2020, Journal of Outdoor Recreation & Tourism
Full title: “Research Note: Examining Differences in the Bolting Preferences of Climbers along Utah’s Wasatch Front”
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This research note examines differences in the bolting preferences held by climbers residing along Utah's Wasatch Front. Using survey data collected in collaboration with a local climbing advocacy and stewardship nonprofit, I model the relationships that over 600 respondents' bolting preferences exhibit with various sport-relevant characteristics, including the type of climbing respondents most often practice, how they report being introduced to the sport, and their desire to engage risk in climbing, among other variables. The findings indicate that a climber's prioritization of one climbing discipline over another is more consistently related with, and more closely related to, their bolting preferences than other factors. The more a respondent is inclined towards traditional over sport climbing, the less permissive their bolting preferences tend to be.
