We need your help to protect climbing in Ten Sleep Canyon in Wyoming, one of the premier sport climbing destinations in the West.
The public controversy over chipping and bolt chopping in 2019 has brought increased scrutiny to climbing at Ten Sleep. As a result, the Bighorn National Forest is drafting a formal Climbing Management Plan (CMP) to guide and regulate climbing. Although controversy is never a great way to activate the development of a CMP, land managers are working with climbers to determine a sustainable model to allow climbing activities while complying with USFS regulations and protecting natural resources.
There are two critical actions that climbers must take to ensure a positive outcome for Ten Sleep and other USFS climbing areas:
Use our easy letter-writing tool to provide feedback on the CMP scoping document. We have provided talking points to guide your advocacy.
Respect the temporary bolt restrictions. We are getting reports from the USFS that a handful of climbers are violating these restrictions. Climbers must not establish new bolted routes during the planning process. Please stay patient so that we can ensure the best outcome and maintain a positive relationship with land managers.
The USFS does not currently have a national-level policy that establishes climbing as a legitimate activity or helps individual forests manage climbing activities. So whatever happens at Ten Sleep is likely to influence climbing management on other USFS lands across the country—approximately 10,000 crags and 30% of America’s climbing.