Dean Potter Climbs Delicate Arch — it’s banned

A couple of stories came in about Dean Potter’s climb of Delicate Arch at Arches National Park in Utah. It wasn’t specifically banned by the National Park service, but most climbers understood that climbing wasn’t allowed. To clear up any ambiguity, the NPS issued a closure statement. Delicate Arch climb has park chief red in the face spells out pretty well the concerns of the National Park service and the unwritten rule that climbing it was verboten, while Park Service Rushes To Ban Climbing Of Arches makes Potter’s attempt seem a bit less off-limits. While it doesn’t seem like there was any damage to the rock, I don’t know how you can risk damaging such a landmark rock by actually getting on it.