Locked-In Madness

A big thank you goes out to everyone who supported the 'Locked-In Madness' sponsored climb on the 27th July 2014 at Ynys Lochtyn. There were 15 climbers on the island for the day, which must rank as the largest gathering of climbers (actually rock climbing and not just down the pub) in Mid Wales ever?

We raised over £500 for Climbers Against Cancer (CAC), and I hope we can make this an annual event.

Cheers,

Pete 

To Climb or Not to Climb? Bouldering in Bogota.

Recently came across some excellent looking boulders on Alto San Mateo, Bogota. Rushed to a shop to buy a brush to clean off some problems, and returned and completed a fun little circuit of basic problems in the V0-V2 range. Returning back to base that evening a search online didn't reveal any recorded climbing on the boulders, but did however turn up some interesting details of petroglyphs on some of the boulders and a problem with quarrying damaging the site. Later a chat with some locals revealed a disinterest in the site and a fear of even visiting it due to thieves and drug users frequenting there, plus quite a few wild dogs roaming around.

What a shame to leave a beautiful and interesting location to the destruction of graffiti, broken bottles, thieves and quarrying! A visit to the well know bouldering spot of Canoas just outside Bogota showed how bouldering and the preservation of the petroglyphs could co-exist. If more people were interested in the area it would be an asset for the local community choking in petrol fumes with no safe green space on their doorstep.

Should rock climbers have the responsibility to do something to help preserve rocks, even those we can't climb?