Climbing Fees For Fitz Roy Group?

[Dechristo]

In December 2004 the National Parks Administration (APN) of Argentina approved a

US$200 per person climbing fee for Cerro Fitz Roy and its outlying peaks, which

include the Cerro Torre group. A strong reaction against this measure from both

mountaineers and park rangers has prompted the APN to study the issue further.

Now is the time to comment on the proposed fees. Patagonia veterans Rolando

Garibotti and Bean Bowers argue that the fee would discriminate against

climbers, which represent a tiny fraction of the visitors to this area, and that

it would be ineffective in supporting rescues of climbers, which are rare and

are usually performed by fellow climbers. To learn more about the issue, and to

find the email addresses of key park figures (comments in English are fine),

visit Rolo and Bean's "Call to Action" at Alpinist magazine:

www.alpinist.com/Call_To_Action.pdf

[Alex]

what are they gonna spend that whopping 600.00$ on?

[larrythellama]

makes sense to some stand point as most users of the cerro torre group are foreginers whom do not pay taxes in agentina for the most part, yet use the services provided by the government.

[J_Fisher]

This is hard to get outraged about. It's a poor country. Why shouldn't they try to make some $$ off bohemian yuppies indulging a silly past time on their vacations.

 

But they should probably stick to the hikers too, for fairness sake.

 

I got an email solictation about this from Alpinist. The whole idea of this magazine, which basically a vanity piece for a software millionaire, pushing a "grass roots" campaign against these fees seemed pretty funny to me.

[Dr_Crash]

So people should climb for free in Patagonia but pay a a fee on Rainier to go above 10,0000 ft?

 

drC

[cj001f]

But they should probably stick to the hikers too, for fairness sake.

Why? The hikers stay for a couple of days the climbers stay for months. Every fucking gringo there had a TNF, Bibler or MH tent - real starved for cash Visit one of the climbers only basecamps and look at how little environmental impact that .7% causes - as much as the other 90%.

[cj001f]

what are they gonna spend that whopping 600.00$ on?

There were 6 parties lined up for Cerro Torre this year one day alone. The place ain't wilderness anymore. The roads well on its way to widened, and soon paved. El Chalten is a town now. It's grown up, perhaps the climbers should too?