbers who are not spending the night on their climb. Permits will need a 4-15 day prior notice period for review. Wilderness permit systems like this are already in place on many big mountains around the West, like Mt. Rainier (Tahoma) and Mount Hood (Wy’East), to name a few.
There is much debate within the climbing community about the effectiveness of a permit system, with some saying it will stifle the spontaneous nature of climbing in the Valley and will be prone to mismanagement, and others pointing out that climbers have been unable to self-regulate their impact on the land.
Yosemite National Park says:
All visitors planning to overnight on any rock climbing routes in Yosemite National Park will be required to obtain an overnight wilderness climbing permit beginning on May 21, 2021. This pilot program is being implemented to better understand how park visitors use Yosemite’s big walls and to help improve climbing wilderness ethics and reduce negative human impacts associated with overnight big wall use.
Overnight climbing permits will be available beginning at 8 a.m. on May 14, 2021. For the duration of the pilot program, these permits will be free.
For more detailed information on climbing in Yosemite National Park, see link in bio.
This program will be a 2-year pilot.
Ralph2021
May 27th, 2021
It’s great that they regulating things like this as it can be quite dangerous. Thanks for sharing this news with us! Commercial Roofing
Scott Sawyer
May 27th, 2021
Great job! Rock climbing and other extreme sports should always come with some safety regulations. I know there are professionals out there who don’t need such things, but there are also amateurs at the sport that sometimes ant to try the next level and gets into dangerous situations. Thanks for sharing! Septic Replacement
SamStevens
May 31st, 2021
Great job on regulating these! Some of these extreme sports are very dangerous especially to the untrained hands, it’s great that you guys are starting to check every nook and cranny. Thanks for the share! Septic Pumping
TreePro
June 1st, 2021
Great job! To be honest, extreme and dangerous sports like this need to be regulated to avoid any harm or accidents. Thank you for doing this! Tree Cutting Services
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June 15th, 2021
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