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Rock Climbing News - January 2007
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Wednesday, 31 January 2007
Hueco Tanks State Historical Park along with several other Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPW) properties could be transferred to the Texas Historical Commission (THC) placing the future of the world-class climbing and bouldering found at Hueco at risk.
Texas state legislators and land management agency commissioners recently began an effort to transfer management of more than 20 historic sites from TPW over to THC. As the premiere cultural resource in the state, Hueco Tanks has long been coveted by THC who has a mission centered on the preservation of cultural resources in Texas. Currently under TPW management, Hueco is formally recognized as “one of the premier bouldering locales in the world,” and a transfer to THC will likely bring a more restrictive management approach to bouldering access at Hueco.
In response to this threat, the Access Fund is taking action to prevent the transfer of Hueco Tanks from Texas Parks and Wildlife to Texas Historical Commission as well as support state legislation designed to increase funding to TPW. The Access Fund will pursue a new Save Hueco Tanks campaign in a broad effort to ensure future climbing and bouldering access at Hueco Tanks. The campaign will involve creating an advocacy strategy with Hueco locals, letter writing to state policy-makers, mobilizing climbers at Hueco’s February Rock Rodeo, assembling Access Fund partners to leverage their influence, and direct lobbying of the Texas governor, legislature and agency offices in Austin.
Check www.accessfund.org
Monday, 29 January 2007
New Zealand Police - The surviving climber is shaken and very traumatized says Constable Carl Pedersen, after his two companions fell to their deaths after an ascent of Mt Cook yesterday.
The three climbers were all members of a climbing club in Japan and had known each other for about four years.
Yesterday the three were returning from climbing Mt Cook when the rock they were all anchored to gave way. This appeared to have started a rock fall. The 31 year old woman was in the process of abseiling down and her 53 year old and 28 year old male companions were above her.
It appears that a falling rock sliced off the survivor's strap which saved him from being pulled down, says Constable Pedersen.
The other two fell about 450-500 meters.
The 28 year old survivor descended straightaway and went for help, reaching Plateau Hut around 1am this morning.
BR> He has made it clear he does not wish to talk with media,
There are no further details as to identity.
Check www.scoop.co.nz
Wednesday, 24 January 2007
The American Alpine Club (AAC) and The Mountain Institute (TMI) announced today a $150,000 award from the Argosy Foundation to expand conservation success in the Everest region to alpine regions worldw ide.
“The Alpine Conservation Partnership is the biggest thing the AAC has ever done in the conservation arena,” said AAC member and Patagonia founder, Yvon Chouinard. In 2004 the two organizations founded the Everest Alpine Conservation and Restoration Project. Although less than three years old, the Everest program has already established the Khumbu Alpine Conservation Council, the world’s first local NGO devoted to the protection of the alpine ecosystem; saved more that 80,000 kg of fragile shrub juniper per year that was formerly used for fuel-wood; established a kerosene and stove depot as alternative fuel for tourists and lodges; restored a porters’ rest house in Lobuche to provide shelter, warmth, and cooking facilities; developed new education curricula for local schools; and is actively restoring de-vegetated hillsides by building high altitude nurseries and cattle-proof demonstration enclosures.
“As frequent visitors to the highest places, climbers are witnesses to the substantial change in snow and glacier cover in recent decades. In the face of climate change and other variables, we want to do our best to protect the places we love,” said Phil Powers, AAC Executive Director.
Covering three percent of the earth’s surface—half the area of tropical rainforests—Alpine ecosystems contain an astonishing 10,000 species of plants; the highest biodiversity per unit area of any ecosystem in the world. They are also critically important as habitat for rare and endangered wildlife (e.g., snow leopard, Argali sheep), medicinal and aromatic plants; as sources of fresh water for drinking, agriculture, and hydropower; and as integral parts of high mountain livelihoods that are increasingly becoming dependant on the adventure tourism trade. However, Alpine ecosystems worldwide are being rapidly degraded as a result of contemporary, unsustainable uses that include unregulated adventure tourism, overgrazing, the cutting of slow-growing shrubs for fuelwood, and over harvesting of valuable medicinal and aromatic plants. Global warming is also impacting these fragile and sensitive ecosystems of highly specialized plants that are adapted to the cold, harsh environments of high altitudes.
The Argosy Foundation’s start-up funding will enable the AAC and TMI to expand the success in the Everest region to other Alpine ecosystems around the world as part of the mission of the Alpine Conservation Partnership. Following detailed project planning in early 2007, the Partnership’s new project sites could include major mountains such as Kilimanjaro and Mt. Kenya (east Africa), Kangchendzonga (Nepal and India), K2 (Pakistan), Huascarán (Peru), and Aconcagua (Chile).
“This partnership with the American Alpine Club is very exciting and important. We expect it to grow into a global collaboration to protect fragile and endangered alpine ecosystems around the world.” said Bob Davis, President and CEO of The Mountain Institute.
Check www.americanalpineclub.org
Friday, 19 January 2007
A hearing is scheduled on Friday by the Department of Public Safety to regulate climbing walls for public safety. There are around 1,000 climbing walls around Massachusetts and state public safety offi cials are alarmed by the potential for accidents and want to regulate the walls by requiring owners to get annual license and pass regular inspections.
If the regulations are adopted, Massachusetts would become the only state to actively regulate indoor climbing walls as amusement devices. It was proposed to increase inspections after three fatal accidents listed in the past three years. More than 100 people attended to object when the proposal had a hearing last year.
According to Kelly Nantel, spokeswoman for the Department of Public Safety, their Department made some changes in the proposal after hearing from the climbing industry, including Zimmermann and Pat Enright, the owner of two of Massachusetts’s biggest indoor rock walls. The hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. at One Ashburton Place in Boston.
Visit www.boston.com for more details about this news story.
Tuesday, 16 January 2007
Stretching the boundaries of outdoor adventure is a kiwi tradition, and this year’s SPARC (Sport & Recreation New Zealand) Hillary Expeditions not only span the globe but once again push the envelo pe of fitness, preparation and endurance.
The first SPARC Hillary Expedition sets off in Fiordland next week to tackle the daunting Darran Mountains with the intention of free climbing three first ascents on three major rock walls and base jumping one of them.
Called the Rock Solid Progression Project, the team aims to push the standard of New Zealand rock climbing and mountaineering during its six week adventure.
Rock Solid spokesperson Derek Thatcher said the Darran Mountains were the ideal environment in which to achieve this as they offered the steepest and highest walls with the best quality rock. “The fundamental challenge of this expedition is not just to complete the climbs that we have in mind, but to do them in the best possible style. We aim to climb every route completely free, that is, we will use only bodies to ascend the rock, utilising the equipment only to protect us against the consequences of a fall,” said Thatcher.
Thatcher said the team hoped to provide as much positive inspiration and encouragement as possible for other New Zealand climbers and adventurers.
SPARC spokesperson Bronwyn Polson said the SPARC Hillary Expedition initiative aimed to encourage and support Kiwis in their adventures in the great outdoors in New Zealand and around the world.
Polson said it was SPARC’s role to ensure that all New Zealanders were given every opportunity to achieve at all levels in sport and recreation, including outdoor adventure.
“It’s also about keeping New Zealand’s much loved outdoor culture alive and providing inspiring role models for young people,” said Polson. “The outdoors is an excellent environment for people to learn and grow and it’s a great way to keep active.” The Rock Solid Progression Project is one of five expeditions awarded a grant by SPARC as part of the initiative. Other SPARC Hillary Expeditions include crossing the Greenland Icecap (700km) and making the first ascent of the Beka Brakai Chhok mountain peak in Northern Pakistan.
Visit www.scoop.co.nz
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