FYI Williamson Rock 2018

Unfortunately, they have observed climbers violating the closure on many occasions (fortunately this has been only a few offenders).

Still, this activity has damaged climbers' credibility to self regulate. As a result, it has made it more difficult to negotiate a re-opening (and the terms of a re-opening).

It'd be nice if they'd tell us where the meetings are to be held and what time.

Written comments will be accepted for 45 days following the date that a Notice of Availability is published in the Federal Register

Wow! Just like old times:

Tony Bird being wise.

Just The Maid being friendly:

And Jeff being obnoxious to the Maid. Sheesh, dude.


Thanks to all who participated. Get your letters in folks (see link in OP).
Sorry I was out of town for the two meetings.


Williamson is a great sport climbing resource but there are many others and more in development. Spread yourself around to reduce impact.

I attended the meeting and am hopeful that there will be some compromise allowing access in the future though it will never be what it was but still worth whatever we can get IMO.

On a side note I asked one of the rangers what the status on the Pacifico Road was and would it ever open? He replied with "is that road is still closed?". I said that while Willy is still closed how bout you throw us a bone and open the road to Mt Pacifico. He had no idea there was any climbing up there and sounded excited to get the road open ASAP. He said it would probably only open form the Forest Hwy side and not the Crest Hwy side as there is some major damage. He was contacting the camp crew to have them clear some dead trees around the campground and once those are clear he didn't see any reason why the road wouldn't open up. Pacifico aint much but it's still a fun afternoon climbing area and an area rich in history. Hope it opens soon.

Yes, opening and developing Pacifico Rocks and a few other crags along the crest would lift great burden off Willy.

Dude, you are retired. You should write a guide book to Angeles Crest climbing. You are as qualified or better than anyone. Lets go! I will provide encouragement.

The suggested comments from the AF are good,
but here are a few more that people may include:

1. The hard closure of 30 feet from the stream will prevent normal access to all the walls located above the London wall and Stream Wall. That means access is blocked to Freezer Burn, Eagles Roost/Chimney area, Sick Wall, Ego Buttress.
The access to those walls was to go behind the Mushroom and then traverse a good ledge to Freezer Burn and beyond. This ledge gets as close as about 25 feet from the stream. It is a solid rock slab down to the stream from there so there is no impact on the stream by people staying on the ledge traverse. A fence of sorts can keep them from going down to the stream.
An exception to the 30 foot rule should be made so people can get across this traverse. The 30 foot number is an arbitrary value not appropriate for all terrain. Otherwise the ANF is setting up a high likelihood of getting violations.

2. After the first year, the entire crag does not need to be closed from late spring to Aug 1. After the first year the falcons will be reconditioned enough to people so only the routes within about 50 yards of active raptor nesting need to be closed. Falcon populations have recovered and are no longer endangered or even threatened.

3. The 30 car limit was determined only by the main parking availability at the trailhead for the long trail. There are also several other nearby pullouts that can be used so the limit of 30 permits should be increased to 40. It is unlikely that the average car will have more than 2 people and it is unreasonable for the ANF to expect and demand that carpooling will increase to sky high unrealistic amounts.

Most of the climbers I know care deeply about the state of the wilds simply because we spend a lot of time there. In the long run, I think that is the most significant factor and one which is rarely, if ever, considered. If you keep people away from nature, they soon stop caring about it. Nature becomes nothing more than glossy photos on flashy calendars or programs on PBS, comfortably dissociated from bugbite, frostbite, sunburn and exertion.

Nature is both vulnerable and resilient. You can only tend to it well if you become intimate with it.

is this you belaying kevin?


Credit: xCon