In bc? the amount of climbing is insane, Most is non 4x4. But also depends what you mean by 4x4 accesses. Some better tires and then maybe a lift kit covers 99%.
Yeah, I'm in BC, and not having 4x4 limits you a lot. I got stuck trying to get up Mt. Maxwell (the climbing area on Salt spring) in a civic. Bottomed out a lot / damaged my car a lot on Vancouver island / Sunshine Coast, and just can't get somewhere remote like Eldred Valley in Powell River.
Of course, most of Squamish is accessible, and Skaha, so yes, there's tons of climbing, but the "well-traveled" areas are realistically <50% of all potential climbing, and not the same experience as climbing remote.
I've climbed in Canada, Italy, Germany, and Greece (but not a ton in Italy), and it seems like Greece especially has many climbing areas that are hard to access without a 4wd. I traveled around in a rental and bottomed out so many times, but also had to just give up and turn around on several occasions.
It's been a while since I climbed in Italy, but I remember it being pretty similar.
Admittedly, the limited climbing in Germany I did had pretty good parking access.
I suspect there are many European countries whose climbing access is more like Greece though.
Where I live, at least 25% of lead climbers do at least some trad climbing (there's just so much of it in Squamish and you'd be missing out on most of the multi pitch if you're just doing sport).
But for argument's sake, let's say 5%. That's still 5% of climbers who are likely to spend more in a year on equipment than 99% of people who play soccer ever will. That's why I'm saying it's a sizable industry when you look at what people are spending.
Ya but Squamish is world class and has tons of beginner friendly single pitch, so I'd expect that.
I think your overestimating the profit margins on climbing gear (very thin) and underestimating the popularity of soccer (think every school has 20 kids buying expensive cleats that are mass produced).
It certainly can be done much cheaper, and bouldering alone is about as cheap as it gets. I live near Squamish and it's known for multi pitch climbing. People who just climb sport spend ~$400/year replacing gear. It's probably not the same everywhere, but lots of long climbs and rappels will wear at your rope. Even faster if you're taking falls on it. I know people who have only ever bought one rope, but they don't climb very much.
Personally I've been climbing outdoors for almost 3 years now and have had to buy a rope every year (2 ropes one year actually). I realize I'm not 'typical' of a climber, but I've probably spent $9000 USD total on equipment in the time frame. Mostly new equipment, but also mostly on sale 20-30% off retail price. But even the 'dirtbags' I know may save money by not paying rent, hitchhiking, living in vans, or camping, and still can spend $400-600 a year on climbing equipment
You guys in Boulder CO have all the mutant climbers. You should see our little Ontario climbing news outlets! I'm pretty sure there's only one guy in the entire province that even sets indoor 5.14 (despite having quite a few gyms, I believe at least 15). Anyways, it was a bit overboard and in terms of international climbing news, I very much agree with you.
And I've seen people climb it with some 2-3 decade old 26" MTB and I climbed far more difficult climbs with my 13kg (28lbs) fat bike and my 15kg (33lbs) full suspension trail bike.
I struggle to get enthusiastic about outdoor bouldering. I've done it in Bishop, Squamish and just get demoralized after getting shutdown on V1 problems after 3+ attempts. Love trad though.
As an outsider who has spent a fair amount of time in the area (climbing in the Red River Gorge area, specifically), thanks for shedding some light on the politics and mentality of the area.
Can you shed any light on how the oil industry is viewed, how many people it employs, etc? I've really only ever been down to the area on the weekends, and while a lot of the climbing access is via oil company roads, I've never seen any oil workers or trucks. Is this because the industry doesn't employ many people, or just because they don't work weekends?
Incidental fun fact, the Gallery climbing area has a huge overhang (15-20 meters horizontally, 20-30 vertically) where there's a well casing that goes from the ceiling to the floor for no apparent reason. Presumably there's an oil jack up top, but I'm curious why the well is located there...
Thanks for your informative participation throughout this discussion.
I've climbed v6 in the gym and 11c sport routes outside. There are 5.6 granite pitches that absolutely kick my ass. The sandbagged grades are very real in the mountains, and the style of climbing is totally different from whatever you see in the gym (flaring offwidth cracks are my weakness, the only ''gym'' I saw that had anything like it was a shed owned by a guy who made first ascents in Li Ming).
Is it not dangerous outside? Anecdotal but I'm a huge hiker and almost slipped trying to climb black tusk ( near Whistler). Would you suggest a gym? They seem pretty pricey in contrast to more conventional gyms.
Have you heard of the Access Fund? They help work out access issues for climbers. They mainly deal with rock climbing issues but might do other stuff as well. They have been successful negotiating with property owners in the past. They sometimes even buy land to ensure access forever.
I live in CO and climb but don't do much mountaineering. Is anyone working on this issue? I'm shocked this has happened because climbing 14ers is one of the most authentically Coloradan things one can do.
Rock climbing, especially here in BC. I’ve dedicated much of my life to it. I was walking out of Skaha Bluffs around a week ago and realized I hadn’t been that happy in months.
A lot of the 8 to 10 thousand foot climbs around here are multi-day because lugging 60 pounds of gear up 4000 feet through 10 or 12 miles of approach is hard work.
Curious about what routes you climbed! I did Olympus but that was more glacier hopping than technical, I figured most of the technical multipitch was in the North cascades around index. Would love some recommendations as I just moved
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