Yosemite’s granite walls are steeped in centuries of historic ascents, from the inaugural summit of Half Dome in 1875 to the record-setting free solo of El Capitan in 2017. As climbing’s popularity soars ever higher, Yosemite is focused on promoting stewardship, safety and continued strong relationships with the climbing community.

Yosemite’s Climbing Stewardship program addresses those goals through public education and restoration work. In 2018, climbing rangers and eight Climber Steward volunteers educated people within and beyond the park about climbing-related topics, such as accident prevention and “Leave No Trace” principles for the vertical environment, through “Climber Coffee” gatherings, events at climbing gyms and a robust web presence. They also led projects to restore approach and descent trails in Yosemite Valley and Tuolumne Meadows, working with 185 volunteers to improve access to and from popular climbing and bouldering areas.

Your contributions supported an important program dedicated to stewarding and improving understanding of Yosemite’s vertical landscape.

Completed in partnership with Yosemite National Park, Yosemite Climbing Association, Access Fund, Sacred Rok and American Alpine Club.

Kristin Kirschner

Wilderness Patrol Supervisor, Yosemite National Park

Project Notes

The climbing stewardship program encourages lifelong stewardship of Yosemite National Park through innovative and diverse outreach, education, and conservation projects.