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Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

Poll Option

Votes

Graph

I require a belay to leave flat ground

Dont solo 'routes' but do unroped access scrambles

42%

I solo established routes graded 5 or less

I solo established routes graded 10 or less

I solo to within 10 grades of my roped limit

15%

I solo to within 7 grades of my roped limit

19%

I solo to within 4 grades of my roped limit

I solo at or near my roped limit

Topic Date User

Soloing 25-Aug-2005 At 11:56:35 AM oweng

Message

To many of those not familiar with the sport, I think there is an opinion that a person soloing a grade 20 is no less mad than a person leading a nice safe grade 12. The perception is that both activities are equally mad.

One benefit of the increased media exposure of climbing through gyms / Getaway etc is an increased number of people who appreciate that climbing is generally a safe activity. This reduces the chances of a public backlash against climbing.

In relation to the perception that the Governments Economic Rationalists may look to ban climbing due to the cost of rescue / injuries etc, it should be remembered that economic rationalism is a two-way street. Rock climbing provides employment (gyms & retail shops), tourist generation (even if most climbing visitors are cheapskates they still spend $$), and more significantly it provides reduced health costs to the community in the form of the benefits of keeping a sector of the community (climbers) physically fit.
The community benefits derived by climbing would I suspect outweigh the costs significantly.