1

beta - chuffing / Re: Plectrum Maxilla Direct

« Last post by kc on Today at 07:15:38 pm »

I remember threading some nuts into some pockets in the break but just to the right where there is a bit of a ledge you will find a much larger thread for a sling. I think you have to run the next bit out to the ledge where there is a good but hidden double bolt belay.

2

news / Re: The inevitable E grade thread

« Last post by ToxicBilberry on Today at 07:15:35 pm »

I think British trad climbing has roots in/is influenced by the British class system, because it's unavoidable like the water you swim in (and something I don't like which is perhaps why I'd be happy for the E-grade to be adjusted to get rid of the tech part)

Interesting perspective! Can you expand, I'm not seeing the links myself? Obviously mountaineering has upper-class roots in the Uk, but by the time tech grades were imported (from font, in the seventies right?) my impression was that a lot of the movers and shakers were working class.

Otherwise, yeah some of that is true, some of the time. I don't think it's the whole story at all. I don't think I'm particularly 'attached to... a wider idea of being British', for starters.

I'm not sure about the class system, although I think it (the trad grading system) evokes a sense of belonging to the British Isles like reading the poetry of T S Elliot, Wordsworth or the writing of Tolkien. The traditional grading system is evocative of this in a way which would be poorly represented by adopting any other system, a bit like using a Rock Fax guide as opposed to something more authentic / sincere. A shit map of a map. In the book 'You and Your Profile, Identity after Authenticity' the authors discuss pre-enlightenment ways of being in the world as having a strong degree of sincerity - this referred to knowing your place in the world - like John the Blacksmith's son John who was to be a Blacksmith. Maybe the traditional grade is related to the class system at this level of sincerity. You don't have to be attached to the wider idea of being British when it's implicit in your sense of belonging to the place.

3

music, art and culture / Re: RIP

« Last post by andy popp on Today at 06:03:24 pm »

Oh lord. I came to post on this thread about someone else, but that is really awful news.

4

music, art and culture / Re: RIP

« Last post by Falling Down on Today at 04:57:35 pm »

Oh flip. How sad. Thanks for letting us know Graeme.  RIP Adam and condolences Ben, Joe and Kate and the Pepper family.

5

music, art and culture / Re: Anyone seen any good films lately - Part the second

« Last post by SA Chris on Today at 04:36:54 pm »

It's a great movie, but The Simpsons Cape Feare episode is better.

(Die Bart Die)

6

get involved: access, environment, BMC / Re: BMC Resolutions shout out 📣

« Last post by Offwidth on Today at 04:24:07 pm »

Or maybe just a human who cares for the people he works with. Occam's razor will indicate likelihoods even without the many who know me in person.

7

music, art and culture / Re: Anyone seen any good films lately - Part the second

« Last post by sherlock on Today at 04:23:44 pm »

Cape Fear.
De Niro in terrifying form as an ex-con out for vengeance on the lawyer who 'unsuccessfully'defended him.Great supporting cast from Jessica Lange and Juliette Lewis who plays a teenager on the cusp of her sexual awakening.
I haven't seen the original so don't know how it compares but I first saw this version probably around 30 years ago and it's still a cracking movie.
On iPlayer.

8

get involved: access, environment, BMC / Re: BMC Resolutions shout out 📣

« Last post by petejh on Today at 04:21:07 pm »

Exactly this. I'm godsmacked you need it spelling out.

Sadly I'm not at all gobsmacked that Offwidth needs this pointing out. If you were to read 'Offwidth' posts on BMC matters over the past, say, 5 years I'd suggest you'll very likely find the common theme to his view of the world:

'waste of good volunteer's time'
'waste of BMC resources'
'this is a distraction to more important things'
'mistakes were made'
'issues are now being addressed'
'this is a misrepresentation of the facts'
'good work is being done'
'here to represent members interests and hold the board to account'
'I take very seriously these concerns'


Offwidth is actually a political chat bot, designed to cycle through a pre-programmed series of sincere and serious-sounding reassurances using convincing jargon no-one entirely understands the meaning of. It's deployed to distract and placate a (justifiably) angry crowd. It was built by the BMC IT dept. sometime around 2018 using funding intended for sending young comp climbers to comps.

 

9

get involved: access, environment, BMC / Re: BMC Resolutions shout out 📣

« Last post by Offwidth on Today at 04:08:48 pm »

Perceived response in the face of the Board,  Senior Management team and Council all saying proper detail will be provided for 2023 and 2024 as soon as the audit is signed off. I ask again why  on earth would we all say and do that if it wasn't true? It would be terminal for the Board.

Three Council members (and the President)  sit on the Board and two sit on the Finance and Audit Committee. These five include some of those who raised concerns about Board and management behaviour last March: they are highly credible and they say there are real practical reasons preventing us providing similar information for 2022 as 2023.  The information Paul D left us with was less than £200k extra core costs for GB Climbing,  including all office admin, on top of the costs actually reported in the 2022 accounts (and alongside grant income for GB Climbing also reported in the accounts).

I agree Comp climbers are still facing serious issues (especially on quotas) but if we care about them (and I do) parking them in a subsidiary and removing BMC core  funding that's been there for decades is hardly going to help (as their reps point out on BMC Watch). We simply can't move forward with major stakeholder concerns: as such we need some more work on this.

10

get involved: access, environment, BMC / Re: BMC Resolutions shout out 📣

« Last post by Duma on Today at 03:54:25 pm »

I think that's mischaracterising why people might be leaving now. If you were simply appalled at the financial management you'd have gone a while ago. If you're leaving now it's because of the response.

Exactly this. I'm godsmacked you need it spelling out.