Topic Author's Original Post - Sep 1, 2015 - 09:25am PT
Hey Forum, Thought you would be the first to see this: on Saturday, August 29, 2015 Megan Sullivan and I placed 39 solar-powered LED lanterns up the Snake Dike route on Half Dome. Red lights were placed on bolts and anchors, while the white lights illuminated the rest of the route.
We climbed while three photographers: Jerry Dodrill, Kyle Turner & Dean Fleming shot amazing photos and time-lapse video two miles away at Glacier Point.
This effort was in celebration of the American Safe Climbing Association (ASCA), who has rebolted over 14,000 bolts across America and beyond over the last 18 years.
Learn more and donate | http://www.safeclimbing.org
Other than hopefully encouraging climbers to donate to the ASCA, we will auction off the lanterns starting October 1 and the proceeds will then be matched by Planet Granite as part of their annual support of the ASCA. There will also be a massive online gear auction. I will keep you posted.
PS: if anyone wants to donate gear, gift certificates etc to the ASCA gear auction, please email me. We basically accept anything worth $50 or more than can be easily shipped. More details about the online auction process here - How to Run an Online Charity Auction
Really cool idea Chris. Everybody looks at me strange when I say that I would like to do a full moon ascent of Snake Dike. I think I've just been one-upped. Nice job.
No, the lanterns are not permanent. We down-climbed and rappelled the route to remove them. It could have been cool to leave them up there because they are solar-powered. But not sure everyone would have appreciated ;) Got back to the car at 7am. The Half Dome Night Shift.
I hope this is not the beginning of a proposition somebody post a few months ago about placing lights on the rappel stations down the Royal Arches. Those who need that shouldn't be climbing anywhere else but a gym.
Sorry
For the couple posters who claim this was in bad form, I think you missed the point. It seemed to just be a publicity stunt and not intended to convince anyone that we should be illuminating anchors in general. The lights went up and were taken down in one 24 h period from what i could tell - not quite the same as Christmas lights in the Valley (which I don't really understand why would be inappropriate either - the place is already a miniature city). Some people just gotta hate on everything I guess.
AMAZING I WAITED TO NOT BE THE FIRST TO POST
but this was so much of a cool thing, i explained bolts and the replacement project, I showed it off and was a proud.
(as if I had had anything to do with it)
you should see non- climbers faces as they watch, and when they have had a summer full of Dawn Wall, it really makes a good impression.
In terms of updating the website-- all you need is something on the front page that makes it clear that ASCA is still an active and fully functioning organization.
Right now, you see a "copyright 2003" on the front page, and the "news" page doesn't have anything newer than 2012...
Additionally, when I click on the "planet granite" link on the front page, it is blocked by my browser as a high-risk site...
In terms of updating the website-- all you need is something on the front page that makes it clear that ASCA is still an active and fully functioning organization….
Great suggestions, trying to get them implemented.
This was so neat! Our headlamps are in this video, we were finishing the route right when you started, and were so baffled by the crazy lights moving up half-dome when we were on the hike out. Such an awesome cause by the full-moon light!
I thought the lights were there to recognize and celebrate the only route in Yosemite that was rebolted, with permission from the NPS, using a power drill:-) NPS are you listening? (hint, hint)
If you ever need a photographer with an excellent telescope for something like this, let me know. I work at Glacier Point as a Yosemite VIP and have been known to take pictures of people on request.
Jerry Dodrill - 
Let us know!