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Seamstress
Trad climber
Yacolt, WA
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Aug 27, 2014 - 01:24pm PT
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We have had the unfortunate situation of a swinger knocking a climber off a trail at the Monkey in Smith. I am sympathetic to those that want to play outside. I am not feeling as sympathetic to this type of activity.
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crunch
Social climber
CO
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Aug 27, 2014 - 01:37pm PT
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Is it being 'guided' ie charging for swings? Is money changing hands?
Commercial rope swings have been banned at Corona Arch for 1.5 years. From the BLM:
"Very few reports of Roped Activities on the arch were received prior to the posting (February 15, 2012) of a YouTube video entitled “World’s Largest Rope Swing”. In January of 2013, the State of Utah forbade commercial outfitters from rope swinging on Corona Arch, although private use of the arch for rope swinging was not disallowed."
"Corona Arch was owned by the State of Utah until May 8, 2014.... On that date, the
Utah Recreational Land Exchange was signed, and the section containing Corona Arch was deeded to the U.S. Government."
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Chaz
Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
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Aug 27, 2014 - 02:00pm PT
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If they could manage to kill themselves quietly, I doubt anybody would have a problem.
Why the need to scream at the tops of their lungs?
We've all been witness to radical people doing extreme radical things without a word being uttered.
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Roots
Mountain climber
Tustin, CA
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Aug 27, 2014 - 04:31pm PT
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I'd vote to ban the activity.
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Jingy
climber
Somewhere out there
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Aug 27, 2014 - 05:28pm PT
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good... who cars about the swings except the children?
get rid of them....
I mean, are there any groundbreaking breakthrough advancements in 'swinging' happening anywhere in the world, like in many other real activities?
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Aug 27, 2014 - 05:47pm PT
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Not since Dan Osman.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Aug 27, 2014 - 07:45pm PT
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Just more idiots having an impact on the desert (sometimes literally).
I remember when that bozo jumped from one arch top to the other at Gemini and overshot for the monster ground waffle.
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crunch
Social climber
CO
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Aug 27, 2014 - 08:17pm PT
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I notice the BLM are not trying to ban this. I wonder why:
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Aug 27, 2014 - 09:53pm PT
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Crunch, did that guy get busted? Pretty ballsy to allow his name to be
splattered across the intardnet when he wasn't sposed to be less than 2000'
above the highest point within 5 nm.
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crunch
Social climber
CO
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Aug 27, 2014 - 10:24pm PT
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Grandfathered in....and hey, flying the arch is fully Leave No Trace!
"all of Tim’s incredible low-level flights were made in the 1980s before the advent of current restrictions imposed by federal agencies"
http://www.swaviator.com/html/issueSO02/Arch91002.html
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Aug 27, 2014 - 10:40pm PT
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"Tim also hastens to point out that the arches he’s flow through are about as wide
as the runway width at his home airport, and he says, "I haven’t missed the runway yet!""
And I bet he usually did those arches in nice still morning air, too!
Not exactly a wilderness experience but pretty cool since there was prolly
not too many people to bother back then. Thanks for the post!
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crunch
Social climber
CO
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Aug 28, 2014 - 09:02am PT
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Not exactly a wilderness experience but pretty cool since there was prolly
not too many people to bother back then.
That's the whole deal, really. Back then, the Corona rope swing would have been fine because there were so few visitors.
Moab was wide open to anything, wild camping on the River Road (and anywhere else), climbing at night on the nominally illegal towers/arches, driving jeeps just anywhere you wanted. Flying planes under the arches. No one cared. There was plenty of space for all.
It's hard to grasp the scale of the increase in visitation between then and now, the sheer numbers of people. How did it happen? I guess the development of the mountain bike played a big part. With the bikes came an attitude/culture of using the desert as as a convenient setting, an apparatus to play in, to perform. Rope swings are an extension of this attitude. Not easy to balance that with the more traditional attitude of using climbing or hiking or whatever as an excuse to the real aim: interacting with and exploring the most incredible landscapes on earth, perhaps, along the way, finding something of value, some meaning.
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TradEddie
Trad climber
Philadelphia, PA
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Aug 28, 2014 - 12:50pm PT
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"Visual Resources are an important part of the experience enjoyed by visitors to these areas" says the BLM. Bolts and webbing and damage to the rock has been reported to the BLM, both locations.
While the immediate area around Corona Arch is spectacular, the hike is a miserable experience after coming from the protection ethos of the nearby NP, certainly nothing resembling wilderness or natural beauty. My son and I were lucky enough to have the place to ourselves for our entire visit, but I can certainly see how having even a small group swinging there would completely ruin the experience for everyone else. Sorry.
TE
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Larry
Trad climber
Bisbee
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Aug 28, 2014 - 02:07pm PT
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The reason climbing is banned at Twin Sisters at City of Rocks is to preserve the "historic viewshed." Whatever that means.
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jstan
climber
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Aug 28, 2014 - 02:17pm PT
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Could be.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Aug 29, 2014 - 09:09am PT
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jstan,
it doesn't rain often, but southern Utah just got pounded.
Bet all that chalk is gone.
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A.J.
Mountain climber
Boulder, CO
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My reply:
To whom it may concern,
I don’t have all the information needed (such as, I don’t know how many complaints have been logged, or how often people swing from Corona arch, or if there is damage being caused to the arch.) That info could sway my vote, but right now, I’d ask to keep the arch open.
While it’s unfortunate that a young man died while swinging, from what I’ve read, he made a mistake at calculating the rope distance. We can’t protect everyone from everything. People make mistakes every day and die; whether it be from outdoor/roped activites such as climbing, or everyday activities such as driving. On the other hand, how many people have had a fun and responsible time swinging from the arch? My guess is far more than the one person who wasn’t prepared for what he was trying to do.
I have personally rappelled from Corona arch before, and enjoyed it immensely. Instead of complaints, many people came up to ask questions. If you are responsible and respectful, I think people have more of a fascination at rope sports. I think it’s good to have a few places where folks can do things that you can’t do in other places.
However, it sounds like the problem trying to be addressed is more of a “shouting and screaming” issue; i.e. people not being respectful. Unfortunately, I’ve run into folks “shouting and screaming” at many places; National Parks, forests, canyons, etc. I don’t think that issue necessarily goes hand in hand with Rope Swinging, that goes along with a particular type of person.
So, banning rope swinging won’t get rid of that issue; only banning visitation would, and that’s counter-productive as amazing places are meant to be enjoyed. It helps re-connect people back to our planet, and helps promote conservation. I can’t imagine that all people engaged in roped activities (climbers and rope swingers) are not respectful and responsible, any less than I can imagine all hikers are not respectful and responsible. Thus, I don’t think either group should be discriminated against.
Thanks for your time and efforts,
A.J.
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Jon Beck
Trad climber
Oceanside
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We can’t protect everyone from everything.
I can assure you that the NPS does not want to get into the "personal protection" business. If they did, there would have been strict rules for climbing decades ago. The proposed restrictions have more to do with ensuring a quality visit for everyone.
I have personally rappelled from Corona arch before, and enjoyed it immensely. Instead of complaints, many people came up to ask questions.
I would not consider rapping from the arch an appropriate activity, but that is just me (and I would not advocate banning rapping from an arch). However, I doubt you were screaming and yelling as you came down.
So, banning rope swinging won’t get rid of that issue (screaming)
agreed, but it will go a long way toward solving the problem
I can’t imagine that all people engaged in roped activities (climbers and rope swingers) are not respectful and responsible, any less than I can imagine all hikers are not respectful and responsible.
By its nature rock climbing traditionally attracts people with a great respect for nature. Climbing in this country has its roots in the Sierra Club. Climbers a long history of participating in community service projects in parks. Certainly the advent of bouldering as a separate activity has led to a greater degree of disrespect within the community. Where is the ethos of a rope swinger derived from? An X-Game culture, certainly not from a love of nature.
I am not judging any individual participants, just commenting on the perception the group makes as a whole. If Intersection Rock got grid bolted and had 15 climbers hangdogging on it all day screaming like rope-swingers, that would be the public's perception of climbing. I am sure there would be new restrictions as a result.
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