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General Climbing Discussion

Topic Date User

No chalk at Gyms too 6-Apr-2005 At 4:53:02 PM LittleMac

Message

On 6/04/2005 steph wrote:
>On 6/04/2005 LittleMac wrote:
>>Seems like your missing the point here steph,
>>
>>you are in fact damaging irreplaceable, outdoor wonders. Oil like rock
>>is a renewable resource, unfortunately both have a remarkably similar
>renewable
>>lifespan (millons of years)
>
>Actually u r missing the point if u think rock will stay in the same shape
>for you and ur offspring (god forbid u hav any :p) for millions of years
>without chalk damage etc. Good grippy holds will become slopy, slimy drainage
>routes. Also indoor holds may in the future be made of something else other
>than your precious oil or the like. THe fact is they are manufactured by
>us - something u wont find outdoors even on a chipped climb.
>
>>Have you ever actually been to the Organ Pipes??????????
>
>yes i've been to the organ pipes dont patronise me and i still believe
>that there are more little inexperienced greasy hands passing over rocks
>in gyms than on 1 section of rock at araps. MOST CLIMBERS GO TO GYMS, NOT
>ALL GYM CLIMBERS CLIMB OUTDOORS!! Indoor holds are replications and can
>be washed, swivveled, moved, replaced etc. THat's a luxury we dont get
>outdoors.
>
>>
>>I'll often do stuff at my limit outdoors and will often climb just as
>>much outdoors as indoors.
>
>We're not just talking bout you here Mac....

Glad to hear that we're not just talking about me here, otherwise I might get all bigheaded and stuff.

The point I was trying to make is that,

Like oil, rock takes in the order of at least 250, 000 years to make (except of course volcanic rock etc). In no way was I suggesting that climbs will remain undamaged, but don't forget to take a long hard look at yourself before indisciminately blaming chalk users for the sum total of damage.

In refernce to the organ pipes, I simply used the Organ Pipes as an example of an area which at times gets treated like a gym. I could very well have used Dec Ceag or Bushrangers Bluff, Mitre Rock or indeed a great many other high use cliffs. Oh and every time we replace a ruined hold on a climbing wall that's one more act of depletion on our precious oil resources.

Holds may well be made of something different in the future, howvever, chalk technology may also improve in simialr ways (I personaly hope that both occur) but in the short term we have to deal with both evils.

And steph, Don't assume that I was patronising you, I was simply responding to your comments in the same way that I would expect you to respond to my own comments (with honesty and considered opinion).

keep up the discussion.

LittleMac

P.S I'm sure that any offspring I may have will wish that god had forbid I have any :p