Black Hills Climbing Coalition Newsletter – September  2005

Bruce Junek--Editor

It is wonderful to be back in the Black Hills!  Cycling the Great Western Desert was the hardest, yet most rewarding riding we have ever done.  The people were super friendly--especially Egypt and Turkey.  Always a little culture shock coming home, but feels great to pinch some Black Hills crystals again!    

Our next meeting will be Tuesday, September 20 at the Gaslight in Rockerville.

BIG THANKS to Peter Lev and everyone who helped put together the Knots and Nuts event in April.  Sounds like it was a great success.  Thanks also to Rich Barry and all who worked to keep the Pumpfest happening.  Even though there was no climbing due to insurance issues there was still a BBQ picnic, gear auction and a great slide show by Andrew Burr.  Pumpfest raised $2272.50, had $750 in expenses, which left a net income of $1522.50.

This years Adopt-A-Crag will be held at Devils Tower on Saturday, Sept 10.  The plan is to work from 8am to noon, and then have the afternoon off to climb some routes.  There will be a late afternoon BBQ, and perhaps an early evening slide show.  No entrance fee or camping fee will be charged for workers.  We would really like to get a good turnout for this, so mark your calendar!

Beans and Biners will be held Saturday, September 17.  Although this event has traditionally been on Labor Day weekend, it was changed last year to avoid conflict with the Dakota 50 mountain bike race.  Many people liked the later date, so we are doing it again.  Bring food, and a fun attitude.  Any volunteers to make a big batch of chili?  We usually get started about 9 am, and climb till 4 p.m. at the South Seas area at Rushmore. Top-ropes will be set on about 20 different climbs of all levels.  See You There!

A Bolt and Anchor Replacement workday in Custer State Park has been set for September 25.  The proposed plan is to fix the hardware on a number of routes on the Far Downs in Middle Earth. 

The bolt and anchor replacement committee has recommended that the BHCC use the following standards for all future route repair:

A motion was passed to spend $800 to buy 100 Fixe double wedge bolts and hangars, along with some misc. gear including chains, quick links, drill bits, cold shuts, paint and other accessories for route repairs. 

A tentative meeting has been set for 1 pm, Monday, September 29 with Shawn Tierney of the Access Fund to discuss insurance issues for future BHCC events, and also protecting board members and BHCC officers from potential lawsuits should an accident ever occur.  This meeting will likely take all afternoon.  If you are interested in taking part, please contact Bruce Junek for more info.

Final Thoughts — After being out of touch with BH climbing issues, I return to find many other people are also out of touch with BHCC issues.  Many have come to feel all the Coalition does is debate ethics, and they are tired of arguing.  My response?  We are all tired. Thankfully the debate has played itself out and we have a strong consensus to uphold many Black Hills climbing traditions. Sure, small ethical issues will always arise, but hopefully they will remain small.

For now, let’s move forward and use the energy of the Coalition on these basic goals:

  *  Protect climbing access by working with landowners and management agencies

  *  Finance and work to repair old and dangerous climbing bolts and anchors

  *  Co-ordinate fun community events and slide shows   

Being a Coalition member is not just about attending meetings.  In fact, I don’t know if we need big meeting attendance.  Meetings are mostly about working out details, and I am not sure if the average member needs or wants to hear every detail.  For most members, what we need is a willingness to stand and be counted on access issues, to take part and participate in BHCC events, to occasionally help out and work at such events, and to generally promote climbing in the hills.

Climb hard, and climb safe.