Kiwi mountaineers have gone soft
The New Zealand Alpine Club will this weekend host a debate at their Annual General Meeting to discuss what can be done about the decline in mountaineering activity in NZ.
The debate is open to the public, so come along, it should be an interesting night!
There was some good coverage on Morning Report on National Radio this morning. For those that missed it, please follow the link below:
http://podcast.radionz.co.nz/mnr/mnr-20091014-0852-Alpine_club_says_Kiwi...
And last Friday's press release from Pat Deavoll:
Pat Deavoll
New Zealand Alpine Club
Event and Activities Co-ordinator
Ph. 03 377 7595
Mob. 021 216 1386
NEW ZEALAND ALPINE CLUB, CHRSTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND
Media Release
Friday, 9 October, 12.30pm
Is Mountaineering Dying in New Zealand?
The sport of mountaineering, once so much a part of the Kiwi heritage, is dying in New Zealand and the New Zealand Alpine Club (NZAC) is hosting a ‘debate,’ to try and identify why this is happening and what can be done about it.
A number of New Zealand’s best climbers will come together at ‘Our City, Otautahi,’ Christchurch, to discuss the dilemma as part of the NZAC Annual General Meeting on Friday.
NZAC Executive Director Ollie Clifton says a key indicator of the decline is the falling numbers of mountaineers using the Clubs mountain huts.
“The main huts at Mt Cook seem to be full of guided parties and tourists,” he said. “Where are all the Kiwi climbers? I think they have all gone soft! If we are going to have Sir Ed’s of the future, we need to take urgent action.”
Kester Brown, Managing Editor of the New Zealand Climber, the NZAC quarterly publication that documents the country’s climbing achievements, says it’s becoming increasingly hard to source alpine stories and images.
“I get plenty of information on rock climbing, bouldering and skiing, “he said, “but alpinism seems to be on the decline.”
Pete Cammell of Auckland, who will be elected the new President of the NZAC at Friday’s meeting, feels people don’t have mountaineering adventures anymore because there might be some hardship involved.
“Rather than an afternoon of exertion at the rock climbing crag, followed by a meal with friends, a comfy bed and a chance to update your Facebook page, in the mountains there’s a risk of the unexpected…a forced bivvy and of course big packs, early starts and long days. That would be too much suffering.”
The decline is reflected in the quality of mountaineering ascents New Zealand climbers are doing overseas, he says.
“Whereas New Zealand climbers used to be a world-leading, now we’ve slipped behind other climbing nations. We no longer have any up and coming Sir Ed’s.”
The debate starts at 7pm, Friday 16 at ‘Our City, Otautahi’ on the corner of Cashel and Worcester Sts and is open to the public.
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14 October 2009 - 9:23pm
#2
with absolutely no disrespect to Sir Ed, he was and could only be unique ... quite where we might 'find' another Sir Ed, or why we would want to is completely beyond me.. stop the cringing there is only one mt everest and thats been done, get over it..i cant believe the alpine club would go into print bemoaning the 'death' of mountainering.. rather then the death of so many mountaineers ....
yeah yeah there are loads of good reasons why folks dont want to suffer anymore , maybe its actually a more mature approach to the outdoors.. regardless i dont believe that because a strapping kiwi lad isnt riding on the coat-tails of one of historys biggest and most expensive alpine expeditions organised by england and supported by hundreds of sherpas that that is a reason to bemoan the 'softness' of kiwi alpinists
seems to me that plenty of kiwis are out doing radical stuff on less well known peaks in Alaska, Pakistan, China, Tibet, Nepal.. its just that to be honest its not big news anymore... face it big expeditions like Sir Eds are old, passe, dull as ditchwater and seldom achieve bugger all and the smaller expeditions are mildly fascinating (whilst still awesome experiences for those involved) to read about ...
in my experience there are a loads of folks doing cool sub alpine trips, long traverses, all sorts of wild missions that may not fit the classic description of 'alpine mountaineering' but are actually very full on adventures that involve any amount of commitment and suffering, think of the recent explorations and ascents around lake turner... very hard routes climbed onsight without the dramas of running around under icecliffs, crevasses or pulling on the appalling choss that passes for rock around mt cook
Sounds like a good idea to me
10 December 2009 - 1:29pm
#3
Sitting in a warm coffee shop seems like the perfect spot for a response to the "Softening of Kiwi Alpinism" but as young kiwi who IS perusing hard alpinism I feel that a response is very much in order. We'll see if it really produces a strong point or is rather a heavily coffee induced ramble...
I think that Pat's article holds a strong point, within NZ and in the Southern Alps specifically (where my experience lies), it seems that the opening of new routes and repetition of significant ones has slowed down. During my most recent time in NZ (2005-2007) I noted that it seemed that the amount of folks pushing their limits in the alpine was much smaller than those pushing themselves in other venues of climbing. And while I myself will not state that Bouldering or Sport climbing are "softer" than alpinism, it seems that this discussion is considering them as much...
There are reasons that can be cited for this alleged "softening" that do not necessarily pertain to the "Wussification" of Kiwi alpinists.
Since the days of Sir Ed climbing has undoubtedly changed. It is no longer about long drawn out expeditions on moderate routes predominately on snow and ice with large teams and even more support. Today alpinism is about moving light and fast on very technical terrain, opening new routes in days instead of months. And while NZ was seen as a perfect training ground for things like Everest (big snow and alpine ice routes with the odd bit is crap rock) it has not been as developed for the modern age of alpine style ascents. At least not now, we all know that folks like Denz, Cradick and Mcleod were pushing the envelope a decade ago both in NZ (Weeping Gash, Bill and Teds...) and outside of it (Yosemite, Kichatnas...) but the focus has moved away from that.
Also many of the "ground breaking" new routes of the past decade have been on rock, in areas like Patagonia or Pakistan. While the Southern Alps may be an amazing training ground for snow and ice, they are not for rock. There is nothing that compares to the training grounds of Yosemite or the French Alps in terms of alpine rock climbing. This has put Kiwi alpinists at a distinct disadvantage. But I do think that this is changing.
In other parts of the climbing world the upper echelon is venturing back onto peaks in places like the Canadian Rockies and the Alaska range looking for new routes and new perspectives on old ones. And while these folks might not get as much press as others climbing pulling on crimps on 5 meter routes they can still be a strong source of inspiration for the type of climbing which New Zealand provides such a strong training ground for.
But I do know that the Southern Alps have the potential to sculpt good climbers. It is where I personally 'cut my teeth', and while I will not sit here (in a warm coffee shop especially) and call myself a great alpinist, I will say that my current goals in this world as an idealistic 23 year old have everything to do with opening new routes on big mountains with clean ethics in a fast and light style. This dream was developed in the Southern Alps and while I no longer live in NZ I still cite them as a past and current source of inspiration.
So while it may seem that NZ alpinism is softening, or in a lull, we know that all the elements needed to produce climbers of high caliber are present. Big mountains, steep ice, bad weather... NZ has real deal mountains. And for god sakes we know that there are some hard folks in NZ, always have been always will be. Maybe all that is needed is that inspiration... So those of us who are out there trying trying to get it done, I think that we need to do a better job of not being the classic understated kiwis, maybe we should let our voices be herd by our fellow countrymen and that next generation. Not for sponsorship, not for glory, but to inspire, to stoke. Simply letting publications like "The Climber" know what we are up to and be avalible to those who want to get it done so that lessons can be shared and stoked perpetuated.
Some kiwis still out there are sending, and sending hard. So show that next generation why we suffer through spindrift and cold, do things that are 'like fun, but different', so that the lineage of kiwi hardmen and hardwomen can continue. Let us not look at where we are and say that we suck but rather look at what we have and see how rad we can be with it.
I wish that I could be there for the debate but I hope that the opinions stated above will be expressed...
Send On
Z
19 December 2009 - 4:49pm
#4
I just completed a FA of a new face (~6300m) in the Everest region of the Himilaya's with a 23 year old Kiwi. We discussed this topic at length he found it really hard to get into mountaineering in NZ and he was VERY keen. The break through seemed to come when the guy who runs the Mountainz website ran a free course. From this I take that there needs to be more mentoring of young aspiring mountaineers (who don’t have a lot of cash). This “training” needs to take them beyond the basic and intermediate snow school courses that NZAC run. Don’t get me wrong they are great courses I have helped instruct on them, but it’s a great leap to the next level, grade ~IV and above. The problem I have had when I have tried to do FAs in NZ is the bloody weather. The weather in the French Alps, Himilaya and I gather Peru, Bolivia is much more stable. I came to the conclusion you need to live in the South Island if you really want to break new ground.
...it's probably because all the hard ones have retired and taken up other sports, like sailing.