[shark]

Well rope climbing was an original olympic sport back in the 1800s, so it might just be coming back, albeit in a slightly more modern context.

http://thebmc.co.uk/bmc-welcomes-2012-olympics

"Few people will be aware that Mountaineering was in fact one of the original 10 or so sports identified when the Olympics were re-started in 1896. Research carried out by current UIAA President Alan Blackshaw has established that there was to be an Olympic Medal for Alpinism awarded every 4 years on the basis of advice from the Alpine Clubs. "

[rginns]

As a BMC member I'm not too keen on this. The inevitable end result if successful will be even more people at the crag climbing wall

Only to a certain degree Shark, a lot of bods will also be brought into the wider "sport" from the indoors, spilling about all over the place. I used to enjoy solitude in climbing, which is getting harder to acheive (although I do climb in Lancashire...)

If I recall correctly at the NW BMC meeting most people were against the bid, or at least weren't enthusiastic of it..

[r-man]

Come on, it's pretty easy to achieve solitude climbing in Lancashire! 

[rginns]

Come on, it's pretty easy to achieve solitude climbing in Lancashire! 

As well you know
Long may it remain!

[andy_e]

Ah, the feeling of driving to Brownstones and seeing another car parked there. Are they climbing? Could there actually be someone else to climb with? No, they're just picking their child up from the stables.

[Richie Crouch]

Ah, the feeling of driving to Brownstones and seeing another car parked there. Are they climbing? Could there actually be someone else to climb with? No, they're just picking their child up from the stables, dogging, sniffing aerosols.

[dave]

JB - Sounds like I erased the memory. That or it was presented as endless vague waffle instead of one yes/no vote.

Like I said before, I think it's a bad idea, but if this is what climbers want then so be it. I'm not going to be boycotting anything, or giving people evils down the wall. I don't deny it will be great for a select few climbers and I say good luck to them, I'll be rooting for them with everyone else. Would that I were good/young enough to be among them. But I still think it's a bad idea. Not for any earth shatteringly powerful reasons that will silence the yay sayers. Just for the same old boring reasons you outlined already - more climbers, mostly indoors but with inevitable leakage onto the crags = more parking/access problems, faster erosion and polish, more frequent chipping, more tedious training bores, more happy-face-gits in team GB t-shirts at the wall/crag (but only if it’s a nice very sunny day). You know, old miserable hermit stuff.

+1.

Bad idea, will benefit a few, some people will make a heap of cash off it and everyone else will pick up the pieces, quite literally in some cases.

[slackline]

Bad idea, will benefit a few, some people will make a heap of cash off it and everyone else will pick up the pieces, quite literally in some cases.

  Thats the International Olympic Committee's standard business model though isn't it? 

[petejh]

Well rope climbing was an original olympic sport back in the 1800s, so it might just be coming back, albeit in a slightly more modern context.

Aid climbing should be in the olympics, imagine Andy Kirkpatrick collecting an olympic gold medal!

wtf is Wushu?

[Dolly]

Loads of people on ukwushu.com asking wtf is bouldering ?

[petejh]

It exists!: http://ukwushu.com/

Scary, I wouldn't want to turn down their bid   

[SA Chris]

Isn't it just eating bits of raw fish?

[fried]

I find it difficult to find much enthusiasm either way. I still don't understand the logic of choosing lead climbing over bouldering. The opinion of non-climbers that I've forced to watch IFSC events is that it's fairly dull whereas bouldering seems to immediately capture the attention. Personally I was surprised at how much I enjoyed last season's bouldering events and how well it works as a spectator sport, lead didn't work for me.

Mind you I'm glad they didn't choose bouldering.

[Jaspersharpe]

I agree fried. Lead climbing comps are dull as fuck unless you're watching your mates. Bouldering comps, I can see the attraction for spectators, a lot more exciting/immediate.

Not sure where I stand on the Olympics thing. Don't think it'll make as a big difference as some fear re the number of people out on the crags and the lack of knowledge re what is and isn't acceptable behaviour. I think that ship already sailed anyway.

[danm]

I'll reply first with my BMC hat on:

This was at area meetings, sometimes on several occasions. Votes went in favour, despite some reservations. If you want to get pedantic I can drag out the agendas for say the Peak Area meets where this was debated and voted on.

What do I think personally?

I think it'll make very little difference out on the crag. Walls will get busier, and there may be more "try hards" and other annoyances, but I doubt much else will be noticeable. The people who will notice the difference will be the Mina's, Shauna's and Molly's of this world. They'll be able to have a sport which is properly funded at the elite level. Now, should I begrudge them that because I'm a grumpy old man?

[SA Chris]

I must admit I'm torn between ambivalence and indifference on this too.

I guess having lead climbing and bouldering as two events under the umbrella of "climbing" would be out of the question? Not like there will be too many other things like several categories like there would be in wushu, wrestling or "roller sports" (and maybe the others?)?

[slackline]

I'll reply first with my BMC hat on:

This was at area meetings, sometimes on several occasions. Votes went in favour, despite some reservations. If you want to get pedantic I can drag out the agendas for say the Peak Area meets where this was debated and voted on.

Out of the now 10's of thousands of members what percentage attend area meets?

I've never made it out to the Peak ones (I'm not adverse to going, but I have to balance going climbing against other stuff).  There are regular mail outs to members every few months and this new-fangled internet thing thing which I would hazard a guess a greater proportion of members could/would use than attend meetings these alternatives could (or should) have been used.  Could have rolled it into the last president election vote perhaps?

Moons must be aligning...

I must admit I'm torn between ambivalence and indifference on this too.

  I'm not about to start watching the olympics if climbing does make it in.

[rich d]

I think it should go in, mainly for the potential comedy effect of who they will get in on the BBC as the expert pundit during the olympics.

[SA Chris]

Out of the now 10's of thousands of members what percentage attend area meets?

I've never made it out to the Peak ones (I'm not adverse to going, but I have to balance going climbing against other stuff).  There are regular mail outs to members every few months and this new-fangled internet thing thing which I would hazard a guess a greater proportion of members could/would use than attend meetings these alternatives could (or should) have been used.  Could have rolled it into the last president election vote perhaps?

Maybe there should have been a vote to decide how to decide? If seems like there was an open forum discussion before the voting, which seems a better method than a postal ballot.

I daresay that if it was a postal ballot there would have possibly been an ever greater majority in favour, as those who usually attend these meetings are those interested in issues  relating to outdoor climbing rather than "wallrats". But who is to know? Anyway, a method of canvassing opinion was at least chosen, and the votes swung in favour, so no amount of complaining is going to change that now.

And if I could vote, I would chose Andy Kirkpatrick and Johnny Dawes as expert pundits. Anything better than Ed Leigh who blagged his way into the pundit seat for the BMX and MTB in 2012.

[slackline]

Maybe there should have been a vote to decide how to decide?

I like that idea, it could be repeated ad infinitum.

[galpinos]

And if I could vote, I would chose Andy Kirkpatrick and Johnny Dawes as expert pundits. Anything better than Ed Leigh who blagged his way into the pundit seat for the BMX and MTB in 2012.

If you could get Ed Leigh kicked off Ski Sunday at the same time it'd be much appreciated.

[SA Chris]

If you could get Ed Leigh kicked at the same time it'd be much appreciated.

Fixed. He's a twat. Not that great on a board either. Just blagged his way into these things as Graeme Bell's mate.

[Muenchener]

And if I could vote, I would chose Andy Kirkpatrick and Johnny Dawes as expert pundits.

Good call. The gold standard for cynical old fart TV sport punditry is Günter Netzer ("considered one of the best midfielders of all time" by wikipedia), who appears on the German equivalent of Match Of The Day grumbling cynically about the crapness of the lazy pampered Kids These Days. He is the only reason I ever watch TV sports over here.

[GraemeA]

I still don't understand the logic of choosing lead climbing over bouldering.

The IOC told the IFSC that one discipline should be put forward so the National Federations were asked their opinions. Lead climbing won this vote over bouldering. But the margin was narrow. I don't know the breakdown though.

The BMC debate was started because I abstained at the IFSC Plenary Assembly in 2008 during the vote on supporting the drive to get into the Games. I did this on instruction from the BMC. It was pointed out that membership of the IFSC meant that you agreed to support getting into the Games so I came back and pointed out to the BMC that they needed to get of the fence otherwise it was theoretically possible that the BMC would be thrown out of the IFSC. The BMC Area meeting debate commenced.

[Jaspersharpe]

So technically it's all your fault.