UKC

Is it just me, but does it seem somewhat out of step with the various crisis' circulating, that UKC is still publishing destination guides ( and attached influencer youtube vids ) for flyaway destinations. Morocco this time, which we learn is only reachable by flights, and last time I looked flights in and out of the UK are banned. And frankly were-it-not-so the climate crisis would make flying there after the virus has gone, extremely unwise. 

Perhaps UKC could refocus its travelogy on places where we might reasonably be able to go when the lockdown eases. Normalising dangerous international travel with this sort of article is irresponsible.  

Maybe its to relieve the UK vanlife problem ?   

Seeing as travel is pretty much banned anywhere at the moment, does it make a difference?

yes of course it makes a difference, we are all pretty board and UKC could write something interesting about climbing in the UK for a change, They seem to be spending rather too much time on youtube falling for the travel myth perpetuated by influencers.

https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/destinations/avalanched_on_the_lancet_e...
https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/destinations/classic_scramble_-_the_dub...
https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/destinations/cuillin_traverse_taking_th...
https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/destinations/stoney_middleton_-_histori...
https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/destinations/south-west_sport_climbing-...
https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/destinations/a_guide_to_climbing_trips_...

Nine destination articles published in the last year. Five are about climbing in the UK, one is about climbing in Europe by train, and one of the remaining three is on Chamonix, for which there is no UK equivalent. Two published destination articles in the past year involve long-haul flying. I can't even see the Morocco article you're referring to.

There's also an entire digital feature section on the finest crags in the UK covering everything from the grit through to the Outer Hebrides.

What's the problem, exactly?

fair enough if your analysis is correct, but really, is this the time to publish the international fly only article? precisely when we can't !

I can't comment because I don't have the first clue what article you're talking about, but a cursory search of all UKC articles says that the last article they published on Morocco was published in January 2019.

That's over two years ago.

And this Jan 2021 one...

https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2021/01/rock_al_kasbah_-_climbing_and_music...

So nothing to do with 'destination guides' or 'writing' as the OP was originally complaining about, and everything to do with the weekly climbing video — no writing, guide or article attached?

I still think it's bollocks. Don't post interesting videos in case it encourages people to travel? It's just another variation of demanding people not to post photos of mountains in cases it encourages others to break the lockdown, or demanding people don't go climbing in case it encourages others to go climbing.

To the world in general: develop your own morals and take some responsibility for them. Don't demand the world stops showing you tempting things in case you're unable to resist. Have a backbone.

NB: haven't watched the video in question. Some Friday Night Videos are excellent, and some have been (in my humble opinion) utter dross. Each to their own. 'You don't have to watch it', as the argument against like/dislike buttons and public arguments often goes.

As the OP I disagree. The destination guide is linked right under the movie in the rock_al_kasbah and so totally relevant to the situation now. The message being  watch all this lovely stuff in morocco and here is the way to have some of that for yourself. The Title is enough to indicate that I'm not just objecting to the facts about morocco climbing being pushed out now but also the link to influencers on youtube.

I presume you are referring to the charming little Morocco film. I'm not sure what you are on about. I don't need to be able to fly to enjoy the film now.

Edit: Likewise I don't need to be able to fly to read the linked article either.

I have no intention of going to Morocco, but enjoyed watching some of the great looking climbing there. Given that the most climbing I can expect to do for a while is eliminate bouldering on a nearby sandstone wall, should ukc just publish articles on old viaducts and bridges, or the like?

I'm no fan of influencers videos and agree that we must limit our travel, but its nice to watch good climbing.

They tried a #shitineverylayby article. Wasn't too popular iirc.

Destination articles help us plan ahead for trips we will be able to make in the future. We might not be able to fly there now but sometime soon we will. Why not put the info out now whilst we have extra time on our hands to do some planning. During my 3 months off on the first lockdown, I pretty much planned 3 trips for when we can. Thank goodness the info wasn't removed from the internet during lockdown.

l. Why not put the info out now whilst we have extra time on our hands to do some planning. During my 3 months off on the first lockdown, I pretty much planned 3 trips for when we can. 

I'm liking a lot of the responses on this thread but I think this one has missed the point a bit ....

Yes, I agree completely. UKC could have omitted the destination guide and it would have been all good. 

Feel free to clarify, I might have missed your point a bit.

maybe I was being a bit oblique, but covid is nowhere near over and after that we need to immediately address the climate crisis. Therefore flying is unwise and to my mind indefensible. Aviation is not going to be sustainable in the timeframe of the paris agreement (2050). I won't bang on about that, but my point is specifically that UKC should not be pairing friday night youtube videos with destination articles when those destinations can't be reached other than by air. And you make my point really. If the Friday night vid stimulates trip planning, that's fine but they really shouldn't be encouraging flights in any shape or form, so lets hope you can find some venues that can be reached by car or train and I wish you well on all such trips. 

Ah OK.  I don't agree on stopping vids due to covid but on flights you have a good point. Not being able to travel abroad has reminded us how much great stuff we have here.

2 years back we did New Zealand and later in the year we did Pembrokeshire. On reflection we had to agree the we enjoyed both breaks equally but one trip was 30 hours of flights and travel compared to a 4 hour drive for Wales.

You do realise you're not saving the planet by driving across Europe, right? Less convenient is not the same as better for the planet. If anyone reading this thinks going by van is better than flying, do some reading:

https://uk-cms.parkindigo.com/wp-content/uploads/CO2-Emissions-9.png

So basically you are saying that UKC should never again publish destination articles to places that most people would reach by flying*. Nothing to do with the pandemic.

*Obviously everywhere can, in principle be reached without flying, including Morocco (a lot more easily than many places)

I agree 

UKC should only publish articles about places I can reach from my front door on foot. 

This thread puts me in mind of this German comedy sketch... 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kt5ZfDGjYjc&t=1s 

For the non-speakers, the hotel deliberately makes small mistakes for people to complain about so that they don't spend their whole holiday searching for something to complain about instead of enjoying themselves. 

Stop searching  

Those are emissions per person. Put two people in a van and the values are halved. Put two people in an aeroplane and nothing changes. 

Brings the figures much closer.

And that is just wrong. And you know that I suspect. You are in denial longsufferingdenialist. If you look for support for your position on the internet you will of course find it. Try using a respectable source and you will find quite the opposite. Don't compare a driving 2000 miles against a single seat on a plane without dividing the emissions of the car by the four passengers and clicking the include radiative forcing (which is a real thing rather than 'fake news').

try this https://Calculator.CarbonFootprint.com maybe

And please before you refute this please also spend some time searching for evidence that the US elections were rigged and that the C19 vaccine  is full of microchips before forming any other  opinions.

Are you real anyway? I suspect not.

You might not like it but it's not wrong. Sources are listed at the bottom. If you think measuring and publishing data is a conspiracy then I can't help you.

Point is that people demonise flying when really it's the going to far away places that's bad for the planet, rather than how you get there. 

(And yes, you need to divide those numbers by the number of people in your car, but most people don't seem to realise that needs to be 2 or 3 before it's greener than flying)

believe me I wouldn't be getting so worked up about this if I could remember how to enjoy myself ....

calling out climate change denialists isn't actually much fun.

Who is denying climate change?

Exactly. Basically somehow limits people's viewings to destination articles within a 30 mile radius from where they live. 

Give or take the odd boat ride, that's everywhere!
(If you have the time.)

Speaking of influencers, here's one deadbeat UK celeb that has turned up on our doorstep for "essential" work:

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/feb/02/government-criticise...

I’d have thought that for most people it would be quite unlikely they would drive across Europe for a holiday without at least one other person in the car, presumably meaning that in practice driving is the greener option in the majority of cases. I’m sure it happens but for mid-long haul holiday travel I’d reckon lone drivers are fairly rare so possibly not a very useful point of comparison.

Do the maths for your individual case though. You don't need to presume; I linked a handy infographic that tells you.
For most cars it needs to be 2 and a bit people* just to get evens with flying. That is, to be just as bad as.
To think it's not ok to fly but is ok to drive is misguided.

* - How you achieve that is up to you.