As the popularity of Joe’s Valley continues to rise, increased climber traffic is causing some extreme environmental impacts that could threaten access if not addressed.
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The planning process will continue throughout 2015, with a final plan ready for rollout in early 2016. We ask the climbing community to embrace the changes that are needed at Joe’s Valley.
Anybody who has climbed at Joe’s the past few years can recognize the need for some changes there to create a more sustainable future. Hopefully with the involvement of the Access Fund and the climbing community we can preserve the awesome resource that is Joe’s Valley.
The terrible caking of chalk into sandstone (essentially permanent, LRC) has always been an aesthetic impact that’s unwelcome to me. Is this just because people don’t brush off the start holds after finishing their go’s? Or an inevitable result due to the rock type?
Hmm, some of the young “boulderers” at my gym asked me what the Access Fund was after seeing the sticker on my car one time…
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…and when they asked did you explain to them, in a constructive way, what the Access Fund was all about and how it is important to be good stewards, especially as climbing grows in popularity?
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Naturally, I did. Why else would I display my Access Fund sticker on my car? It’s certainly not stylish in a classical sense.
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Did you quote “boulderers” because they were not actually boulderers or do you think bouldering itself is fictional? Hmm, your post is so unwelcome to me.
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[I’m not a climber] Not sure what to call them, climber seems like too strong of a term as does boulderer. Perhaps, indoor plastic climbers.
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Climber = “One who climbs”
Climbing = “Moving in the vertical axis”
Climber is not too strong of a term.
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Have you ever tried to brush chalk off sandstone before?
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Wow. An educational bit of comments here. I hoe the issues get worked out. It’s not always about knowledge of ethics creating 100% of the problem though. It would be nice to see if help from the a.f. can create better parking options, set trails and find other options that can reduce impact without just trying to moderate how many people can access the place. Not assuming that’s the case with them just moderating traffic but I’m always fearful of maximum climber limits like hueco unless it is unavoidable.
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I live in slc. Started climbing in 2008 when I was 15. That year I took my first trip to Joe’s. When I was 13 I did a nols course for two weeks Which highlighted to me more than anything the ethics of leave no trace. In 2008 this quaint yet mysterious valley had signs of use yet still upheld it’s wild demeanor. Fast forward to 2010 and signs of human degradation was taking its toll. Trash, feces and chalk were ultimately degrading one of nature’s most unique landscapes. The culprit in my opinion was and has been ignorance of users marauding amongst the flora and fauna of Joe’s under the guise of the climbing industry upholding individual and group acheivments. To all who love this special place I suggest that we as a community full of Individuals grow up and realize that v this or that is ultimately minimized by the harsh reality of large users flocking to small fragile areas. Destroying these areas like so many other habitats and ecosystems that are already in danger is to me unacceptable. Sorry for the rant but this place is special and if we as climbers choose to stick our heads in the sand there will be no Joe’s for us in the future.cb
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Let’s be honest – it’s not ignorance of the masses, it’s the mass of the masses. The VAST majority of visitors to Joe’s understand how to move, live, and climb in the environment. A few idiots might leave a few visible traces of problems, but the real issues of soil erosion, destroyed flora, etc. would also be there if every single visitor behaved like an angel.
Every area is special, every world-class area is in danger because overuse. Don’t want your amazing area destroyed by overuse? Don’t develop high concentrations of problems, don’t develop campgrounds, and don’t make it easy on yourself to hangout and boulder there. And don’t even dream of advertising the place online, in guidebooks, or spray about it at the gym.
Want to keep wild places wild? Then don’t try to tame them in the first place.
There is no reason why some boulderers should have the right to use an area (even those who use carefully! even the first to explore the area!) but not all boulderers. Don’t like the consequences of this fact? Then don’t develop the area in the first place. Being “early on the scene” makes you more responsible, not less responsible, for its development later on.
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Remember back in the day when people had secret crags?
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Ban climbing from joes. There are already enough user groups enjoying but not dementing the landscape there.
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