In reply to:
The National Park Service wants to ban guided climbing and prohibit members of the
public from being able to climb with a professional guide in one of our country's
most adventurous wilderness climbing areas. This is a national threat, which could
set a debilitating precedent for guided climbing access in National Parks across
the country. We are requesting your urgent support to help preserve guided climbing
access in the Black Canyon as well as in other National Parks the U.S.
Here is how you can help:
Send an email to Ken_Stahlnecker@nps.gov [mailto:Ken_Stahlnecker@nps.gov] today
using the talking points below. Our goal is to have 500 people (who are not guides)
contact Ken Stahlnecker opposing the Park's plan to ban guided climbing in the Black
Canyon and urging the Park to preserve guiding climbing access in this unique venue.
Dear Ken Stahlnecker,
Chief, Resource Stewardship and Science
National Park Service,
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
I am writing to urge you to keep guided climbing access available to the American
public. Along with Yosemite National Park and Red Rocks National Conservation Area,
the Black Canyon is one of only a few climbing venues in the country offering big
wall climbing opportunities. There is often a scarcity of willing and adequate climbing
partners to tackle the bold and remote terrain of the Black. Because climbing requires
a team of two unless one is free soloing, my options for experiencing this unique
wilderness area will be substantially reduced or eliminated altogether if guided
climbing is banned in the Inner Canyon Zone.
Having the option to climb with a professional guide is necessary for me to be able
to experience the vertical wilderness in the Black Canyon. Partnering with a professional
guide will enhance my opportunity for an experience of adventure, challenge and
self-reliance. I see no difference between climbing with a professional guide and
climbing with a non-guide partner who happens to be stronger or more experienced
than me. It is not uncommon for climbing partners to be of varying levels of experience.
Climbing successfully in the Black always requires the self-reliance, commitment
and personal fortitude of both climbing partners regardless of their varying experience
levels.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide my opinion on this important matter.