In reply to johncoxmysteriously:
Hi John,
I don't hide the commercial nature of my job. I am the advertising manager at UKC, but also do editorial as Senior Editor here.
It is sometimes difficult separating
Church from State but Jack our Chief Editor is very good at clipping me on the ear and kicking my behind if the two overlap, too much, or I overstep the mark....and so are people like you.
In this case, about a need for easier sport climbs I am not talking about nor is it driven by commercial interests.
I've never heard anyone in the trade talk about increasing easier sport climbs in the UK to increase participation and hence the sale of gear.
I'm sure climbing participation is increasing in the UK, but it has nothing to do with bolts.
It is all about indoor bouldering. That is where the growth is and new bouldering/climbing centres are sprouting up all over the UK like mushrooms after a warm rain.
I visited a new climbing centre/wall next to Tesco/Costco in Milton Keynes last week. Great bouldering for elite and beginners alike all in a very plush setting (showers and changing rooms/nice cafe).
Think yummie mummies in SUV with their offspring.
See JD's new wall in Harrogate:
http://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/news.php?id=2837
Now whether these new recruits make the move en masse to the outdoors is open to debate, I'm sure many do, and they may want easy sport climbs to introduce them to outdoor leading. What's wrong with that? I know you will find plenty wrong with that.
But I can assure that many who enter climbing through these new plush walls, will start climbing outdoors, and many will become, like you, passionate trad climbers.
I've witnessed it.
Is their some kind of conspiracy by the outdoor trade to increase easy sport climbs to increase participation and hence the sale of climbing gear?
Absolutely not.
In fact if there was the trade would be pushing trad climbing and mountaineering which are far more gear intensive than 'clip and go' sport climbing or pebble wrestling.
You need to go to this website to peddle your fantasies:
http://www.davidicke.com/
Cheers and love you.
Mick
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