In reply to Chris the Tall:
> Is Mo Farah to blame for an increase in fell runners ? Do people see the 50k walk on the olympics and decide to go off to a ramble (probably, but less from inspiration and more from boredom).
I am not blaming anyone, just concerned with the impacts of more climbers in the future. An yes people get inspired and go out and do stuff (which is good). An example of this is trail running and ultra-trails.
> Yes there will be people inspired to take up indoor climbing and go to their local walls, we may even get a few more walls built to cope with the demand, but don't assume that will translate to more people on the crag. More and more people seem to enjoy climbing as a merely athletic exercise without the need to grow a beard, buy a load of hexs and battle the elements and vegetation on our crags. And even if they do, they won't be going to the wild areas of which you speak.
You seem to have a very limited view of what is climbing! Some people say that Sport climbing is only an "athletic exercise" so you do not need hexes and grow a bear to climb outside. And yes people go to these "wild" areas and many get impacted significantly, creating access issues. Go to Spain and you can see that easily. Albarracin is one example that come to my mind with important access issues (although it is only bouldering where you only need a red woolly hat and also no need for hexes!).
> Which I think is a pity, cos I think the world would be a better place if more people took outdoor exercise, saw the beauty of nature and our landscape. Sure I love it when I have an area all to myself, but not only is it selfish to keep that secret to myself, it's not good for society as a whole.
Totally agree with this. But it is also not good for Society as a whole to trash natural places, so a balance must be achieved. If some of these places can still take additional climbers remains to be seen (because of the olympics or other reason).
Just to be clear about increasing number of climbers because of the olympics, you are not worried, I am.