The preliminary Wilderness Plan for Red Rock has been released. Among other things, it contains a significant and somewhat complex plan for allowing bolting within the Wilderness Areas in the park. The Wilderness Areas in the park are: The Canyons- Icebox, Pine Creek, Juniper, Oak Creek, First Creek, Black Velvet, and Mud Springs; as well as Gateway Canyon, better known as the north side of Kraft Mountain (this is where Atman and Sunny and Steep are).

During the time that the Wilderness Plan was being developed, the BLM was also conducting an inventory of current established routes in the park along with the total number of bolts in the park. This inventory is now being used as a basis for allowing future bolting within the Wilderness Areas in Red Rock.

The BLM is proposing a permit system for allowing new and replacement bolts within the wilderness area. All new bolts must be placed with a hand drill.

Permits would work as follows:

Replacement Permits- can be obtained by anyone with a minimum of two weeks advance notice.

Permit 1-This is for a low bolting density permit. That is, a permit that is easily obtainable and does not require public evaluation before being issued. It limits bolts to being at least 100' above ground, less than 3 bolts per pitch, and not within 20' of an existing climb. This permit requires a two week agency review to be issued.

Permit 2- This is for a higher bolting density permit. This permit requires public evaluation. This allows new bolts on existing routes, bolts within 100' of the ground, or more than 3 bolts per pitch. This permit requires 30 days of review by both the BLM and the public- applications for this permit are accepted on the 10th of each month.

With regards to Permit 2, there are a set list of considerations in order for the route to be eligible for bolts. They include: location of a route (new walls are better than current walls), length of route (longer is better), path of a route (a route that follows features is more desirable than one that doesn’t), distance from other routes (further is better), and difficulty of a route.

Most importantly, though, is that the BLM has noted in the plan that only 1,680 new bolts will be allowed in the Red Rock Wilderness Areas. This does not include replacement bolts, but only new installations. Further, that number has been broken down by canyon- Black Velvet only has 164 new bolts allowed, while First Creek has the most at 417. The new plan is now open for public commentary. The BLM is hosting a public comment session in Las Vegas on May 29th, as well as accepting email and postal comments.

It is important to remember that this plan will have ramifications at other major climbing areas. If you climb, please voice your opinion.

For the full text (pdf file) of the Wilderness Plan, check the PDF file www.blm.gov/style/medialib/blm/nv/field_offices/... or go here www.blm.gov.

The Access Fund and Las Vegas Climbers Liaison Council will be crafting comments which will be available at: www.accessfund.org/advo/comments.php in the next few weeks.