Bogen Posted January 4, 2005 Share Posted January 4, 2005 The noob that I took climbing last weekend is a bit of a techno geek, and took gps waypoints everywhere we went, and loved having his gps plugged into the laptop running mapping software as we drove. He had an idea of putting together a cyberguide replete with gps mapping, pictures of approaches and routes, etc. I suppose that day is coming, and it got me thinking. My immediate reaction was negative, because there's already too many bloody people looking for ice in SWBC, and making it easier or more accessable for more people makes it less accessable for me. On the other hand, Don's guide and Lyle's map make it pretty damn accessable now. And what kinda hypocrite would I be to discourage his idea, as I sit and spray my own conditions reports all over the web. I wouldn't be able to concentrate my climbing into the funnest bits without the support of Don and Lyle, how can I not pass that on. I know many of the people on this board have been climbing in this area alot longer than I have, don't you ever get the urge to keep it secret? I know you do have secret areas, but I mean bringing back conditions reports, on known areas. Or even lying. Should I keep my mouth shut about what a great beginner area Hell Creek is? Every year there's more and more climbers. What is the end result? or goal? Will access increase? For instance maybe if there is enough ice-climber money coming into Lillooet, the district will see the benefit and start clearing Phair creek road. Maybe a greater climber population will push the accessable recreational area farther into the back country. Is that good? The noob I took up is psyched, enough that he is buying quarks, probably tomorrow. That makes 4 or 5 people over the years that I've gotten hooked on ice climbing alone, never mind the dozens of people I've introduced to rock climbing. I use and post conditions reports, helping and accepting help in finding good spots to climb. Therefore I have to accept some responsibility for the crowds that I quietly curse sometimes. On one of the last weekends of last season we drove by the rambles and there were 15 cars parked there (all washington) As much as I enjoy the social aspect of climbing, where does all this end? Should we be thinking about expansion of our climbing community, and what it means in the long run? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted January 4, 2005 Share Posted January 4, 2005 You can bet that the coming weekend will see the herds blindly stampede to Lillooet despite great climbing on offer in other parts of SWBC if it stays cold. There is nothing to fear from herds. Unless you too have herd mentality. No one ever goes to Hell Creek, Spray Creek, Cedarvale Falls etc because they are too busy swarming to the Rambles and Marble Canyon. Hell even I climbed at Marble and Rambles last weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
layton Posted January 4, 2005 Share Posted January 4, 2005 the rambles is in????? sweet, i'm there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olyclimber Posted January 4, 2005 Share Posted January 4, 2005 What are the GPS coordinates? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogen Posted January 4, 2005 Author Share Posted January 4, 2005 So... is this something we don't take seriously cuz there's nothin to be done about it anyway? Not that I'm stressed about it, I just got to wondering last weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olyclimber Posted January 4, 2005 Share Posted January 4, 2005 Going from 6.1 billion humanoids (year 2000) to 9 billion humanoids in the next 50 years is going to result in more climbers. This coupled with the polar icecaps melting, which drives us all to higher ground, make me think there probably isn't too much to be done about it. May be we could buy up all the guide books and burn them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted January 5, 2005 Share Posted January 5, 2005 May be we could buy up all the guide books and burn them. If you buy them to burn them, please pay full price! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted January 5, 2005 Share Posted January 5, 2005 Going from 6.1 billion humanoids (year 2000) to 9 billion humanoids in the next 50 years is going to result in more climbers. This coupled with the polar icecaps melting, which drives us all to higher ground, make me think there probably isn't too much to be done about it. May be we could buy up all the guide books and burn them. Most of those humanoids are in the 3rd world. They aren't out there crowding up local routes. The town of Lillooet is for instance in severe trouble economically. The closure of government offices and departure of those regular government paycheques significantly reduced the local income base. So the more ice climbers eating in restaurants, staying in hotels etc. the better for the town. I don't mind extra climbers in Lillooet but maybe they should spread out a bit instead of flocking like sheep to the same 2 areas every weekend all winter long. Then again in the Rockies you see the same thing with 25 people on Cascade and no one on Rogan's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarirafo Posted January 5, 2005 Share Posted January 5, 2005 May be we could buy up all the guide books and burn them. Scenario: books all get burned, delighted publishers flood stores with more guidebooks, most climbers conclude that now it's way too crowded and go to obscure locations, leaving the old classics untouched Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Off_White Posted January 5, 2005 Share Posted January 5, 2005 I started climbing 32 years ago, and people were already moaning about the diluting effects of taking in so many philistines into such an iconclastic endeavor. Even so, they were only repeating the hand wringing laments of their predecessors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogen Posted January 5, 2005 Author Share Posted January 5, 2005 I started climbing 32 years ago, and people were already moaning about the diluting effects of taking in so many philistines into such an iconclastic endeavor. Even so, they were only repeating the hand wringing laments of their predecessors. I wondered about that. Have you found, in your 32 years, that increasing numbers have changed your climbing habits? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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