|
|
|
|
roughster
May 31, 2002, 11:18 AM
Post #1 of 7
(1721 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 3, 2002
Posts: 4003
|
I wrote this awhile back (while in SoCal), but I think those who believe that joining the Access Fund or other group is all they can do to help access need to think about this:
---------------------------------------------
I took a little trip up to the High Desert with my 3 year old daughter. The plan was to just hike around and have some fun exploring little rock caves near the BMX Area. I was surprised to find about 15 cars parked in the lot normally used for The Cemetery. Surprised because it is common knowledge that this area is *closed* to climbing due to private property.
.....We hiked to the top of the plateau and saw an all too familar scene. Climbers up on just about every climb imaginable. There was at least 20 people climbing in the immediate main area. Dogs walked around growling and barking at other dogs and climbers. Young kids ran unsupervised, endangering themselves and others unknowingly. Trash, cigarette butts, and toilet paper filled every nook and cranny my daughter and I passed.
.....In a rather shocked state, I walked to one of the larger boulders in the center of it all and sat down. As I watched, parents let their kids eat cookies from plastic wrappings and then just throw it on the ground, all the while silent. One kid just whipped down his pants and started peeing on the rocks right below a popular climb, his parents either not noticing or caring. After several minutes of watching the trash just lie there, I walked over and started cleaning up a small area. I was amazed to find that in about 10 minutes, my daughter and I had filled the plastic bag that I had in my pack, while still plenty more trash laid on the ground.
.....While picking up the trash, several people that were climbing walked right by us moving from one climb to the next, ignoring the obvious litter. I wondered what they thought? Maybe that I was some desert janitor paid by some unknown authority to walk around picking up after others. Maybe they enjoyed seeing the cigarette butts, tape, and toilet paper blowing in the wind. Whatever the reason, the impact of climbers in this small area was too great to not notice.
.....I once thought that people would learn from the closure of the Cemetery. We climbers cannot walk around creating impact and not expect something to happen because of it. It was painfully obvious that nothing was learned from the closure. I mean, people didn't even care that the place was closed! They just keep climbing there despite of it.
.....This got me thinking about Margheritaville[another local area at the time for me]. While the place definately has its abuses, compared to the Cemetery, it could be said that it is relatively *pristine*. Will the Cemetery scene be replayed just a few miles down the road? After what I saw, I would have to say its much more likely than I originally thought.
.....Maybe some day people will realize that most of the rapidly closing climbing areas are less a function of the few bad seeds out there throwing trash on the ground without care, but rather the fault of the many who sit by silently not doing anything about it. Yeah Margheritaville isn't the best place I've ever climbed at, but as my daughter and I packed up our little trash bag and walked back to the truck, I decided to take her out there so she could see what its like to crawl through a cave without worrying about getting human feces on her hands.
[ This Message was edited by: roughster on 2002-05-31 04:24 ]
|
|
|
|
|
killclimbz
May 31, 2002, 1:08 PM
Post #2 of 7
(1721 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 6, 2000
Posts: 1964
|
Sounds like to me that you needed to call the local authorities to let them know this was happening. I just recently let some climbers get away with climbing on an open face when I could've easily have called the park rangers to address the situation. Upon reflection I will do this if the situation arises again.
They are endangering our climbing areas. It is up to us as climbers to make sure that these people are held responsible. I find it completely infuriating that people feel that they need to climb at an area that is closed. There are plenty of other options, especially in California. Next time rat them out.
[ This Message was edited by: killclimbz on 2002-05-31 06:09 ]
|
|
|
|
|
darkside
May 31, 2002, 2:49 PM
Post #3 of 7
(1721 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 15, 2001
Posts: 1687
|
When I read this I was saddened, angry, and yet not surprised. The way climbers act at the crags is the biggest determining factor in their access to climbing. Why then do climbers both actively and passivly act towards losing access privileges? Make no mistake, access is a privilege not a right.
I'm not sure ratting them out is the answer, but what to do...? Maybe it's better to keep all the arseholes at a dump and keep the more pristine crags for those that respect them. I think it is just more evidence that climbers truly are apathetic and in some cases just pathetic. http://www.rockclimbing.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=8893&forum=23
What gets me is that people like this then expect people like me and organisations like the Access Fund or ACCess Committee to correct and save what they have screwed up. Sometimes I think I should just give it up and let the damm crags close.
|
|
|
|
|
killclimbz
May 31, 2002, 2:55 PM
Post #4 of 7
(1721 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 6, 2000
Posts: 1964
|
I agree. It would serve us all right.
|
|
|
|
|
darkside
May 31, 2002, 3:02 PM
Post #5 of 7
(1721 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 15, 2001
Posts: 1687
|
Actually now I think about it, I did some ratting earlier this month. I was custodian at an alpine club hut and saw some people on a route with no rap descent. It was getting late so I asked them if they were OK and how they were getting back to their canoe. (the climbs start at a lake and their is a strict rule about not using the cedars and other trees for rapping or slinging). They fumbled some obvious lie about using a block to rap from so I would go away. I reported the encounter to the hut co-ordinator. He could then inform the park authorities so they know that responsible climbers are trying to police the cliff and educate others. Also because these people were staying at the park, it throws the burden back on the park to inform visitors of the rules better.
Not so much ratting on them as building better responsible relations with the park authorities.
|
|
|
|
|
verticallaw
May 31, 2002, 4:03 PM
Post #6 of 7
(1721 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 21, 2002
Posts: 552
|
dude that pisses me off!!!!! I too have picked up trash while at the crags and the group that I go out with make it common practice to bring a bag or two each to pick up litter on the way out. This does not take long!!!! 1 day of climbing = 15 min of litter duty. My partner's and I are very consious about our own trash as we are ususally in remote area's, I once left a half pack of smokes at the bottom of a crag by accident and when I went back 1 month later they where still there. I was ashamed that I was the moron that littered the crag and now make a point to police up and litter that I find while there. People are inconsidderate by nature and it is not until they see the efects that their actions have that they realise what they are doing. I agree it is up to climbers to keep our access open if that means reporting another climber then so be it! why should we suffer for someone other persons arrogance.
P.S. I bring my son to the crags and so do other friends. We have taught them to respect nature and the place that we are at. These kids will be the ones saying these exact words 20 years down the road ( if there is any thing left outside)
I finish this note with the increddible urge to beat the snot out of a litter bug!!!
Mike
|
|
|
|
|
cragstar
May 31, 2002, 4:19 PM
Post #7 of 7
(1721 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 30, 2002
Posts: 69
|
I know of a similar situation in Maple Canyon the most popular routes are privately owned the owners are fed up with trash barking dogs and people drilling new routes left and right the owners have been very cooperative and still let us climb there as long as we follow all their rules.
I think it is very important that we know the area we are climbing in and all the rules the owners have for climbers. That is the only reason we are still allowed to climb in that part of Maple.
|
|
|
|
|
|
