5.3 BOLTED OVER ANCIENT PETROGLYPHS IN MOAB

Last weekend, a climber at Sunshine Slabs in Utah’s Arches National Park discovered three sport routes had been bolted straight through a panel of petroglyphs. One of the few remaining panels in the region that had remained without bullet holes or evidence of other vandalism over the years, the rock art dates back to the pre-Colombian Fremont People and is estimated to be around 1000 years old. 

The routes were unbolted from the wall immediately, although they had already been named and rated by the climber who created them. The offending incident has sparked a conversation regarding ethical bolting, the practice of a Leave no Trace ethic, and how to educate new climbers on that ethic — including respecting sacred sites. As other climbing areas have been closed in the past to protect ancient rock art, reckless bolting through petroglyphs also endangers access to spots like the Sunshine Slabs in the future. 

Have a read through the article here.