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Rocklands Bouldering Crisis (Read 10640 times)

SA Chris

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Rocklands Bouldering Crisis
July 30, 2013, 08:53:06 am
Access issues at Rocklands ............

http://www.climbing.co.za/2013/07/rocklands-bouldering-crisis/

and

http://www.climbing.co.za/2013/07/tea-garden-closed-to-climbers/

Basically, generally rule is don't be dickheads.

(Should this go on the front page?)
« Last Edit: September 28, 2013, 06:20:19 pm by habrich, Reason: sub-title for front page »

Duncan campbell

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« Last Edit: July 30, 2013, 07:13:48 pm by habrich, Reason: double posting of same news »

andyd

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#2 Re: Rocklands Bouldering Crisis
July 30, 2013, 06:31:06 pm
Boo.
I don't understand how you can go here and be a dick head in this way. It's so disrespectful.

T_B

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#3 Re: Rocklands Bouldering Crisis
July 30, 2013, 10:08:11 pm
Its a lot cleaner than Cuvier that's for sure. I reckon the environmental argument is most likely bull.  The ground is rock mainly, some dirt and lots of dry scrub. Rocklands is located in total hicksville. A simple case of landowners not liking people on their property. Its not surprising its happened, just a shame for the other local businesses that have benefited from climbers.

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#4 Re: Rocklands Bouldering Crisis
July 30, 2013, 10:12:17 pm
When did you go Tom?  I get the idea that Rocklands has become way more popular (and therefore way more fucked) in the last few years.

The semi arid environments like Rocklands and Bishop are way more sensitive to erosion than more temperate areas.

andyd

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#5 Re: Rocklands Bouldering Crisis
July 30, 2013, 10:32:06 pm
If they own the land they're well within their rights to want people to stay off it.  As it was commonly known to be mostly private, people should have behaved in a way so as to give the owners no excuse to deny people access.
It's really sad.

T_B

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#6 Re: Rocklands Bouldering Crisis
July 31, 2013, 07:21:01 am
When did you go Tom?

We were there most of August 2010. It was quiet. Typically you would go to a sector and there would be no-one else there. It was quieter than the year before, apparently. I can think of very few times where you crossed a fence or might damage land owners property. Didn't see any shit, litter or anyone acting like dicks.

Stubbs

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#7 Re: Rocklands Bouldering Crisis
July 31, 2013, 07:53:27 am
This piece from Martin Keller suggests things may have changed in the last couple of years! http://www.moonclimbing.com/blog/moon-blog/bouldering/the-dark-and-the-bright-side-of-rocklands/

andyd

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#8 Re: Rocklands Bouldering Crisis
July 31, 2013, 08:49:12 am
This piece from Martin Keller suggests things may have changed in the last couple of years! http://www.moonclimbing.com/blog/moon-blog/bouldering/the-dark-and-the-bright-side-of-rocklands/
That's a pretty damming report. It's not how I remember it at all, but I guess it's popularity has grown over the last few  years. My friends from CT say shit has been a growing problem for a while, and suggest the spray painting is more likely locals, but who knows. I guess the place now needs to be regarded by the climbing community in the same way as Hueco, even if it isn't managed the same.

SA Chris

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#9 Re: Rocklands Bouldering Crisis
July 31, 2013, 09:06:06 am
I reckon the environmental argument is most likely bull.  The ground is rock mainly, some dirt and lots of dry scrub.

Actually it's a very sensitive ecosystem, recently fucked by some serious wildfires; it's lucky Cape Nature allowed climbing there this winter at all. The "dirt" is mirobiotic soil, containing loads of seeds and plants that lie dormant for most of the year, as it's a very low rainfall area. If they get crushed underfoot too often they will die, their roots won't retain the soil and during the brief periods of intense rainfall the soil can be stripped away very quickly if there's nothing to retain it. The "scrub" is known as fynbos http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fynbos
and is unique to the Western Cape, which is the smallest floral region in the world, and some of these plants are pretty fucking rare. The soil goes the plants go, hence landowners being pretty fucked off, and Cape Nature getting pretty fucking twitchy.

And as for the hicksville comment, any farmers in the area I have met, have been friendly, generous and welcoming compared to the average farmer in Britain, likewise any locals. Maybe it's a language thing, or a are they just a bit less refined than what you are used to.

Maybe a bit of education on here is required after all.

T_B

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#10 Re: Rocklands Bouldering Crisis
July 31, 2013, 11:33:05 am
Language like "...the land began to suffer and the environment has sustained significant and continuous damage.  This complete and utter disrespect for the land.."  and "..There are four farmers who make their living off of their land – the land that boulderers are trashing." just makes me sceptical.

Take an area like Roadcrew (or Fortress). The path up there is barely visible off the main track and most of the problems are above rock shelves. I remain unconvinced that the climbers have a big impact on the landscape, compared to the big animals you see (Kudu?) behind high fences when you drive out of Clanwilliam? Is climbing up there jeopardising the livelihoods of the farmers? Really? What I mean by 'Hicksville' is there's nothing out there but isolated farms.

SA Chris

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#11 Re: Rocklands Bouldering Crisis
July 31, 2013, 12:00:41 pm
What?? Clearly some areas are more susceptible to damage than others; not all areas are susceptible to damage, and not all areas are on private land.

Isn't that a game farm where you see the Kudu? (not sure, not seen them; curly horns?) If so numbers are carefully controlled and the numbers culled and controlled if necessary. Shame boulderers can't be culled sometimes.

It's the farmers' land, and if they aren't happy with how it's being treated, surely they can ban access if they feel justified to do so. If they were being deliberately problematic they could have just banned access in the first place. So what if it is isolated farms, why does that make a difference?

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#12 Re: Rocklands Bouldering Crisis
August 01, 2013, 05:02:05 pm
I ve just gotten back from a month out there and it seems to me that a lot of the problem is partially miscommunication: the people owning tea garden were complaining about people not sticking to the paths when its a lot of the time (not just at tea gardens, at a lot of the sectors) really tricky to tell whats a path and what isnt. There are sometimes cairns at some sectors but they arent always the easiest to follow the first time you re going somewhere (not to say there arent people deliberately not using the paths but I dont see why you would when its a hell of a lot easier than beating through the bush). Better marked trails in some of the sectors would definitely be an improvement to the situation.

The other point they raised was the fence was being broken, but I mean they had just left a barbed wire fence up next to the road that you have to get over to get to the climbing, I mean it seems a bit silly to allow people onto your land like that but make no provision for it... The shitting everywhere is fair enough though, I personally didnt see a mass of it but there was a bit here and there and thats just bad etiquette.

IMO the whole pass system in the Rocklands needs fixing: I know its all spread out over 4 or 5 landowners but if it would be at all possible to get it all organised under one package I think it would not only be miles easier for climbers but that they would make more money out of it, I mean at the pass for example no one ever gets a pass if there is no ranger there (it would take at least about 45 minutes to get down into clan william, get a pass and get back up) but that isnt necessarily because people dont want to pay, just that its a complete hassle.

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#13 Re: Rocklands Bouldering Crisis
August 10, 2013, 04:22:22 pm
thank you

SA Chris

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#14 Re: Rocklands Bouldering Crisis
January 30, 2014, 08:36:11 am
http://www.climbing.co.za/2014/01/rocklands-update/

In case anyone is thinking of visiting. Online permits are probably a good idea.

SA Chris

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#15 Re: Rocklands Bouldering Crisis
July 31, 2014, 09:49:27 am
http://www.climbing.co.za/2014/07/rocklands-bouldering-bushmans-cave/

Sounds like nice alternative to De Pakhuys Area.

tomtom

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#16 Re: Rocklands Bouldering Crisis
July 31, 2014, 09:53:32 am
Good info - cheap accommodation too:

Quote
Bushman’s Cave Accommodation
Camping: Unlimited Camping with Electricity R40 per per person per night.
Self-catering Chalets:  11 Chalets & 1 Room (± 40 Beds)
Prices from R350 per unit max. 4 -  R450 per unit max. 5

its about R20 to a pound at the moment....

SA Chris

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#17 Re: Rocklands Bouldering Crisis
July 31, 2014, 11:23:30 am
Indeed, great for going there, not brilliant if you are currently trying to get back some money currently in an old retirement annuity over there :(

 

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