Sunday 23 May 2010

What about everywhere else?



Consider this graph from Chris Anderson’s blog. It shows air travel patterns from the UK over the recent decade.
The changes in the airline industry and the way recommendations flow is meaning that more people are going to the places you’ve not heard of before, not just the famous spots. 
When I saw this I immediately thought of climbing. I’ve always had a strange relationship to travelling to climbing destinations. Although, the famous spots around the world are such because they are (on the surface at least) good, I find that I don’t always have the best time there.
Sometimes the good climbing is offset by too many people, crap logistics, unfriendly people, bad food etc etc..
There is good climbing in soooo many places all over the planet. Folk ask me a lot why I don’t travel abroad more to climb. I sort of understand why they ask because people generally are still fairly conditioned to think about the famous places and imagine that if they haven't heard of somewhere it’s cant be good.
Lot’s of people haven’t heard of most of the crags I climb on, so they wouldn’t at first realise that just because I live in one of the ‘everywhere else’ places it doesn’t mean I don’t have just as good climbing nearby. 
In 17 years I’ve never once felt bored or short of new things to go and climb within three hours drive of my house. What more could you ask for?

3 comments:

  1. We need to erect a sign 30 minutes from your house Dave that reads "If you lived in Spain, you'd be climbing by now."

    :)

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  2. It would have to be 15 minutes from the house, and it would have to say "Dave, if you lived in Spain you'd be climbing by now on the same old stuff - yet another bolted overhanging wall that looked quite a lot like the last one. Instead, you're off for an adventure on a new crag, new rock type, new discipline. Yay!"

    Don't get me wrong, I go to Spain every year. It's great in small doses.

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  3. I climb a bunch in Yosemite, and despite its popularity, once you get 10 minutes off the main trail and away from the popular crags, you will find yourself on your own with whole cliffs/boulder areas to yourself. Its amazing how little you have to travel from the parking lot.

    I'm looking forward to seeing you climb over here.
    steve

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