Rock Climbers in Yosemite

Rock climbers enjoy a symbiotic relationship with Yosemite.  Even 40 years ago, we stayed at a rough free campground.  Behind the gas station.  To be used by the rock climbers.  The park realized that the rock climbers were just going to camp in the back country anyway.  So, to keep them out of the back country, the park provided them a free campground wink wink.

Even now that campground still exists, meticulously neat.  I heard that the park was going to build a building there and the rock climbing community and rose up and declared it an historic site.

No more gas station though.

The rock climbers are staging an annual event where they gather and go all through the park and gather trash and junk and bring it back.  Turns out that there's been some great food as a fundraiser for the day care center for the employees.  For the rock climbers but we've been there too.  Had a great dinner of ziti tonight for $10.  Plus home made caramel corn.  Hear there's breakfast burritos tomorrow

The climbers do not need any kind of a permit because they wouldn't get them anyway and what ranger is going to go down some vertical rock face somewhere to check?  But they call on them when they need help with search and rescue or wildlife issues.

If it's granite and vertical they climb it.