A nonprofit organization that works in Utah’s forests and public lands is set to replace hardware in rock walls to make them safer for climbers who head out to enjoy nature.
Salt Lake Climbers Alliance (SLCA) assembled its professional crew of technicians in 2020 to perform maintenance on the bolts and anchors in the rock faces, with funding from Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation grants and public donations.
“The Forest Service came to us and asked, ‘What if you professionalized this kind of work?’,” said Drew Brodhead, anchor maintenance coordinator for SLCA.
Alliance crews go into national areas such as the Wasatch Cache National Forest and replace bolts before they potentially fail. It’s a 40-hour-a-week project over 10 weeks.
“If there aren’t communities and groups replacing these aging anchors, things can fail and we can have a public health crisis,” Brodhead said.
Climbers and first responders use the bolts to clip themselves into the wall to move up and down safely.
“We’re out here to keep things safe, accessible, to keep areas open,” Broadhead added.
The team targets old routes and popular routes due to wear and tear. Technician Alex Lemieux carries a heavy pack of tools and ropes to be able to stay secured to the wall to extract the bolts.
The new bolts installed by the Salt Lake Climbers Alliance remain safe for many years, Lemieux said. The goal is to keep climbing alive and safe in Utah for generations.
CLICK HERE for volunteer or donation information with the Salt Lake Climbers Alliance.
