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Paul Nelson and Shelley Osterloh reporting Thousands hike to see one of Utah's most recognizable monuments: Delicate Arch.
But one man did more than just "See" it. He climbed it, and park rangers are not happy.
The climber is Dean Potter, a part-time Moab resident, and one of country's top free solo climbers. He claims he did nothing wrong and did not harm the Delicate Arch.
For the last dozen years. Dean Potter says he's studied Delicate Arch --- mapping in his mind a route through the crevices to the top of the 45 foot arch.
Dean Potter, Climber: "Technically it's a very difficult climb. I wouldn't recommend anybody else to climb it "
Potter is a professional climber for outdoor equipment company Patagonia and has a slew of impressive ascents. His specialty is climbing free solo --without ropes and climbing gear.
Dean Potter, Climber: "I wasn't going to pound a piton into our delicate arch or hurt the rock in any manner. "There was a tiny bit of chalk which will wash off on the first rain storm, and the only thing maybe I took away from the arch was I blew a little dust away from the smallest handhold so I wouldn't slip. "
Other climbers say he crossed the line by scaling Delicate Arch.
Some customers and employees of an REI Store consider Dean Potter as somewhat of a legend.
REI Community Outreach Coordinator Eric Spreng says Potter shattered the record for climbing El Capitan in Yosemite.
Eric Spreng: "By many, many hours. He had done it in, I think, single digit hours when the previous record was maybe around the neighborhood of 24."
Spreng and other climbers say Potter should not have climbed Delicate Arch. They say, not only is it against the rules, but others may want to climb it as well. Climber Michael Heathfield says Potter himself may regret doing it someday.
Michael Heathfield: "From what I know of him, and knowing him, I'm, I would say disappointed that he made that choice. He knows. He lives down there. He knows the rules."
Potter says he studied the park rules and believes as long as he didn't use any fixed anchors he was okay to climb the arch.
But Park officials disagree.
Laura Joss, Superintendent, Arches National Park: " It was always our intent that named arches were closed to climbing...by virtue of this event happening we realized that our regulations were open to misinterpretation."
Officials plan to revise the wording to clearly forbid climbing on the arch.
But Potter makes no apologies, he says its his way of getting close to nature.
Dean Potter, Climber: "I was just inspired by its beauty of being the most magical rock formation I've ever seen"
Potter insists he did nothing wrong and says he hasn't heard from the Park Service. Park rangers are investigating to be sure the arch was not damaged.
