Climbing Advisories and Closures 2025 (Protection of Nesting Birds of Prey)

[clink]

 What I do like about our sessions is that you always give me the lap or couch option. 

[burnsbabe]

Any closure updates? Not that it's cool enough to be at Pinns right now anyway!

[NOAL]

It's been so hot down there that even I went and climbed IT last weekend.  Been more than 10 years since I have climbed anywhere but the Pinns.

[Brad Young]

It's been so hot down there that even I went and climbed IT last weekend.  Been more than 10 years since I have climbed anywhere but the Pinns.

And you should have seen him... grabbing holds on a granite cliff and trying to break them off. Sheesh.

[NOAL]

My grip strength is coming back....

[Gavin]

Hey All -

I just updated closures. The raptor nesting season is winding down and most climbing areas are now open again.

There are a few major exceptions - the partial closure at Machete Ridge, and closures at Yaks Wall and Crowley Towers. As most of you can likely guess, this is because we have active condor nests in these remaining areas. Condor nestlings are quite slow to develop compared to other raptors and vultures, so we need to keep these closures in place until they fledge later in the year.

Note that I did open up access to areas near Crowley Towers, including all Balconies routes and all Stronghold routes. Just please refrain from hiking or climbing right at Crowley Towers.

Let me know if you have questions. I'm guessing folks aren't likely to rush out to climb in the near future given the 100+ degree temps we're getting on most days... Though this weekend is at least calling for some high temps in the upper 80s!

[NOAL]

Three baby condors!?  Wow!

[Gavin]

Hey Everyone -

I've updated the closures a bit to restrict climbing on some Stronghold routes - basically the upper tier routes from Barbarians At The Gate to Arch Nemesis. We've had observations of the breeding condor pair in the area acting agitated and stressed while people were climbing on Barbarians and the climbs in that area. For the safety of the condor nestling that the pair is raising, please steer clear of those climbs for now. Hopefully the condor young will fly from the nest in the next couple of months and I will revise closures accordingly.

For anyone interested in climbing at Stronghold, the lower tier remains open and has some great routes, especially Great Minds.

[Gavin]

Hey All -

I just lifted all closures at Crowley Towers and the Stronghold. The condor young there successfully fledged so that area is now open for all use.

[Gavin]

Hey Everyone -

I just lifted the closures at Yaks Wall and the Yaks. That entire area is open for use again.

[Atomizer]

I never thought of checking this thread in the fall, but I guess it's a thing now. Gavin, good on you for keeping track of all the new residents.

[Gavin]

One more 2024 update on closures - all routes at Machete Ridge are now open to hiker and climber access, and all closures at the park have been lifted for the remainder of the year.

Remember that closures related to raptor nesting go into effect the day after MLK Day... which actually gives us a bit more time to go climbing throughout the park in January than normal, as MLK Day falls on January 20th this year.

Besides a bit of rain, we're getting very nice days with highs in the 60s to low 70s right now!

[Gavin]

Hey All -

Climbing closures are in effect again as of today (January 21, 2025). They should look pretty similar to previous years. A couple things that might stand out: Goat Rock routes are closed, but all climbing on Resurrection Wall is open. All routes on Machete Ridge are currently open, but this may change (sometime in February) if condors decide to nest there again. Feather Canyon, Rituals & Magic, and associated climbs are closed, but the summit routes on Tuff Dome, H&L Dome, etc. are open.

Let me know if you have questions and thanks for your support!

[Brad Young]

Thanks, Gavin, as always.

It looks like The Northeast Frontier is open?

A bunch of us climbed at Goat Rock yesterday, by the way. We saw no signs of falcons until the end of the day. We sat by Possibility Pinnacle then and watched two soaring and circling (Prairie Falcons to my untrained eye). It was petty clear that these were the pair nesting at Goat. So fun to watch them.

[Gavin]

Yep, Northeast Frontier is open.

Nice to hear about falcons near Goat Rock. At this time of year, the peregrine pair that ends up nesting at Hawkins often spends time in the Goat Rock area too. The prairie falcons should start to be more fcused defending the Goat Rock area as the month goes on.