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Today's edition (4-5-05) of the Los Angeles Times ran two articles regarding Yosemite National Park. One dealt with the age old issue of removing the Hetch Hetchy Valley dam and the other is about building a climbing museum in Yosemite Valley. Both got me thinking . . .

The other night, along with two visiting BASE jumpers (thanks, guys that was fun) we were discussing Yosemite Valley. The question is why is climbing not only condoned but encouraged when other uses aren't?

The newspaper article sites the historical importance of climbing in the Valley. But, who's it important to, just other climbers? I consider the 1966 jumps from El Capitan just as important historically as climbers consider their history. So is it just a numbers game? If there were tens of thousands of BASE jumpers in the world would that change things? Do people consider the slow erosion of cliff faces caused by climbing okay, just because so many people can relate to it?

I can answer my own question here – Golf is only televised because so many people play golf . . .

The NPS should be applying more of a fair use policy. And that policy should be based on what's good for the park. Would 100 BASE jumps from the lip of El Cap do more damage than one climbing attempt of its Nose route? There's a reason climbing parties call these attempts "an assault."

On another front the demolition of the O'Shaughnessy Dam would reveal what people have called Yosemite Valley's northern sister in Hetch Hetchy Valley. When built in the first part of the century John Muir called supporters of the dam idea, devils. Climbers are foaming at the mouth about a possible draining of this water. I guess my question is what makes climbing so sacred while BASE jumping is so demonized?

To me it seems BASE jumpers are subject to the powers that be solely on a whim that has nothing to do with fair use and environmental impact.

http://www.latimes.com/...oll=la-home-outdoors

NickD
BASE 194

 

Okay, you got me there. I'm guilty of something I hate. In the earlier days of BASE I always admonished fellow jumpers not to advance the sport of BASE at the expense of skydiving. In those days many written articles trumpeted BASE by degrading skydiving. It was always, "unlike skydiving we," or "instead of like skydiving it's," and it bothered me to no end that we couldn't just stand on our own account.

I shouldn't single out climbers, in order to advance my own position.

I'm just frustrated . . .

NickD
BASE 194

 

You mean this one . . .

NickD
BASE 194

Nick,
perhaps what we and the world needs is a bestselling book telling the adventures and exploits of a daring BASE jumping! Hint, hint...

Hetch Hetchy Valley, as it was in 1912. . . it looks just like El Cap and Half Dome . . .

And thanks for the kind words, Chris, it means a lot to me . . .

NickD
BASE 194

> The question is why is climbing not only condoned but encouraged when other uses aren't?

~It's really quite simple Nick, the loud openings of parachutes disrupt the mating habits of the "endangered" indiginous geologic species. Infact since Carl Bonish jumped El Cap in '78 the rocks have stopped mating all together...really quite sad actually.
~J
....got a better reason?

know the heights known? jumpable sections?

I know it would be hard for anyone to know this... but maybe....

Although its hard to burn things that are underwater, lets not try.

dont you understand?
BASE is wrong. it is an evil thing to do. it is loud, disruptive, distracting. all the participants are deviants, with no morals or societal values. our sport is environmentaly damaging. i think climbers should have full reign of the verticle world because they were there first. Why should the service be open minded about such a troubled group of people?

ugg. just bitching...

maybe we should just storm the place. hundreds of jumpers everywhere, slash all the rangers tires, jumping off everything left and right....
NO. thats a really bad idea. REALLY BAD.
but it would sure be fun.
isnt there some people working on it? getting it legalised. we need to do this in an organised and legal manner. and somebody will post a shortcut to one of the 17 previouse threads about this right below... ready....
GO!