Sierra:
–Gripped is reporting that, “rench climber Soline Kentzel, 21, and Sébastien Berthe, 28, have freed Golden Gate, a 36-pitch 5.13a on El Capitan’s southwest face. The route was first climbed in 2000 by Alex and Thomas Huber. Kentzel and Berthe swapped leads on the lower pitches up to 5.11 and both led the 5.12 and 5.13 pitches, including the Monster Offwidth. They reached the 5.12 down-climb on pitch 14 on day three then were forced to rest to wait out bad weather. The made their way through the upper cruxes and reached the A5 Traverse crux pitch on day nine. They reached the summit that afternoon.” To read more, click here.
Desert Southwest:
–KTNV is reporting that, “If you go out exploring the beautiful peaks and valleys of Red Rock Canyon, you probably don’t expect to see those views marred by graffiti. Despite ongoing prevention efforts by Friends of Red Rock Canyon and other organizations, vandalism continues. Cliff faces and boulders in the national conservation area are being defaced.” To read more, click here.
–KTAR News is reporting that, “An Arizona man pleaded guilty to conducting backcountry guide operations without permits at Grand Canyon National Park, the National Park Service said Tuesday. William Woods of Flagstaff faces two years of supervised probation and is banned from Grand Canyon National Park and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area for the next two years, according to an NPS press release. An investigation found that Woods organized a commercial guided backpacking trip on the Colorado Plateau without a permit in November 2020, the release said.” To read more, click here.
Colorado and Utah:
–Graffiti is a problem everywhere. Here’s a piece about graffiti on the rocks near St. George and in Zion.
–Vail Resorts has announced that you’ll have to pay for parking at Park City next season. To read about it, click here.
–Rocky Mountain National Park will be raising prices car entry and camping with in the Park. To read about it, click here.
–Outside is reporting that, “The outdoor industry is one of the worst offenders when it comes to using so-called “forever chemicals” in their products, a new study shows. The report, published by the Natural Resources Defense Council and two partner groups, analyzes 30 companies across multiple industries on their use of PFAS—dangerous chemicals that pollute drinking water and build up in the environment over time. Out of seven outdoor apparel brands studied, six of them—VF Corp., L.L.Bean, Columbia, REI, Wolverine Worldwide, and Academy Sports + Outdoors—got failing grades of D or F.” To read more, click here.