Barry Brolley on Machete

The sheer cliffs of Corbin Sandstone of this region of Kentucky are considered by climbers to offer some of the finest sport and trad climbing in the country. Most of the climbs are about 50 feet in height ending in bolted anchors. Some of the climbs exceed 90 feet, and long 2-pitch sport climbs are being developed. Pockets, crimpers, splitters, chimneys, dihedrals, and aretes abound. At present, there are 293 established climbs (267 of them are currently open) in the Valley with bolted anchors, with many more lines to be developed in the future.

Everyone who wishes to come into Muir Valley to rock climb must first sign a RELEASE FORM  form on this website.

ROCK CLIMBING RISKS YOU WILL ENCOUNTER IN MUIR VALLEY

We ask for no admission fees. Responsible, experienced climbers may climb any of the established routes but do so at their own risk, which is significant. Rock climbing is a dangerous sport that can result in your injury and death.

Some of the climbs in Muir valley are Traditional Routes (Trad), meaning there are no mechanical aids added to the rock to offer climbers a safer way to attach themselves to the rock wall. Trad climbers carry with them removable mechanical devices (pro) that they place into pockets and cracks to provide attachment for their climbing rope. Some of the trad routes include bolted rappel anchors at the tops of the climbs. A trad climber's pro offers them some protection from falling. Because it is not possible to monitor how well trad climbers place their gear, they are totally responsible for their personal safety.

Most of the established routes in Muir Valley are Sport Routes, which means that from the bottom to the top of the climb, there are several bolted hangers onto which a climber can clip her rope to provide some protection from falling. At the top of the sport routes are anchor brackets that are bolted to the rock, from which a climber can rappel from when he is finished with that particular climb. Because it is not possible to monitor the quality of the rock or the structural integrity of bolted hangers and anchor brackets, sport climbers are totally responsible for their safety. (See Bolting Book and Route Cleaning Book.)

Please understand that bolted hangers and anchor brackets, in Muir Valley, or on any rock face anywhere, offer you absolutely no guarantees to your personal safety!

Bolted anchors and hangers can and do fail!

Rock climbing is a very dangerous sport. If you are not willing to accept this risk, then you should not participate in this sport.

The American Safe Climbing Association (ASCA) tells us: "Bolts used for outdoor rock climbing in the U.S. have historically not been regulated or certified in any way. Historical practice is to use bolts which are nowhere near any "reasonable" level of safety compared to the standards of modem society, and even the bolts used now to establish new routes and replace old bolts are not certified or regulated in any way. Limitations due to ease and speed and type mean that even many bolts used by the) are nowhere near what would be considered acceptable safety margins in other walks of life such as the modern construction industry. The ASCA is a bit of a misnomer, because climbing is (obviously) not a 'safe' thing to do. Old deteriorating bolts are potential death traps even for experienced climbers. No bolt is ever guaranteed, and trusting a bolt with your life is always a gamble."

Mechanical aids attached to the rock in Muir Valley include, but are not limited to, expansion bolts, rappel hangers, hanger brackets, chains, rappel rings, screw-type quicklinks, carabiners, cables, and shackles. These mechanical aids are in no way guaranteed as to their safety. There are literally tens of thousands of square feet of rock in the Valley. It is virtually impossible to inspect and monitor the placement of mechanical aids on this rock. And, it is beyond any inspection technique known to man to verify the structural integrity of the rock in which a mechanical aid is placed.

Muir Valley LLC is not responsible for your injury or death due to your reliance on these mechanical aids. These have been put up by persons for their own use, and as such these persons are responsible only for their own safety and not yours. Anyone else who relies on these mechanical aids for support during climbing is risking serious injury or death to themselves and those around them. Do not believe that these mechanical aids and the rock they are attached to cannot fail.

Please take the words you have just read very seriously! And, if you do not wish to accept this level of risk, then do not climb in Muir Valley.