Bolts Placed on a Petroglyph Panel

What is wrong with people?

Posted in the Utah Canyoneering Facebook group:

Uintah County Sheriff's Office:

The Vernal Field Office-Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is asking the public's assistance in identifying anyone involved in the installation of climbing bolts on the Pregnant Sheep Petroglyph Panel located between Bourdette Draw and Highway 40 near the Musket Shot Springs Overlook.  On November 10th, 2024, it was discovered that climbing bolts had been installed on the petroglyph panel.   BLM law enforcement is asking the public to report any information they may have identifying the person(s) responsible for this incident.  Information can be relayed to BLM law enforcement at (800) 722-3998 or (801) 539-4099.

Shame

Delete this, it doesn’t need any more attention drawn to it. I’m suspicious of the extra drill marks and that upside down hanger, looks like total noob work or another interest group acting nefarious.

Curious if there are any bolts higher or just this one?

This incident is suspiciously close to the Fixed Anchor victory.  

Again??

I’m pretty skeptical that this was done by climber(s). 

Every article about it has the same single photo.  Where are more photos showing a climbing route?

This is awfully fishy. It doesn't seem to be in a logical place for an actual climbing anchor. Are there any better photos?

Such a brewed up controversy, it was obviously placed on lead by the First Artist. Or maybe Sasha DiGiulian.

Adam W wrote:

Every article about it has the same single photo.  Where are more photos showing a climbing route?

Every article is the same with the same photo because it is from a wire service / press release.

It is not on a climbing route. There are three studs. One of which has a hanger. Lower down ~10' there a few other studs, One is ~2" out from the rock. Sadly the blame is being placed on climbers without any proof. They were likely placed by non-climbers, "rappellers."

Lol how many please snitch on graffiti art anywhere near a rock climbing area pthreads are there but when someone bolts a historical site everyone goes "no way a climber could do that" come on yall 

This smells like non-climbers to me. The very limited photo makes little sense. How high up the wall is this petroglyph? Some Ancestral Puebloan was clearly able to get up there and get a good stance to carve this art. Seems unlikely this is at the top of even a 40' route and if it is it's probably very low 5th class. 

I'm guessing it was some yahoo desert photographer/canyoneer/sport rappeller with little to no climbing experience who wanted to get closer to take photos or something rappelled in, placed this, and then moved on.

Also, while I agree these bolts are unsightly and poor taste, it doesn't seem to me like any law was actually broken here. The law prohibits damage/defacement or archeological resources. It's not illegal to have a hiking trail going up to a petroglyph panel, just as its not illegal to have a climbing route going near a petroglyph, as long as it's not defacing the petroglyph itself. If what is pictured here is an anchor (no chains/webbing further supports the hypothesis this is not a climbing route), it is stopping well below the rock art. Just chop this and move on.

News flash to folks with their heads in the sand: there are a lot of climbing areas with cultural resources near the base of routes. We should be climbing respectfully near those and continuing to enjoy them and not alter them, and close and not climb routes *directly* effecting those resources. However, we shouldn't allow the banning of climbing because there are historic rock wall stacks or petroglyphs *near* routes when they aren't being harmed at all by climbing. Again, it's not illegal to walk up and enjoy petroglpyhs at the base of a cliff face, just as its not illegal to walk by them to go climbing around the corner. 

Whoever did it deserves prison, on top of a fire ant nest. . . 

I could have sworn that this happened like 6 years ago and there was a big thread about it because MP knew who was responsible. Am I remembering wrong? Is this recycled news?

Jose Marron wrote:

Lol how many please snitch on graffiti art anywhere near a rock climbing area pthreads are there but when someone bolts a historical site everyone goes "no way a climber could do that" come on yall 

Yeah no way a climber would do something like this, Dean Potter exploits come to mind smh. Yeah I get hoping it's not a climber but....

Jon Hartmann wrote:

I could have sworn that this happened like 6 years ago and there was a big thread about it because MP knew who was responsible. Am I remembering wrong? Is this recycled news?

Different time and place. That one was near Moab.

Ben F wrote:

This smells like non-climbers to me.

Doesn't matter. The BLM and news articles refer to "climbing bolts" and "climbers".

https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/eastern-utah/authorities-searching-for-climbers-who-damaged-petroglyph-panel

 The very limited photo makes little sense. How high up the wall is this petroglyph? Some Ancestral Puebloan was clearly able to get up there and get a good stance to carve this art. Seems unlikely this is at the top of even a 40' route and if it is it's probably very low 5th class.

You're ignoring what can happen over the past 1200 years.

 I'm guessing it was some yahoo desert photographer/canyoneer/sport rappeller with little to no climbing experience who wanted to get closer to take photos or something rappelled in, placed this, and then moved on.

Again, really doesn't matter what sport did it.

Also, while I agree these bolts are unsightly and poor taste, it doesn't seem to me like any law was actually broken here. The law prohibits damage/defacement or archeological resources. It's not illegal to have a hiking trail going up to a petroglyph panel, just as its not illegal to have a climbing route going near a petroglyph, as long as it's not defacing the petroglyph itself.

That's not how land managers view it. Your opinion is just that.

 If what is pictured here is an anchor (no chains/webbing further supports the hypothesis this is not a climbing route), it is stopping well below the rock art.

The photo is too close and low resolution to make that statement. 

Jon Hartmann wrote:

I could have sworn that this happened like 6 years ago and there was a big thread about it because MP knew who was responsible. Am I remembering wrong? Is this recycled news?

You’re not crazy!
Here’s the article.

Joey Chicharrones wrote:

You’re not crazy!
Here’s the article.

Thank you! I thought that AI got the best of us but it’s a bummer that it’s happened again in another place. 

A few more pictures.

https://kutv.com/news/local/more-information-released-about-illegal-climbing-bolts-installed-on-ancient-petroglyph 

Developing is the new "in" thing so not surprising at all