Ask a Climber

Project overview: Share the story of vertical wilderness through ranger-led visitor programs about climbing history and techniques, geology, and environmental stewardship that reach approximately 8,000 visitors annually.

How your support helps: Yosemite Valley’s grand cliffs, domes, and columns command attention and inspire wonder. Most people take in the size and power of the rock from below, occasionally spotting ant-size rock climbers inching up the gleaming granite. Others see the walls up close, stepping off the Valley floor to scale these famous features. 

The Ask a Climber program provides one of Yosemite’s most effective platforms for connecting visitors — those who climb and those who don’t — to the world of rock climbing, stewardship, and resource protection through interactive educational activities. 

Conservancy donors have supported Ask a Climber nearly every year since it began in 2009 as a partnership between the National Park Service and the Yosemite Climbing Association. Since that inaugural year, the originally volunteer-run endeavor has evolved into a popular, professional, seasonal program staffed by climbing rangers and volunteers. In spring, late summer, and early autumn, rangers will also set up telescopes and educational displays at El Capitan Meadow, where they can engage and share stewardship tips with people gathered to watch climbers traverse the magnificent cliff face. 

These days, the program connects with approximately 8,000 visitors annually, reducing unsafe behaviors and fostering a deeper understanding of Yosemite’s unique climbing culture and its role in conservation.  

This year: In 2026, the Ask a Climber program will continue to deliver direct, measurable impacts for visitors, climbers, and Yosemite’s resources. In the summer season, climbing rangers and volunteers will engage with approximately 8,000 visitors in El Capitan Meadow. These face-to-face conversations provide clear opportunities to educate diverse audiences about climbing safety, land stewardship, and Yosemite’s climbing history. 

Beyond daily engagement, the program will offer six formal interpretive programs and ranger-led tours of the climbing exhibit at the Exploration Center, connecting hundreds of visitors to Yosemite’s geology, ecology, and stewardship. The program will also extend beyond the Valley through climbing-safety workshops at community climbing gyms, reaching climbers before they even enter the park. Through daily meadow interactions, formal interpretive programs, and community outreach, the Ask a Climber program will inspire stewardship, promote safe and responsible recreation, and enrich the visitor experiences.  

Curious about climbing? Check out our Climbing Hub!  

Project partners: Yosemite National Park and Yosemite Climbing Association