Bogley

[Richard Barron]

http://richardbarron.net/galleries4/dasunset/

[Sombeech]

Whoa! I can see how some "bickering" over getting a great shot can occur.

[stefan]

Although it seems most likely that he's responsible for the rope grooves, i suppose the only way to really be sure, short of a full confession, is if the video/photo footage shows ropework corresponding to the exact location of the grooves.

[mra243]

The latest from Patagonia:

Hello,

Thank you for submitting your comments to us regarding Dean Potter's ascent
of Delicate Arch.

Since May 7th, we at Patagonia have had much discussion and debate about
where the company stands on Dean's controversial climb. Historically, we
have always stood by our Ambassadors and their actions. Our Ambassadors are
a part of Patagonia's close-knit family, and we trust them to act in ways
that they deem responsible. However, over the past few weeks, our internal
conversations have enlightened us to the reality of this unfortunate
situation. We strongly believe that Dean's actions warrant a public apology.

Here at Patagonia, we also want to extend an apology to you. We apologize
for not responding more quickly and decisively. We make no excuses, but in
explanation - Patagonia is always extremely hesitant to publicly denounce a
long-standing friend and Ambassador. Before we responded to our customers
and the media, we needed to hear his side of the story. We needed details.
We needed to speak at length with Dean, in person.

At the end of the day, we do feel Dean's climb of Delicate Arch was
inappropriate. Patagonia had no prior knowledge of his climb, nor did we
"sponsor" his activities. Sadly, his actions compromised access to wild
places and generated an inordinate amount of negativity in the climbing
community and beyond. We asked Dean to write a letter about his solo and the
ensuing maelstrom. His sentiments below best describe where he has landed on
the issue. It's his, and our, final word.

>From Dean Potter:

When I climbed Delicate Arch I certainly didn't foresee the controversy that
has ensued. I didn't think the climb would do anything but inspire people
to get out of their cars and experience the wild with all of their senses.
I was wrong. I am sincerely unhappy about climbers' loss of freedom caused
by my ascent. More, I am deeply hurt over the split this has put in our
climbing community. I want to explain my actions, bring the facts to
light, and hope that all of us can come to see the good in one another.
First, I admit it...I am a climber. I feel compelled to climb most
everything I see, and that included Delicate Arch. To me, all rocks are
sacred. When I climbed to the top of the Delicate Arch it was my highest
priority to do no harm to the rock or its surroundings. I climbed the Arch
in the highest and purest way I could, and I left it the same way I found
it.
But I failed to foresee how Delicate Arch, for so many, is also an
untouchable symbol of our delicate relationship to nature. It is also a
symbol for me, but where I saw it as a chance to commune with the arch
through expressing my own art of climbing, others saw it as a violation of
what they also feel is sacred. Again, I had no intention of doing something
that would invoke such feelings, and for those who do feel that way, I
apologize because that certainly was not my intention.
Others have accused me of climbing the arch as a publicity stunt. As a
professional athlete, recognition of what I do is part of the job.
Most disturbing of all are those accusing me of responsibility for the rope
scars that have been documented conclusively on the top of the arch. I can
certainly understand why someone would conclude they were caused by my
ascent, but I believe the true answer lies in the details of my ascent, and
the possibility that there were other ascents previous to mine. I have
recently seen the close-up photos of the grooves at the top of the Arch and
can state with certainty that my actions did not cause them. But I was very
careful to place my rope in a natural groove in the rock. Since my climb I
have learned from first-hand witnesses that in the past at least two other
parties have lobbed ropes over the Arch and jumared up. Perhaps those
parties left the grooves. I know that I didn't.
None of my sponsors, including Patagonia, has ever influenced me to climb
anything. Again, I am sorry that the climb has negatively affected so many
people in our community of climbers, and I certainly am not ignoring the
views expressed in the Internet chat rooms and in the press. Peoples'
opinions are important to me and I value others' views, and I have been
troubled at the negativity this has stirred up. I saw the climb as
communing with nature, somehow, others have seen it as exploiting nature.
The National Park Service has strengthened rules about climbing in Arches
National Park, and people have blamed me for the loss of access. I
sincerely regret any loss of access...anywhere, anytime. Let me add that I
strongly advise anyone thinking of climbing the Delicate Arch not to try.
First, the climb is now unambiguously illegal. Second, the climbing
community and the Park Service should be friends and work together to
protect the environment and climbing access. Third, the Delicate Arch
really is fragile and repeated climbing would inevitably cause damage.
Finally, I apologize to Patagonia for the injury this has caused the company
and the brand. Patagonia is sincerely and deeply committed to their mission
of using business to provide solutions to the environmental crisis, and
regretfully, in the view of many of their customers, this has been
compromised by my ascent.

Again, we'd like to express our thanks for your input, and for your patience
as we've worked with Dean on an appropriate resolution to this issue.

Patagonia

[accadacca]

Hey thanks for posting that. Good read! I am glad he is finally taking some accountability for his actions.

[James_B_Wads2000]

accadacca wrote: Hey thanks for posting that. Good read! I am glad he is finally taking some accountability for his actions.

I bet you it is only because his sponsor probably said in so many words, “you better straighten this out or we pull you.”

This is my favorite part:

Dean Potter wrote: Since my climb I have learned from first-hand witnesses that in the past at least two other parties have lobbed ropes over the Arch and jumared up. Perhaps those parties left the grooves. I know that I didn't… Let me add that I strongly advise anyone thinking of climbing the Delicate Arch not to try. First, the climb is now unambiguously illegal. Second, the climbing community and the Park Service should be friends and work together to protect the environment and climbing access. Third, the Delicate Arch really is fragile and repeated climbing would inevitably cause damage.

So let me get this right, he as an active member of the ‘climbing community’ never looked into the history of climbing in the park, nor had any idea of how the climbing the arch would be seen by the local climbing? Or had any idea how soft and fragile an arch called DELICATE Arch really is? I call bullshit.

He climbed this arch because he either felt he was so much cooler then the rest of the climbing community let alone the rest of humanity that he could climb this arch and get some good PR. Or he is incredibly stupid and had not idea this shit storm would happen. I think he did it for the publicity. Because if he really felt compelled to ‘commune’ with the rock he could have ghosted the route and left the cameras at home and no one would be the wiser.

James

[Iceaxe]

James_B_Wads2000 wrote: I bet you it is only because his sponsor probably said in so many words, “you better straighten this out or we pull you.”

EXACTLY!

This reminds me of grade school when I had to write "I will not chew gum" 100 times on the blackboard......

:five:

[moabfool]

Here's Pott(head)'s version of the story in his own words. Audio link in the upper left corner of the page.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5448338

No wonder he doesn't feel bad for climbing it. He can't even get the name right. "The Delicate Arch"? I bet he calls that National Park in the southwest corner of the state "Zion." Every body knows it's "Zion's" National Park 'cause Zion owns it :haha: . Either that or there's more than one of them :ne_nau: .

[ffelix]

I realize this is an old thread, but I thought it made sense to post that Dean Potter apparently lost his job with Patagonia over this incident. I never saw a press release, but he quietly disappeared from their "sponsored athlete" media last year. Makes me feel better about Chouinard's heart being in the right place.

Potter's job wasn't to "commune with nature"--what kind if justification for being an idiot is that? You do that on your own time when the photographers have gone home. And laying all the blame on the Park Service was infantile & pathetic.

In addition to being self-centered, narcissistic & arrogant, Potter is clueless. He obviously doesn't understand what his job really was. His ONLY job was to make the world a bigger place by inflating our imaginations, getting us excited, expanding the boundaries of the possible.

Instead, he bent the rules, climbed a feature even he admits can't support climbing pressure, then lied about the circumstances. And in so doing, the consequences made the world smaller for every climber from now on.

Thanks, Dean.

[jumar]

Wow has it been 2 years since he did this? Time goes by quick. LOL