[Fiend]

Simple question - and a genuine question.

It's an undeniable aspect of climbing in Europe (especially Spain and France in my experience). Everyone moans about it and rightly so I guess, but does anyone know why it's so prevelant over there?? Cultural differences or something??

[Fultonius]

Simple question - and a genuine question.

It's an undeniable aspect of climbing in Europe (especially Spain and France in my experience). Everyone moans about it and rightly so I guess, but does anyone know why it's so prevelant over there?? Cultural differences or something??

I guess if it doesn't bother the individual, and the individual considers themselves a typical individual (i.e. no-one locally is bothered) then I guess there's no logical reason not to.  In fact, if all it does is piss off Brits and maybe keep the numbers down, then maybe there's a potential driver?

Dirty fuckin' daaghs!!!

[rodma]

sardinia equally terrible

[Three Nine]

hahaha try going to India - the dirty fuckers shit everywhere

[haydn jones]

I don't  think i've  ever seen  under a route/boulder in spain. Even in albarracin no  on the paths or where you climb. The only time i spotted    was when i myself needed the toilet and you wonder off the path and away from the climbing. Where are all these crags with shits under the climbs and on the path. Ive never seen them

[Paul B]

Really? The parking area was disgusting last time I visited including people dumping under clearly chalked boulders!

Recently in Chulilla someone took a dump outside of the sliding door of a friend's van. They stepped on it in the morning.

[haydn jones]

Infact i do know one place. Bas cuvier. But that isn't  climbers. So doesn't  really count

[Fiend]

In recent times I've noticed plenty at Chulilla, Costa Blanca and Siurana (all places with a lot of poo right next to paths but also a lot of shrubbery / boulders in which it would be easy to head off for another 20m to be completely hidden).

[haydn jones]

Really? The parking area was disgusting last time I visited including people dumping under clearly chalked boulders!

Recently in Chulilla someone took a dump outside of the sliding door of a friend's van. They stepped on it in the morning.

Fuck. Are you serious? Thats outrageous  and disgusting. Both people should be ashamed of themselves. Was at parking several times in december and it was fine. No shit to be seen whilst climbing. But yea if you wonder off the path theres a lot of shit. People need to take shovles ideally

But again didn't  see any shit under a problem or on the path for the entire month

[Fiend]

BTW I know people get irate about this, but this time I'm not trying to incite judgementalism and condemnation, I'm just interested why it's so prevalent "over there".

There's a lot of people in the UK (okay, going by UKC-style kneejerk reactions) who are militantly dogmatic about never shitting at crags (even though it's easy to make it hidden and secluded, and use natural materials to wipe, and bury it, and in this country to next deluge will wash it all away anyway), so I'm wondering where the difference lies....

[JohnM]

It is really prevalent.  I was in Albaraccin in one of the main bouldering areas.  There was this big group of Spaniards sitting round and one got up, walked 5 metres away from the group, dropped his kecks and shat in the middle of the bouldering area without stopping his conversation.  I remember the free campsite in Font, that was awful.  I went only a little way into the woods and there were two women propping each other up back to back shitting.  Another time hiking up a mountain in Slovenia behind a group 30 m up the path.  One women dropped off the back of the group, dropped her kecks in the middle of the path and curled one out as we were catching up.  We had to look away quickly rather than catch sight of her winking arsehole.  Why in the middle of the path?  It must be a cultural thing.  I go far into the woods not only not to shit in the climbing area but also because I see shitting as a private thing.  How very prude and British of me!     

[jwi]

There's really no excuse



or even

http://es.wikihow.com/defecar-al-aire-libre

[SA Chris]

It is really prevalent.  I was in Albaraccin in one of the main bouldering areas.  There was this big group of Spaniards sitting round and one got up, walked 5 metres away from the group, dropped his kecks and shat in the middle of the bouldering area without stopping his conversation.  I remember the free campsite in Font, that was awful.  I went only a little way into the woods and there were two women propping each other up back to back shitting.  Another time hiking up a mountain in Slovenia behind a group 30 m up the path.  One women dropped off the back of the group, dropped her kecks in the middle of the path and curled one out as we were catching up.  We had to look away quickly rather than catch sight of her winking arsehole.  Why in the middle of the path?  It must be a cultural thing.  I go far into the woods not only not to shit in the climbing area but also because I see shitting as a private thing.  How very prude and British of me!     

I've been winter climbing in Glencoe, and had the pleasure of looking up at just the wrong time and seen a guy taking a shit on the snow ledge just above me as I climbed past. The view was as bad as it could possibly get.

[webbo]

Maybe it's to do with them being descended from the Romans with their communal shitters and all that.
Best ask Nibs

[tomtom]

Simple question - and a genuine question.

It's an undeniable aspect of climbing in Europe (especially Spain and France in my experience). Everyone moans about it and rightly so I guess, but does anyone know why it's so prevelant over there?? Cultural differences or something??

Lack of public conveniences.

If you go to the states or Australia - most of the national park areas/car parks etc.. Have a bog - even if it's a compostable/long-drop affair.

[Fiend]

Okay that makes some sense. But why so visible and so close to the crag??

[dave]

There were turd everywhere when I was last in Albarracin, by the parking, next to rocks, under boulders. Obviously worse near to the parking areas. We saw one woman squatting having a Brad Pitt about 15m from the road and clearly visible from it. It would be like rocking up at Burbage North and laying a Douglas Hurd behind the icecream van.

[dave]

P.s. Is is possible that shit at crags is invisible to folk with dreads?[emoji85]

[haydn jones]

P.s. Is is possible that shit at crags is invisible to folk with dreads?[emoji85]

I don't know, ask someone with dreads 

[dave]

Would you believe nobody I associate with has dreads.

[tomtom]

There were turd everywhere when I was last in Albarracin, by the parking, next to rocks, under boulders. Obviously worse near to the parking areas. We saw one woman squatting having a Brad Pitt about 15m from the road and clearly visible from it. It would be like rocking up at Burbage North and laying a Douglas Hurd behind the icecream van.

Like the turds left under Bens at the Tor the other week - or the one under Saline Drip last year, or the multiple turd offences at the Cave... (Good name for a route/link up there..)..

I guess the difference is at Albarracin (and other select EuroPoo hotspots - or should that be plopspots) is that the turdification is probably carried out by the climbers rather than the passing public...

[tomtom]

Maybe its time for a poll......

[Mumra]

I took a shit on a swan once

[Mumra]

Right on it

[tomtom]

I took a shit on a swan once

Hope you've got video evidence...

[dave k]

Can't say I have ever come across a turd near a main path or below a route at a Spanish crag. Plenty of dog turds discarded in bags on the side of the path up to Roaches though.

Most people who relieve themselves near boulders probably are non climbers who think they are acting responsibly.

[HaeMeS]

In Siurana right now. On the ledge next to Escarmarla someone left a turd  at  the belay. Must have been a climber. Yesterday a spanish  climber urinated at L'Olla next to the start of the route he climbed. Idiots.

[petejh]

Definitely cultural differences in attitudes to shit. I remember Toby of this locale telling me about Spanish xmas decoration/traditional character 'La Caganer' - literally a christmas log. Something to do with expelling foulness/celebrating rebirth/from the soil - seriously!

And the Spanish saying before a meal, that goes something along the lines of 'eat, drink and shit well'.

La Caganer. Traditional christmas 'thing' haha

[Will Hunt]

It might be us who are the weird ones. My brother lives in Singapore and he recently told me of his (and others') shock to see tourists from mainland China drop their trousers in the middle of the street (this is a large world city, think of this happening in London) and do a shit in the middle of the pavement. One lady held her baby over a bin in a shopping mall whilst is curled a log into it.

I was shocked to hear this coming from a cosmopolitan sort of person. The way he was speaking about it was uncomfortably close to racist.

[bigtuboflard]

I remember the free campsite in Font, that was awful.  I went only a little way into the woods and there were two women propping each other up back to back shitting.

I remember being horrified on my first trip there in the 90's, it was like tip toeing through a fucking minefield no more than a couple of metres in to the woods surrounding that place.

[ferret]

I remember the free campsite in Font, that was awful.  I went only a little way into the woods and there were two women propping each other up back to back shitting.

I remember being horrified on my first trip there in the 90's, it was like tip toeing through a fucking minefield no more than a couple of metres in to the woods surrounding that place.

It was all just toilet paper the boars used to dig the shit up at night and eat it

[Fiend]

Cheers Pete that's been one of the more interesting responses so far!

[petejh]

Thanks, I know my shit.

[TobyD]

Thanks, I know my shit.

El Caganer: so much more interesting than Father Christmas! Although I believe he is Catalan, not Spanish.

[Teaboy]

In Siurana right now. On the ledge next to Escarmarla someone left a turd  at  the belay. Must have been a climber. Yesterday a spanish  climber urinated at L'Olla next to the start of the route he climbed. Idiots.

That's pretty unnecessary as portal oops have been installed on a number of the pull ins on the way up to Siurana. Supplied by Black Diamond and maintained by the local climbing community which I guess could mean they are now toxic plastic coffins of shit or pristinely clean like they were early last Dec. black Diamond were also organising litter pick ups at the time there and in Margalef. I've never noticed a major issue at either area but obviously anywhere where vans congregate is going to be bad.  There were far fewer vans in Margalef last Nov as they've started charging to stay (in the village site at least).

[SA Chris]

Definitely cultural differences in attitudes to shit. I remember Toby of this locale telling me about Spanish xmas decoration/traditional character 'La Caganer' - literally a christmas log. Something to do with expelling foulness/celebrating rebirth/from the soil - seriously!

And the Spanish saying before a meal, that goes something along the lines of 'eat, drink and shit well'.

La Caganer. Traditional christmas 'thing' haha

Very interesting, and likely the origin of

[JohnM]

Definitely cultural differences in attitudes to shit. I remember Toby of this locale telling me about Spanish xmas decoration/traditional character 'La Caganer' - literally a christmas log. Something to do with expelling foulness/celebrating rebirth/from the soil - seriously!

And the Spanish saying before a meal, that goes something along the lines of 'eat, drink and shit well'.

La Caganer. Traditional christmas 'thing' haha

It all makes sense now.  I rented an air bnb apartment in Barcelona once.  Inside there was an owl shrine and numerous phalluses includes the key hook and the coat stand.  When I opened the kitchen cupboard there was a figurine bent over curling one out.  I thought it was some horrible skat thing to go with the owls and the cocks but now I know! 

[lagerstarfish]

sounds like a John Redhead installation

[SA Chris]

there were two women propping each other up back to back shitting.   

Is this the female equivalent of crossing swords??

[shurt]

there were two women propping each other up back to back shitting.   

Is this the female equivalent of crossing swords??

Crossing logs?

This thread is turning into a poo anecdote exchange.  It's strangley compelling...

[andy_e]

Log pile now surely?

[rodma]

Log pile now surely?

i think you mean chorizo stack 

[SA Chris]

I took a shit on a swan once

I pissed on a cow. Got right annoyed.

[Fiend]

Me too. Best £80 I spent at Grotty Debbie's Golden Dungeon tho.

[SA Chris]

Excellent

[HaeMeS]

In Siurana right now. On the ledge next to Escarmarla someone left a turd  at  the belay. Must have been a climber. Yesterday a spanish  climber urinated at L'Olla next to the start of the route he climbed. Idiots.

That's pretty unnecessary as portal oops have been installed on a number of the pull ins on the way up to Siurana. Supplied by Black Diamond and maintained by the local climbing community which I guess could mean they are now toxic plastic coffins of shit or pristinely clean like they were early last Dec. black Diamond were also organising litter pick ups at the time there and in Margalef. I've never noticed a major issue at either area but obviously anywhere where vans congregate is going to be bad.  There were far fewer vans in Margalef last Nov as they've started charging to stay (in the village site at least).

Not there anymore!

[Will Hunt]

I went to the crag yesterday with a visiting Spaniard (lovely bloke). The first thing he did on arriving at the crag was take himself off with a shovel to have a crap.

Later in the day, he had to go again - he said his body had got into the annoying habit of dropping three logs a day. I told him about this thread and our general perception that the Spanish are forever shitting over their crags. We laughed and I said it must all be down to him and his three visits per day.

He was adamant that the problem at Spanish crags was due to foreign climbers because, for his local crags in Catalunya, it's the touristy crags that are shit-ridden. I'm not sure he quite got the irony of what he was saying 

[AMorris]

To be fair one of the worst I have found was over here, where someone curled out a monster under ultimate retro party. I had to build a little cairn for it like a fallen warlord before I could pull on.