Monday, June 2nd, 2008
Timesonline, July 21, 2006: ‘Matthews ruling sets a significant precedent…’
http://timesonline.typepad.com/law_weblog/2006/07/matthews_ruling.html
Representative for the British Mountaineering Council slanders Mounteverest.net (2006)…
http://mounteverest.net/news.php?id=10265
Cronies Corner (extracts taken from the No 1128 issue of Private Eye)
http://groups.msn.com/InformationforMountainClients/plasybrenin.msnw
Further to the Cronyism page, Private Eye published (18 March, 2005) an interesting article: ‘Cronies Corner’ regarding the shake-up at the top of the scandal-ridden United Nations (UN) an organisation much loved by; cosseted by the UIAA (Union International Alpinism) in recent years. Apparently, the UN has created another opportunity for one of Tony Blair’s favourite cronies, Baroness Valerie Amos. Cronyism in the UIAA is mentioned towards the end of the Cronyism page. The connection? The UIAA, certainly since 2002, have been cuddling up to the apparently, scandal ridden UN. Apparently, there was collusion between the two organisations over ‘The Year of the Mountain’. The main character left out of course, was the mountains into which, members of the UIAA have been gaily drilling and placing expansion bolts against the wishes of the vast majority of global climbers / mountaineers. These activities within the UIAA apparently mirror the activities going on within the UN…
http://www.alaskaalpineclub.org/Concepts-2.html Some independent comments…
Private Eye goes on: ‘Amos, 50, has risen to the top in British politics without ever actually having been elected to anything (fully qualified then). The Guyana-born former local government officer was chief executive of the Equal Opportunities Commission from 1989 to 1994. Given a life peerage on Labour’s election in 1997, she became a whip in 1998 and a spokesperson on international development, social security and wimmin’s issues.
In 2001 she became a junior foreign office minister and joined the cabinet in 2003, replacing Clare Short as international development secretary. In support of the Bush-Blair 2003 campaign against Iraq, Amos was sent scuttling around Africa in an effort to sign up security council members to a second UN resolution shortly before bombing began.
Her first reward was to be made leader of the Lords in October 2003. Now the Prime Minister Tony Blair has nominated her to become head of the UN Development Program (UNDP) – regarded as the number three job at the UN.’
There is a similarity in the world of climbing / mountaineering in that some, have risen rapidly through the ranks (some bypassed the ranks altogether) in the European climbing world (the world climbing establishment) focused mainly, around the BMC / BMG/IFMGA / UIAA close partner’s now-a-days, with the apparently, ‘scandal ridden’ UN. This is unfortunate, given the in depth comments of other UIAA observers (link highlighted above and below). And yes, the ex-General Secretary of the British Mountaineering Council has taken up his UIAA post, a position that was apparently, specially created for him. This summer (2005) the sun was especially kind to the residents of Leysin, that quaint, Swiss mountain top village with a famous guiding / climbing school (that Walter Bonatti and Desmaison – to name just two of those approached, would not work; guide for). Alan Blackshaw on the other hand did accept the UIAA offer of the Presidency but then, for some reason, retired. Taking over has he did from the outgoing President Ian McNaught Davis (another stalwart of British climbing) Mr Blackshaw apparently lasted just one year in the post – it is to be hope that the top echelon in worldwide mountaineering / climbing is not falling apart…
Not whilst the Toddfather still reigns supreme. The latest court-case involving Henry Todd ( ‘that renowned mountaineer’ - http://www.scotlandonline.com/outdoors/peta_watts/index.cfm) was thrown out of court in 2006 (Mr Judge Rivillin must have been on one of Todd’s commercial, Everest expedition’s). Apparently, someone Proposed and somebody else Seconded Henry Todd’s membership of the Alpine Club. From that, Todd then Proposed and somebody else Seconded the inclusion of Bear Gryllis (supposedly the youngest Brit to scale Mount Everest in 1999) into the same auspicious – Club. These climbing connections of Todd’s were either made prior to his imprisonment (mid 70′s) or on his emergence back into society in the mid 80′s. The investigation continues. Certainly, how his advert survived intact in High magazine whilst other adverts were spoilt; removed from the same magazine, continues. http://www.publications.parlaiment.uk/pa/cm2000102/cmbills/031/en/02031x-htm
http://www.yakimacorruption.com/limine.html Provides interesting reading from (half way down the page): Example 2, National Parks. ‘Alaskan mountaineering guides were denied permits (to work as guides).’
Daily Mail, November, 2006: ‘Labour was accused last night of creating a generation of quangos cronies who owe their highly paid public jobs to their links with Tony Blair and his party. The top “Quango King” is Lord Smith, the former Culture Secretary who was last week appointed Chairman of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), a lucrative post that entitles him to pocket 120,000 pounds sterling for a maximum three day week.’ Interestingly, Lord Smith, when Culture Secretary, were invited by the British Mountaineering Council, and accepted, to visit the BMC’s ranch in Manchester and taste the delights of Plas-y-Brenin in North Wales (apparently Lord Smith was an avid hillgoer) not many BMC members have been offered such lavish attention. Today apparently, the BMC has a friend in the – ASA.
Recently (2006) the present Minister for Sport was invited, and accepted, to join in some BMC / BMG celebrations. Interestingly, some time after that 2006 junket, several MPs set out an Early Day Motion (apparently the Manchester Mountaineering Mafia (apparently, the BMC is to join forces, finally, with the Sheffield Climbing Mafia) one MP, Angela C Smith going as far as stating: ‘That this House notes the importance of mountaineering to the UK in terms of its status as an elite sport…‘ British mountaineering an elite sport? It used to be. As Walter Bonatti wrote in 1962: ‘Mountaineering is a shining light on the scales of human value’s', an elite sport – but then something happened Bonatti three years later, stopped mountaineering, climbing for ever – why? Since his involvement with the first ascent of K2 Bonatti was harassed unjustly by the Italian climbing establishment, so much so, that he left the UIAGM and by 1965 had stopped climbing at the highest levels. Cronyism of the highest order took center stage as the lies against Bonatti mounted. Even after winning the inevitable court-case, Bonatti had to write his: ‘Mountains of my Life’, before the truth surrounding the Italian first ascent of K2 became known.
Probably the finest climber, mountaineer, sportsman who ever lived, gave up his all consuming passion; sport why? Enter greed, avarice, drugs, the pursuit of wealth – competition climbing and of course, so-called elite climbers (pre-placing protection) resorting to the deliberate damaging of un quarried rock by drilling and placing expansion bolts.
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