Thursday, October 31, 2013

How to Manage Human Waste at Crowded Cliffs

My dog ate human feces at Farley last Saturday. Twice. My friend Rick's dog ate some too. One might argue that the easiest solution to this problem is to leave one's dog at home. This could be a good way to prevent our dogs from eating human feces, but it doesn't address the real issue. As our crags become more crowded there are more individuals who don't dispose of their human waste responsibly (lame!).

The first mound of feces the dogs ate last Saturday was five feet away from the base of the cliff. It wasn't buried, and the toilet paper was left on top of the stinky pile. The second was left, unburied, in the middle of the approach trail.

Two winters ago a climbing partner of mine set his pack in a pile of crap at the base of an ice route in Chapel Pond Canyon in the Adirondacks. A few seasons before that I got shit on my knee while climbing an ice route in the Catskills. Somebody took a dump in the drainage above the route and it washed down the climb during a mid-winter thaw. For the rest of the day, every time I stepped up on my left leg I smelled someone else's dookie. Nice.

Disposing of human waste improperly is irresponsible. There's a reason we have septic and sewer systems where we live and work - feces transmit disease and pollute the water supply. Additionally, sitting down in or setting your pack on top of a stinky pile of poo can absolutely ruin a perfectly good day of climbing.

How do we manage our human waste at busy crags? Here's a short list of things we can do to make sure other people don't have a crappy day at the crag:


  1. Adjust your routine. If you're the type of person who always has to go just before climbing, try going to the bathroom ahead of time. Many crags have a toilet at the trailhead.
  2. Walk back to the toilet. How hard is it to walk ten minutes? When is a toilet too far away? I'll gladly walk (or run) 5-10 minutes if it means I can use the toilet in the Trapps or at Farley. On a busy day it's pretty hard to find a private spot to go anyways.
  3. Discuss Leave No Trace ethics with your group. I don't go through all the LNT principles with every group of climbers I'm out with, but I do make sure that people are using common sense and know where to go to the bathroom at the crag.
  4. Role model responsible human waste disposal in front of new climbers. Make sure everyone knows what to do when #2 happens. The pile of crap we found five feet away from the cliff was clearly not left by an experienced climber. No climber in their right mind would leave a steamy dookie at the base of a popular climbing area. However, people new to climbing, or unfamiliar with LNT (Leave No Trace) principles, just want a private place to go and don't think about where climbs start.
  5. Carry a shit kit. I always carry a kit with me. My kit includes toilet paper, Wet Ones, plastic bags, and a Wag Bag or Restop. This way, if I have to go, I can manage it effectively.
    My kit includes WAG bags, TP, Wet Ones, and plastic bags
  6. If you're at a remote, seldom visited crag bury your feces well. If you're going to leave your feces, make sure you dig a sufficiently deep hole (a nut tool can be used as a pick to loosen firm soil), go in the hole and then cover it well. Don't be lazy. Pack out your T.P. (using plastic bags from your kit).
  7. If you're at a busy crag with no toilet nearby, use a WAG bag or Restop to pack out your feces.  That nice dark recess, cave or corner is probably the start to an awesome V10 or 5.12. Don't go there. It's true, poo stinks. If it's yours, it's your responsibility. Nobody likes to carry their waste out, but it's the best solution. WAG bags, which come with toilet paper and an antisceptic wipe, are $3 each and work really well. They still stink a bit, but it's nice to know your not leaving anything behind. I'll gladly give mine away to anyone at the crag if they actually need to use it (if there's no toilet reasonably close by)
Share this post with your friends. The more people read this and choose to act responsibly the cleaner our crags will be.  

Friday, October 11, 2013

On Borrowed Time at Moss Cliff

Life has a funny way of creeping up on you. All through my twenties I traveled a lot. I moved to a new place every year or so, making sure to explore climbing opportunities in each spot. My thirties rolled in and I became a bit more serious about work. I participated in more professional development and cultivated a few professional relationships as a guide that provided cool opportunities.

Now, nearing 35, I'm no longer willing to accept the uncertainties that a career of guiding provides. There are a few "knowns" and many "unknowns" about this particular career path. I'm going to try and outline many of these details in a future post, so that younger guides, or people interested in the trade can have a pragmatic perspective when they enter the world of "professional" guiding.



Suffice to say, I no longer want a life with so many unknowns. I want health insurance, and some extra savings to pay for life's medical "unknowns." A visit with a dentist would be nice too. Retirement savings, I want that too. Hell, I'd like to be able to give more of my earnings to people and organizations who need it more than me.

All of those things can be pretty hard to come by when you work in the guiding industry. Basically you either travel a lot as an independent guide (and hope your relationships at home remain strong) or you try to own your own business and make money off of other guides that work for you. Either way it's a struggle to make ends meet. I'm not really into either of those things, so it's time to look elsewhere for work.

At the moment I'm exploring other career options. Obviously, I'll continue to guide - I am a climbing guide and have been one for the last ten years. As time passes I'll likely be more selective about the guiding and instruction I choose to take on.

While feelings of insecurity have partly spurred this decision, climbing has helped me make the choice also. The days, weekends, and trips I've been able to sneak in with my favorite climbing partners have illuminated my unwavering love for climbing. These intense personal experiences continue to shape and direct my life. Climbing has been the most positive shaping force in my adult life, and I don't want my struggle making ends meet (as a guide it has been constant) to soil my love for climbing.

This week I had one of those days that helped remind me why I love climbing. After 17 years as a climber I finally visited Moss Cliff with a friend Donald, from Ohio who was in the area for a wedding. We enjoyed one of the finest days of Fall climbing I can remember. Moss Cliff, for those who haven't visited, has some of the most beautiful crack climbing in the Adirondacks. The rock there is very high quality, and seems better than the anorthosite at many other High Peaks Crags.

The day was full of stuffer cracks, rebel yells, smiles, and a few muscle cramps by the end of the day. This is what it's all about. Here are a few photos from the day:







The Google+ album can be viewed here:

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Peterskill Rappelling Photo

A few weekends ago I snapped this photo with my phone. Kind of a cool perspective of the Terror Dome at Peterskill, with some strange clouds in the background.