Quotations:
Friday, June 20th, 2008
http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=490658 Monaco, 10:37 Thursday, 26 January, 2012: ‘In this sense, they should at least thank him.’ Apparently, the two climbers who recently (January, 2012) removed many of the bolts offending Cerro Torre for the last 40 years, should thank the Italian climber who failed to climb the mountain – twice even though on his second attempt, he place in excess of 300 expansion-bolts, the original: Rape of a Mountain. What climbing has become: the need to thank a climber who not only claimed the first ascent of Cerro Torre in 1959 but failed in a second attempt, during a mountain debacle.
‘The effect of this work (a massive public interest in climbing/mountaineering has been stimulated by certain well-managed professionals with the help of TV and other mass media) has put some of our mountain areas under intolerable pressures so that those climbers who climb because of, if I am right, certain inner compulsions which mountaineering can satisfy, become submerged in a polluting flood of sheep (or as Reinhold Messner put it in 2010: ‘piste mountaineers’).’ (Robin Campbell, Climbing Ethics, The Games Climbers Play) he went on to write: ‘I may be wrong, but I think there is a great danger that, even with the best of intentions, a powerful, active BMC may succeed in hastening the demise of traditional climbing values.’ In 2010, the BMC flooded the UK climbing scene with -10,000 expansion bolts with which to weaken the long-standing traditional climbing ethics of the UK.
Pete Livesey was scathing about the new wave of sports climbing: “some people do not climb properly any more.” No doubt he had witnessed climbers falling off deliberately onto bolts - for whatever reason which as sure as hell is nothing to do with climbing.
Rock Shattering Pitons!?: “The bolt might offend, but if you chop it you will really upset the climbers who want to do the route! A far worse potential evil is knowing that bolts have been wilfully ‘chopped’ climbers will attempt the climb with the ‘rock shattering’ piton.” (Toni Carver 1998). Over-bolting of already established trad-routes the FA of which were accomplished without bolts will eventually lead to the offending bolts being – chopped (Cheesewring Quarry). From Lands End to the Highlands of Scotland unquarried cliffs and crags have been deliberately damaged by drilling to place expansion bolts against the wishes of the vast majority of climbers and certainly, against the wishes of the vast majority of first-ascentionist.
Quote: Saving Rock http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=479302 ’we should be responsible for taking care of the rock for the future.’? (ukclimbing forum Wed, 20:55, 19 Oct, 2011) By deliberately, drilling it and placing – bolts.??
Quote: North face of the Eiger talk: Chris Bonington experienced this directly in his various attempts and final success in making the first British ascent and in his involvement in the dramatic story of extreme climbing and the extraordinary media circus that accompanied the first ascent of the Harlin Direct Route on the North face in the winter of 1966. (preamble for a 2011 talk with Uni Steck about the Eiger). Of course, Sir Bonington was accompanied by the celebrated Scottish climber, Ian Clough on the – first British ascent of the North face of the Eiger. (While Steck’s ascent was – solo.)
Quote: Tom Patey: “What route did you climb today then?” “Dunno, haven’t named it yet!” Tom wrote about the solo climber (we have at least one here, Fred Flintstone, in Devon; in the Southwest) who goes to Chamonix in mid-summer and complains about the lack of – ice. He also wrote about the solo rock-star who turns-up in Chamonix mid-winter complaining about the lack of dry rock… If the weather does happen to turn fine, they head for the flesh-pots of Geneve for a few days…
Quote: ‘Already, we have what looks like a House of Lords within the British Mountaineering Council (BMC). I may well be wrong, but I think there are great dangers that, even with the best intentions, a powerful, active BMC may succeed in hastening the demise of traditional climbing values.’ (Robin Campbell, National Mountaineering Conference 1974) In 2007, the BMC flooded the UK climbing scene with – 10,000 expansion bolts with which to facilitate the demise of the UK’s traditional, climbing values…
Quote: Voltaire: “I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.” Or was it: Fred Flintstone (top Devon solo climber)?
Quote: On sight: ‘The purest form of ascent which is conducted from the ground up, no prior knowledge of moves or protection (apart from “standard” guidebook info) and in which no falls or rests on gear are taken. Gear must be placed on lead.’ Can’t climb? Bolt! being the brave new world of climbing…there are few climbers at the top of the sport who are prepared to attempt standard setting bold routes in the on-sight traditional style. (2011)
Quote: Beck Weathers (client): May, 10, 1996: ‘The drift into unconsciousness was not unpleasant as I sank into a profound coma on the South Col, where my fellow climbers eventually would leave me for dead. What does a guy have to do to get rescued around here?’ Who looks after the client, after the guide has messed-up?
Quote: Feb, 2004: ‘As you point out the British Mountain Guides (BMG) “safety guarantees” previous to 1997 was highly erroneous. More so the fact that the British Mountaineering Council published such advertising. Misleading and dishonest in the highest degree.’
Quote: Risk with Responsibility: ‘We know that certification is wholly impractical and would not succeed in reducing accidents, yet it is raised regularly and at higher levels in government circles who feel that climbers are poorly represented…’ Step forward: Roger Payne, (then) General Secretary, British Mountaineering Council (1995).
Quote: ‘Sports Climbing is not about the bolts.’ ?? Really! (‘Why do Trad Climbers hate Sports Climbers?’ – thread ukclimbing, April, 2011.)
Quote: “Drugs in climbing – it isn’t really cheating – because everyone can take them if they want.” Really! Drugs, first introduced into the North Wales climbing scene in the mid 1970′s and under surveillance from the Operation Julie drug team. http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=438167
Quote: Rock Climbing, Wikipedia, Vandalism: “Another form of vandalism in rock climbing is pulling (removing offending) bolts and anchors.” Many of which, have been placed after the first ascent was made without them, climbs being permanently damaged by over-bolting – these bolts will be removed (the so-called British Mountaineering Council started flooding the UK climbing scene with- £20,000 of bolts in 2007 another £10,000 worth in 2011). Bolts placed by ‘climber’ who don’t have the balls for traditional; long-standing climbing methods. On the other hand, it is not viewed a ‘stealing’ to remove without the owners permission – pitons.
Quote: “We don’t want expansion bolts placed at World’s End (Wales) damaging and spoiling the look of the place.” (Owners of World’s End)
Quote: (Tim Howard sent me an un-solicited e-mail): ’What kind of fucking idiot are you?’: “The BMA (British Medical Association) ‘controls’ the NHS – which planet have you been living on? The laughter gets louder.” Tim Howard (tjhoward@10longridge.fsnet.co.uk29 February, 2004.) In December 2010, the government announced that ‘doctors’ (of whom the BMA is made up) are now running; competing to control the NHS via Pathfinder Consortia a privatisation of the NHS. In January, 2011, Dr Martin Meldin head of the BMA, became a partner in one of the new Polyclinic’s which received £4million with which to run some of the NHS contracts. He who laughs last – laughs longest… Would that Tim could have seen further than the end of his f****** nose. http://www.nhsonline.net/news/article.asp?CatagoryId=2&ArticleId=1105
Quote: Rich Simpson, world class athlete: “As a world class athlete I hope to climb some ‘big routes’ – Walker Spur, Freney Pillar and Tour Ronde (the Tour Ronde!).”: (Sports Climber, runner and boxer and story-teller.) http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=436004
Quote: “It’s all bullshit on Everest these days.” Sir Edmond Hillary 2006
Quote: “No man or woman who tries to pursue an ideal in his or her own way is not without enemies.” (Daisy Bates)
Quote: Enemies who think: “Now he is completely barking – a HUGE chip on his shoulder” (Jon de Montjoy UIAGM/IFMGA – we are competent in “all aspects” of clients care – which brings a whole new meaning to the word: care) for merely trying to stop the clients of UIAGM/IFMGA guides from being killed or seriously injured in avoidable climbing accidents.
Quote: “It is common to tie them (2 ropes) together with an overhand knot as this is less likely to jam in cracks.”?? The British Mountaineering Council http://www.thebmc.co.uk/Feature.aspx?id=1736 The overhand knot (which has been known to unravel - the British Death Knot) is apparently finding favour rather than, the long established 100% safe double-fisherman’s. You are a long time dead.
Quote: ‘It [the BMC] exists to further the interests of mountaineering as a whole, and it will succeed in this only in so far as it receives the full support of each and every mountaineer… It should be needless to add that their will be no attempt to introduce anything so foolish as a qualification scheme for ‘mountain leaders’.‘ G. A. Dummett, Pembroke College, Cambridge. To date in 2010, the BMC still only represents just one percent (of climbers / mountaineers / hill walkers / ski mountaineers) its membership standing at just 50 – 70,000? the true number may never be know. There are over 4million hill-goers in the UK.
Quote: ‘The wastful and vitriolic Mountain Leadership wars of the mid-seventies, fought for control of mountain training in this country, were but an outward sign of the widening gap (between educationists and mountaineers); a widening gap that was inevitable because of decreasing mountaineering values – step forward – the British Mountaineering Council.’ Pete Livesey, Climber & Hillwalker, May, 1998.
Quote: “Is mountaineering today sick and polluted? Certainly. Is there hypocrisy in the world of the mountains? Undoubtedly.” Walter Bonatti (2000). See also: Vinicio Stefanello below.
Quote: ‘Bolts don’t grow on trees’, according to a BMC advert for its Bolting Fund (apparently there is a financial cost involved). And yet, Kelly College, Tavistock, Devon, have in fact drilled and bolted some of its ancient trees as part of one of its Adventure Courses…
Quote: “Climbers who become involved with avalanches are either gung ho, myopic, English or a combination of these.” (top avalanche expert)
Quote: Mr Davis, in a letter to me dated the 12th December, 2000: “Dennis, your description of your sport as having become ‘somewhat callous and shabby’ is apt in my tragic experience from prodigious readings, out of which I have collected a number of extractions – this one from Peter D. Boardman won’t surprise you in the least”: ‘Outward Bound and other outdoor education philosophies would have one believe that mountain climbing develops character, courage, resourcefulness and teamwork. That may be so, but it is also true that mountaineering can develop selfishness, fanaticism, glory-seeking and cunning.” Mr Davis’s only son Phillip, died in an avoidable BMG/UIAGM/IFMGA accident (along with two other clients) on the West Flank of the Eiger in July, 1992. Mr Davis had asked that his sons climbing equipment being used on that fateful day in 1992 be returned to him. Today, in 2011, Phillip’s equipment still lies rotting on the West Flank of the Eiger.
Quote: Alun Richardson UIAGM/IFMGA: “The President of the UIAGM / IFMGA (we are the only professional mountain guides) did not fall into a crevasse unroped and was killed – he fell off a hut ladder and was killed, you want to get your facts right.” – Alun said. http://pistehors.com/news/ski/comments/0746-president-of-the-uiagm-killed-by-crevasse-fall We certainly do need to get our facts right, wouldn’t want to mix-up falling into a crevasse unroped with falling off easier angled hut step’s would we?
Quote: Vinicio Stefanello: ‘Himalayan mountaineering is far sicker than was originally believed’ (2011).
Quote: Dr P. Segantini (1940-1995): President of the UIAA from 1990 until his death by his own hand in 1995 was instigational in introducing; getting competition climbing accepted as an Olympic Sport along with the inherent drug testing etc., etc. It is not unusual for the course of climbing to be spoilt; changed for ever, the perpetrators, then leaving the scene…
Quote: The BMC should stay as small and as ineffectual as it presently is.’ (Ian McNaught-Davis). In reply to a question put to the climbing celebrities on stage at a Buxton Conference (1986). Don Whillains in turn, turned his cap back-to-front and said: “Pass”, in answer to Dennis Morrod’s question: “What does the panel think of the British Mountaineering Council?”
Quote: “the rules” laid down by fat-arsed, power-crazed swill-gut nobodies and administered by honorary-volunteer-automatons who we’re not allowed to insult because that have grace-and-favour status conferred upon them by doing it for free because virtue’s its own reward and by their association with the sport’s representative-but-would-be-governing body in its little stockade there where the ranchers of the climbing world meet on Manchester West Didsbury’s Burton Road – which latter is what climbing’s gone for when it starts to believe in junk like this and never place your unquestioning trust in charities anyway because they have their own agendas which are sure as hell nothing to do with – charity.’ Jim Perrin, Climber, 1998.
Category : Mountain Clients
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