Archive for the ‘Misc’ Category

Sports Climbing New Olympic Sport? (16 Dec 2010)

Monday, June 2nd, 2008

For the exponents of ‘watching paint dry’ there apparently, is to be a new Olympic Sport – Sports Climbing – so-called. Yes, in 2020, Sports Climbing is to be introduced another International competition the British will never win – no Gold Medals there then (but loads-a-lottery-cash anyway). Sports climbers apparently, are latant tradional climbers with – no balls. Fixed, pre placed protection is a must for climbers without the neck for real climbing. No doubt, the BMC’s new ‘Leaders ladders’ will play a prominant part in this new, Olympic sport. It is to be hoped, that the Sports Climbing contestants can cope; survive the inevitable drug-testing. The street rioting in Vancouver (winter 2010), civil unrest due to the awsome waste of public money that Olypics are; represent, will not deter – Sports Climbers and their supporters.    Sports Climbers contribution to British climbing thus far: http://www.safercliffs.org/code/photos.html

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Internet References (24 Jan 2007)

Monday, June 2nd, 2008

2 May, 2010: UIAGM/IFMGA mountain guide Marco Da Pozzo was killed after falling from the church steeple in the chic ski resort of Cortina D’Ampezzo in the Dolomits of Northern Italy during a routine maintenance operation http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/7639306/Italian-mountaineer-dies-falling-off-church-steeple.html This fatality comes not long after the then, President of the UIAGM Claude Rey, fell off a hut ladder (some reports say into a crevasse – unroped) and was killed.
Wholesale advertising by the British Mountaineering Council along with the Sports Council’s able assistance – Sport for All – enticing young people into climbing – the quick way, is one of the main reasons for the increase in climbing participation and therefore, the increase in fatal climbing accidents – 2007 appears to be one of the worst Scottish winter mountaineering tragedies – in the making: ‘The question has just been asked on rockfax (23 January 2007) – do older climbers believe that there are more climbing accidents now?’ Yes there certainly are – due to the above mentioned points – too much enticement.
http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=373428   BMG clients deaths to be taken with: ‘a pinch of salt’ (liz Sept, 2009)
http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/2009-08-13.htm At least, 11 UIAGM guides have died since Nov, 2008, there is no information regading the fate of their clients.
http://groups.msn.com/SafetyInformationforMountainClients/internetreferences.msnw
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2813287.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/615529.stm
http://www.rafactive.co.uk/27alpine.html
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Broken Climbing Harness (9 Nov 2006)

Monday, June 2nd, 2008

Apparently, there is shock and horror (November 2006) over the fact that a climbing harness broke, plunging one of America’s finest climbers to his death. Climbing harnesses have broken before and climbers have ‘fallen-out-of’ their climbing ‘sit harnesses’ to their deaths. But it mattered not and climbers have continued to refuse to follow the harness manufacturer’s guidelines. After this latest fatality, climbers will continue to climb in a potentially dangerous manner. It matters not, that the sport has its own inherent dangers, as if that was not enough, dangerous practices still continue. Each evening thousands of young British, so-called climbers, attach themselves to the ‘belay loop’ on the front of their harness via a single karabiner (the loop that broke recently) whilst top-rope climbing and not, as per the manufacturers instructions (threaded through the harness properly). What has the representative but would be governing body of British climbing, the BMC, done about this suicidal practice over the years? Nothing…
An additional; a simple sling draped over head and shoulder then clipped into the harness  would have saved lives. In fact, less strain would have come onto the faulty, nylon loop, and it would not have broken. An additional ‘safety rope’ tied through the harness (as per the manufacturers instructions) would also have saved lives. It is not rocket science. And yet, Sport England still throw money at the BMC. The reception for the BMC, apparently at the Peak of its Profession, at No. 10 Downing Street on the 8 October, 2008, where the ‘great and good’ will be able to show-off their prowess, is set to coincide with the governing body bid for more cash even though, in 2007, the BMC squandered 10,s of 1,00′s of pounds when it bought and introduced 10,000 expansion bolts into the UK climbing scene. Not a single bolts will reduce the number of harness related deaths, or abseiling fatalities in fact, it will increase them.
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Vixen Tor – Shock

Monday, June 2nd, 2008

28 February, 2005: Apparently, there is ‘shock and anger’ at the Ramblers Association over the descision of the Dartmoor Planing Inspectrate to keep an access ban at Vixtor Tor. Not the best-man-won no, shock and anger. Perhaps if the Association had not alighned itself with the British Mountaineering Council in this protest it might have done better; there might have been different outcome.
Talk about David and Goliath, a lone woman and her son against the machinations – freedom ro roam – regardless of who’s land we trample over. That these Association’s (with apparently nothing better to do) will continue (supported by tax-payers – wasting taxpayers money) to put pressure on this woman is a disgrace.
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Bill Wilson (26 Dec 2004)

Monday, June 2nd, 2008

Bill Wilson bill.wilson@minorplanet.com on the 30 September, 2003, wrote to me via e-mail: ‘Mr Rupar is quite obviously a racist Bigot who’s comments could not possibly be taken seriously, given his embedded hatred of the english. Let us hope that if he still braves the hills that a similare fate does not befall him..’ Mr Rupar, a qualified avalcnche expert had commented that: ‘Whilst it is understandable that inexperienced climbers become involved in avalanches, experienced climbers who are involved in avalanches must be either myopic, English or a combination of both…’
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Risk Acknowledgement (17 May 2004)

Monday, June 2nd, 2008

On the 12 February, 2004 Lyndon Gill wrote in Rockfax – Bloody Scouts Need Rescuing: ‘ I agree that there has been a fair amount of cronyism in professional guiding and instructing. There is still some evidence around today especially relating to the criticism levelled at amateur groups by certain professionals.
As you point out the British Mountain Guides ‘safety guarantees’ previous to 1997 was highly erronious. More so the fact the BMC published such advertisements. Misleading and dishonest in the highest degree. Cronyism at its worse.
What is needed is a dose of realism. Life is full of risks. We carry on just the same. Participants need, especially new participants, the opportunity to acknowledge the very real risks that exist in the mountains. If society realises they accept those risks and proceeded regardless it is far more understandable that if the impression is given than if they were led into the lions den.
Look at the low level qualifications there is no requirement for certified leaders to understand risk acknowledgement, its value or terminology…’
Mr Gill was advocating the value of risk acknowledgement and the requirement for person responsibiliy – from all participants… I agree with Mr Gill completely.
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What Sort of F*****g Idiot Are You? (6 Mar 2006)

Monday, June 2nd, 2008

Was the title of the unsolicited e-mail received from Tim Howard at 14:36 on the 23 February, 2004: ´You aver, without advanced argument or evidence, that all the incidents referred to on your web page ¨Are the Guides to blame?¨ were ´avoidable´ even though, in some cases, properly constituted public inquiries came to the opposite conclusion.
The suggestion on your homepage that you ¨surrender responsibility¨ to a guide whose services you hire is simply daft (Reinhold Messner´s words in fact – not mine so Reinhold must be daft in Tim Howards, myopic, observation) I have no idea (correct) what sense of injustice or inadequacy drives you to publish such rubbish but suggest that you take the site down before people start laughing at you.´ If publishing rubbish were a criteria for – taking down a website, both the BMC and BMG website´s would have disappeared long ago. Tim (What Sort of F*****g Idiot Are You) Howard of course, must agree totally (if the idiot has half-a-brain) with the recent:  ‘properly constituted public – Hutton Inquiry’ even though, the vast majority of the British public know it was a government white-wash (including the powerful magazine – Private Eye). Having sampled the calibre of Tim Howards language/vocabulary thus far (probably due to too much drink) it is quite obvious that any attempt at ¨advancing an argument¨ with the likes of him, would be totally pointless anyway… On January, 14, 2010 a UIAGM guide died alongside (unusually) his two clients in an avalanche in France – there was a substantial avalanche warning posted at the time – only a f****** idiot would have taken his clients out in such conditions though Howard, no doubt, would disagree…
Howard no doubt, will agree with Jon de Montjoye (UIAGM) who actually believes that someone (me) who thinks that loosing clients is ‘not OK’ is: “Completely barking and must have a HUGE chip on their shoulder.” Mountain clients should be wary of guides of have such views.
‘Properly Constituted Public Inquiry’: David and Jennie were not allowed to be present at their son’s (BMG/UIAGM) client killed in 1990 – Inquiry: ‘Properly Constituted Public Inquiry’, behind – closed doors. 
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Walter Bonatti – Must Read Book

Monday, June 2nd, 2008

Walter Bonatti’s (who was castigated for years by other climbers / guides who should have known better) latest Book: ‘The Mountains of My Life’, is a must-read for genuine climbers / mountaineers. The book, whilst following the life of the finest climber who ever lived, also shows he was treated by – other, jealous Italian UIAGM mountain guides. Their antics were the final reason for Walter ‘throwing his badge’; his UIAGM mountain guides badge back at them. He ceased to be a mountain guide.
Italian UIAGM guides have also been in the news in recent years, since 2005, they have been training – mujahideen ‘freedom fighters’, fighter in Afghanistan (who have been responsible for the deaths of over 300 British soldiers and Royal Marines) as – mountain guides. After acquiring their feeble ‘qualifications’ they can call themselves – guides. This of course, is more than can be said for the numerous British Independent guides (none UIAGM) who were hounded by members of the UIAGM and the British Mountaineering Council some of them, out of business. 
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The Enticement of Children to Rock Climb (1 Dec 2003)

Monday, June 2nd, 2008

After years of enticing young peolpe (no lower age limit) to sample climbing on artificial climbing walls and rock climbing outdoors, the BMC isnow backpeddling on its responsibility to those young persons. After advertising aimed at youngsters, the BMC then allowed them to be endangered (see any climbing competition for young people) by allowing them to climb without wearing correct head protection. According to visitors to the BMC sponsored, Rockfax website (Dec 2003). That this is happening at a time when one observer noted: ‘A climber a week has died this winter (2010) in Scotland. I this acceptable?’
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Shock: Climber cuts partners rope (20 Oct 2003)

Monday, June 2nd, 2008

Shock and horror was expressed today (20 Oct 2003) when it was revealed that the film: Touching the Void was finally to be released. Apparently,it has been deemed acceptable in certain climbing quarters, in fact by the climbing establishment as a whole, for a climber to deliberately – cut his already injured comrades rope and – get away with it. It is to be hoped that the film finally shows just how, one positions a sharp knife, so as to have it accessible even in the direst situation…
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