Mountain Clients

Once Upon A Climb

Once Upon A Climb…

Walter Bonatti called it: ‘A Shining Light on the Scales of Human Values.’ (1962). Three years later, the finest climber who ever lived suddenly stopped extreme climbing and guiding – why? It is only now, forty years, on that we find out why. I believe that Bonatti saw forty years ago, the demise of the sport of climbing; mountaineeering, an ongoing demise recently (2008) written about by Michael Kodas in his latest book: ‘High Crimes – Everest in an Age of Greed.’

The coils of rope that I am carrying on an ascent to the summit of Mont Blanc were symbolic of the kind of ropes that traditional climbers used to carry, it is a hawser laid rope. In the beginning, safety ropes were made this way, originally, made of a vegitable fibre they were eventually made of the much stronger nylon fibre but retained the three standed hawser-laid appearence. During the seven ascents that followed during the summer of 1986 on Mont Blanc, during the Bi-Centenery celebrations of the first ascent, the ropes coped well with fourteen weeks of constant climbing use.

I have seen many changes since 1951 when I started hillwalking and climbing and they have not been for the good of climbing; mountaineering, far  from it. Apparently, nothing can save the sports as there is now, no agreement on ethics. The word artificial climbing has changed. It used to mean  direct aid whilst climbing, today, it means most aspects of climbing. Climbing has become an artificial sport per se and because young climbers over recent years have been introduced into an artificial arene their concept of risk is clouded. Their idea of clean, traditional climbing is apparently, none existant. Young climbers being introduced to outdoors climbing.??

Climber A, has just climbed an 8a. Really! After practising the climbing moves on a tope-rope; after roping down and pre-placing extenders on the bolts then, and only then, supposedly making a first ascent of that particular climbing line. A first ascent any number of climbers could have had if they had been prepared to – cheat. Apparently, this is called a headpoint – or is it a red-point whatever it is called, it is cheating; no concept of risk – just plain cheating.

Real risk they would not recognise if it jumped up and bit them on the bottom. And yet risk is all around us / them in a mountain environment. In 1999, during the worst winter in Europe for many years even none climbers; tourist were killed in their droves. 38 were killed in Austria in one avalanche; 12 in Chamonix; Montroc, in a single accident one night. Climbers, guides and clients making up the rest of that winters tragic statistic.

To be continued…