Good Climbing Practices
Reduce your impacts to park resources and climbing routes so that others may have a quality experience.
Leave cultural resources unimpaired. Do not disturb historic or archaeological areas and structures. This includes old pitons and early climber caches and 'trash'.
Preserve rocks and routes. Scarring, chiseling or gluing holds is not permitted in the park.
Be discrete about leaving fixed protection and anchors in the mountains. Review route descriptions to find out locations of rappels, belay stations, fixed pitons and other information that will assist you in planning your climb.
Share the responsibility. Pack out your gear, trash, and to reduce your impacts to the alpine environment, but mitigate the impacts of others by packing out items that have been left behind.
Motorized drilling is not allowed. Power drills and other motorized equipment are not permitted in the backcountry. Please consult with the Jenny Lake Climbing Ranger staff at the Jenny Lake ranger station prior to installing any new hardware.
Leave cultural resources unimpaired. Do not disturb historic or archaeological areas and structures. This includes old pitons and early climber caches and 'trash'.
Preserve rocks and routes. Scarring, chiseling or gluing holds is not permitted in the park.
Be discrete about leaving fixed protection and anchors in the mountains. Review route descriptions to find out locations of rappels, belay stations, fixed pitons and other information that will assist you in planning your climb.
Share the responsibility. Pack out your gear, trash, and to reduce your impacts to the alpine environment, but mitigate the impacts of others by packing out items that have been left behind.
Motorized drilling is not allowed. Power drills and other motorized equipment are not permitted in the backcountry. Please consult with the Jenny Lake Climbing Ranger staff at the Jenny Lake ranger station prior to installing any new hardware.
Wilderness Ethics in the Alpine Zone
Protect the Alpine Environment
Short growing seasons, wind, intense UV radiation, and heavy snow loads make life in the alpine zone precarious and fragile. Plants may take 300-500 years to recover once trampled or destroyed. Reduce your impacts on alpine vegetation by walking on rocks and staying on trails, when available. Camp on durable surfaces and not on vegetation.
Fires are permitted only iln designated spots in the backcountry.
Respect wildlife in the high country. Do not harrass or approach animals. Hang or otherwise protect food from marmots and other animals as they have been known to chew through gear in order to find food. Feeding causes habituation and other unnatural behaviors. Bears may be destroyed or removed from their habitats after they have become accustomed to human food. Ask about nesting closures for raptors and other wildlife closures at the Jenny Lake Ranger Station.
Treat Water from Natural Sources. Giardia and Campylobacter may be ingested from natural water sources and can cause acute intestinal disorders and discomfort. Boil, chemically treat or use an approved water treatment device to ensure that you will not get sick.
Short growing seasons, wind, intense UV radiation, and heavy snow loads make life in the alpine zone precarious and fragile. Plants may take 300-500 years to recover once trampled or destroyed. Reduce your impacts on alpine vegetation by walking on rocks and staying on trails, when available. Camp on durable surfaces and not on vegetation.
Fires are permitted only iln designated spots in the backcountry.
Respect wildlife in the high country. Do not harrass or approach animals. Hang or otherwise protect food from marmots and other animals as they have been known to chew through gear in order to find food. Feeding causes habituation and other unnatural behaviors. Bears may be destroyed or removed from their habitats after they have become accustomed to human food. Ask about nesting closures for raptors and other wildlife closures at the Jenny Lake Ranger Station.
Treat Water from Natural Sources. Giardia and Campylobacter may be ingested from natural water sources and can cause acute intestinal disorders and discomfort. Boil, chemically treat or use an approved water treatment device to ensure that you will not get sick.
Wilderness Ethics
Minimize your impacts with 'Leave No Trace' practices in the backcountry:
Use established trails. Do not create new approaches or descent routes. Do not shortcut across switchbacks, this practice causes erosion and can destroy an otherwise good trail.
Disperse your footsteps when walking off-trail. Do not walk in a single line through untrammeled vegetation, disperse your impacts to avoid creating a new trail. When possible, walk on rocks, gravel, snow or other durable surfaces.
Camp on existing sites. Do not create new bivy sites by clearing ground and moving rocks. Camp on durable surfaces and use camp sites that have already been established.
Keep water in the Tetons clean. Do not wash dishes in streams or use soaps or other detergents in natural water sources. Defecate at least 200 feet from a water source.
Catholes, buried 8" deep, are the solution for human waste. Bring a trowel and bury the waste at least 200' away from trails, water sources and the camping zone. Always pack out toilet paper, sanitary napkins and tampons.
Leave your pets at home. Pets are not allowed on trails or in the backcountry. They may become lost or prey for wildlife, they can also adversely impact park resources. If you need to bring your pet to the park, consider hosting it at a kennel in Jackson during your outing in the mountains.
Do not build cairns. Cairns may assist hikers and climbers with route-finding, but too many cairns create confusion and resource damage when hikers are incorrectly directed off-route.
Use established trails. Do not create new approaches or descent routes. Do not shortcut across switchbacks, this practice causes erosion and can destroy an otherwise good trail.
Disperse your footsteps when walking off-trail. Do not walk in a single line through untrammeled vegetation, disperse your impacts to avoid creating a new trail. When possible, walk on rocks, gravel, snow or other durable surfaces.
Camp on existing sites. Do not create new bivy sites by clearing ground and moving rocks. Camp on durable surfaces and use camp sites that have already been established.
Keep water in the Tetons clean. Do not wash dishes in streams or use soaps or other detergents in natural water sources. Defecate at least 200 feet from a water source.
Catholes, buried 8" deep, are the solution for human waste. Bring a trowel and bury the waste at least 200' away from trails, water sources and the camping zone. Always pack out toilet paper, sanitary napkins and tampons.
Leave your pets at home. Pets are not allowed on trails or in the backcountry. They may become lost or prey for wildlife, they can also adversely impact park resources. If you need to bring your pet to the park, consider hosting it at a kennel in Jackson during your outing in the mountains.
Do not build cairns. Cairns may assist hikers and climbers with route-finding, but too many cairns create confusion and resource damage when hikers are incorrectly directed off-route.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
