outdoor user

Climbing rocks and revenue in the not-so-flat Midwest
A person climbs a steep rock face with a line of rope stretching from the ground up to their harness.

A climber navigating Slugg’s Bluff, the 80-foot-tall quartzite cliff that climbers have been enjoying since the 1970s. (Courtesy of the Upper Peninsula Climbing Coalition)

Cameryn Cass
Michigan State University
Rock climbing as a sport is gaining popularity in America and around the world. Can outdoor climbers fill an important role as environmental stewards and conservationists?