Recently, I was trolling The Chief, the local newspaper in Squamish, and came across an article written by Jeremy Blumel. For those of you who don’t know Jeremy, he is pretty much one of the best guys around. He is a certified Elementary School teacher with the British Columbia College of Teachers, an Association of Canadian Mountain Guides certified Full Rock Guide and a graduate of Emily Carr College of Art and Design’s Traditional Animation program. Lets just say that before roping up on any multi-pitch, I always make sure I have Jeremy’s phone number with me.
The most recent article written by Blumel is a quip on the upcoming election in Squamish and the effect this may (or may not) have on climbers. I caught up with Jeremy to fill in the details.
So JER, How long have you been living in Squamish and what made you move here?
I’ve been living in Squamish and believing that I am local, although some may argue this, since 2002. While I began as a rent payer during Spring/Summer/Fall seasons only, I still maintain that I felt like a local since 2002. I moved because I was sick of driving so much to climb. I thought Squamish was incredibly beautiful and I had very little connection with the city I grew up in, Vancouver.
How did you get into writing a column in the Chief?
The columns in the Chief are a fairly new thing for me. They fell into my lap when my friend Jamie Finlayson, who had written the first few fledgling columns, approached me about taking it over. He’s a business owner and climber and found the writing was eating into his work and playtime. I’m still trying to find my groove with these columns. It’s proved more difficult than I expected to be satisfied with what I’m putting out there.
Has Squamish gone through any changes throughout the years, better or worse, that have affected the average climber?
The rabid pace of new route development, compared to other climbing areas around the world, has definitely changed Squamish in terms of the “average climber.” I’ve never climbed anywhere else where the climbers putting up new routes have coined a new name for themselves. The “Scrubbers”, “Heavy Duty” and “Dirty Harry” are but a few of this gang. The discovery of the line is better than the climbing of said line to them I think. Bless those dirty guys for all their work. The average climber has an ever growing guidebook full of new boulder problems, single and multipitch routes, blogs dedicated to pushing the newest cutting edge crags and long routes and now, thanks to you Tim, an online Zine which gives another internet mouthpiece for new route activity. The development has been so high and the effect on the town so measurable that BC Parks issued an official document detailing how they want new routes to be put up, as to maximize their popularity while controlling their impact. CASBC will even reimburse you the cost of your hardware, bolts, anchors etc, for a retro of an old route or a stunning new route if you apply before hand.
As recreating in Squamish becomes increasingly popular, do you think it is important for climbers to have a voice in the planning of policy that affects these areas?
I agree with climbers having a say in the planning and management of these recreational areas. User group buy-in is increasingly important because they control a growing amount of revenue coming into our town’s struggling economy. A wrong move on a planner’s part could mean a huge drop in area popularity. Crazy how climbing has come to cause a ripple in this area of land management. However, it’s also fair to say that climbers can’t be stubborn stick in the muds anymore either because resources need to be harvested, Provincial coffers need to be filled, yet land has to be saved because it has value and contributes to carbon capture etc etc. ARG I hate how the economy has come to rule over this. Damn free markets…
Thanks for the answers, I think that is!
Okay, done, I need a drink.
You can find Jeremy’s most recent article and his continuing rants at The Chief
