I don’t remember the last time I wasn’t climbing on New Years Eve Day. Most of the time, I find myself south of the border in a sunny, beautiful, outdoor climbing area. This has been true for many years except for last year. I think last year may have been the worst. Let me set the scene.
It was early morning and we had just started to warm up in the Kraft boulders (located in Red Rocks, Nevada). The day started off great: the sun was out, the warm ups were fun, and I was bouldering with two of my best friends. Looking out on the horizon and reflecting how great it felt to be in the warmth of the sun, four large vans rolled into the parking lot and about 50 young climbers rolled out. Crash pads, ipads, parents, and all. The next thing I know, there are more people than there are boulders and the scene had changed dramatically.
At one point we found ourselves at the classic problem Monkey Bars Direct surrounded by approximately 30 to 40 people. Young kids were telling anyone who would listen that they thought the warm up problems were ‘easy’. Other climbers were shouting profanities at the top of their lungs after falling off the beginning moves of a problem. Two iphone, both with speakers, were playing competing tunes in the same area, and on and on it went. People everywhere were yelling and shouting. One girl breaks a glass bottle of beer on the rock next to me. The once ideal setting had taken a turn for the worse.
Reflecting back a year later, I wonder if the same thing is going on today. I don’t know for certain because this year I decided not to return to the Kraft boulders on News Years Eve day. Instead, I am here in Las Vegas waiting out the snow to climb a few routes tomorrow. Nonetheless, the experience has left me wondering: Where do we go from here?
It is my opinion that the climbing community is at somewhat of a crossroads. The amount of people climbing outside seems like it has doubled in the past year. According to the Climbing Business Journal, climbing gyms have seen a 10% growth in North America in 2013 and again in 2014, with 57 new gyms opening in North America during the same two-year period. This means that more people will be visiting our outdoor areas and more and more people will be coming from a gym-based experience.
On the outside, I should be celebrating the fact that so many people have found climbing like I did so many years ago. It is a fantastic lifestyle that will surely have a positive impact on these individual’s lives for many years to come. However, deep inside I find myself worried. Can our outdoor climbing areas accommodate this growth in population? Will those coming from indoor climbing gyms know how to treat our sacred spaces? Who is going to teach them like I was taught years ago?
It is the last question that gives me pause.
At this point, you may be thinking that I am picking on climbing-gym culture but I assure you I am not. I started my love of climbing inside and even went a full year before I climbed outside. But when I was introduced to outside climbing, it was the people around me who taught me how to preserve that outdoor experience. They led by example. They respected the outdoors. They wore their space small. They left nothing behind. They respected those who climbed before them, and they knew that the space they loved was sacred to many.
So here it is, my big new years resolution. This year, I want to make a positive change in the climbing community. I want to support my local access societies. I want to set a good example for those who are new to our outdoor spaces. I want to make sure that the outdoor spaces we have for climbing continue to be outdoor spaces for years to come. I hope that those reading want to do the same.
To join the Climbers Acccess Society of British Columbia, click here.
To join the Squamish Access Society, click here.
