Shit and paper at Rumney

[M_Sprague]

The weekend before last, I took my mother for a tour of Rumney with my step dad. She just found out she was sick a few months ago, so may not be around very long, so after driving them to Vermont to see some things, I swung back through NH to show them where I had spent so much time over the years. They got the climber's experience of guerrilla bivying nearby, then borrowing a table to cook up some breakfast at the Calm Post, since Katie wasn't up yet to serve us as I had hoped, then got an early start hiking before the crowds. She had always been very vigorous and enjoyed hiking, but in her frail state I wasn't sure how far we could go. Anyway, we managed a full circuit up to the Main Cliff, Bonsai, Waimea, Jimmy Cliff and over the top to Orange Crush and down via the Kennel Wall path. They loved it, and recognized the magic of the area.

One thing though, that I was grossed out and embarrassed by as a climber (and person in general), was the amount of shit paper and crap below the Main Cliff. What the hell is wrong with people? Some of it was just below the cliff and literally 10 feet from the trail, under an overhanging boulder, in plain view from the trail. If somebody was sick, OK, I could understand them having to run and drop their draws, but come on!, Clean up after your self and bury everything. There is no excuse for such disgusting slobbery. There was more than 1 sick person could account for though. It is really disturbing to me that there are that many completely out of it people at the cliff. Unfortunately, I find that a lot of the paper is from women who  wipe themselves after peeing and then just leave the paper there thinking it will biodegrade, so it is all right. Please people, get it together!

[JBro]

The weekend before last, I took my mother for a tour of Rumney with my step dad. She just found out she was sick a few months ago, so may not be around very long, so after driving them to Vermont to see some things, I swung back through NH to show them where I had spent so much time over the years. They got the climber's experience of guerrilla bivying nearby, then borrowing a table to cook up some breakfast at the Calm Post, since Katie wasn't up yet to serve us as I had hoped, then got an early start hiking before the crowds. She had always been very vigorous and enjoyed hiking, but in her frail state I wasn't sure how far we could go. Anyway, we managed a full circuit up to the Main Cliff, Bonsai, Waimea, Jimmy Cliff and over the top to Orange Crush and down via the Kennel Wall path. They loved it, and recognized the magic of the area.

One thing though, that I was grossed out and embarrassed by as a climber (and person in general), was the amount of shit paper and crap below the Main Cliff. What the hell is wrong with people? Some of it was just below the cliff and literally 10 feet from the trail, under an overhanging boulder, in plain view from the trail. If somebody was sick, OK, I could understand them having to run and drop their draws, but come on!, Clean up after your self and bury everything. There is no excuse for such disgusting slobbery. There was more than 1 sick person could account for though. It is really disturbing to me that there are that many completely out of it people at the cliff. Unfortunately, I find that a lot of the paper is from women who  wipe themselves after peeing and then just leave the paper there thinking it will biodegrade, so it is all right. Please people, get your shit together!

FYP

[sneoh]

Mark, first off, I am sorry to hear about your Mom.  My thoughts are with you all and best of luck.  I've been there.  I know how hard it can be.

I must say I have not noticed the TP and stuff you mentioned below the Main Cliff but I am rather non-observant to such things most of the time.
I usually do not have to 'go' while out for the day but 8 days ago I had to.  In any case, the point I like to make is it does not take that long to dig a hole and bury the stuff afterwards, bio degradable or not.  There is so much vegetation, non-compacted soil, and hand-size pieces of rock at Rumney that none of this should be a big chore.  The only inconvenience is OM had to wait back at the crag for 15 minutes or so while I answered the call of nature.
And never relieve oneself (pee or otherwise) on the dry side of the drip line at crags like Waimea and Orange Crush or Bonsai.  It is pretty rude to do so.  This has gotten to be a significant issue at RRG.

[M_Sprague]

Thanks, Soon. The thoughts are much appreciated. She is actually doing extremely well lately, considering, and has been able to get about and enjoy her gardening etc.

I agree with the pooping in the woods issue. There is no excuse for not doing it properly and well away from the crag. I just don't get it. But people vote for  people like Sarah Palin, follow what some guy in a lime green suite says about God or brutalize a daughter for falling in love with somebody from another tribe. Oh well.

[little lil]

The pooping issue is really disgusting but I have to say that I am not terribly surprised.  Rumney has become an outdoor gym that does not require much knowledge of some real outdoors.  So, I'd assume that a good portion of ppl leaving plenty of trace do so as a result of lack of knowledge. 

[strandman]

I'm with lil on this one. I have long thought that fewer and fewer people come into climbing from an outdoor background.   It's like people carrying all thei r shit on harnesses and such- "Where's your pack ? "  "I don;t own one"    The first time I heard that , I was dumfounded

I'm convinced that's why so many websites are inundated with " lost rope at crag" stuff-  HOW did you forget your rope ? HOW ?

[eyebolter]

Sorry to say this, but it is the Frenchies and the gym climbers.  I'm half Frenchie (Amirault is my mother's name; my mom's parents were from French-speaking canada), and I met my wife in a climbing gym, so please don't call me a  "racialist".

Frenchies and gym climbers.  There it is.

[sneoh]

I'm convinced that's why so many websites are inundated with " lost rope at crag" stuff-  HOW did you forget your rope ? HOW ?

Perhaps he/she left in a hurry due to some unforeseen circumstance?
The more likely scenario is he/she was a part of a large group of people, equipment got passed around as the day wore on.  When it came time to pack up and leave, it was a total clusterf&*#; everyone assumed someone else in their group had their gear.

Case in point - there was a 6-foot long stick clip pole left at Lower New Wave on Sun.  I was there for 2 hours and no one came to claim it.  When we left (a little early in the PM), I decided to leave the pole there since it seemed to me there is still a good chance that the owner might come by at 7p to claim it.  So, just like a rope, how can one not notice the 6-foot pole is no longer there for at least 2 hours?

[sneoh]

Frenchies and gym climbers.  There it is.

Do you mean Euro Frenchman/woman or French speaking people from Quebec?

I am an early product of the gym so I do ot think all gym climbers do the 'bad thing'.

[eyebolter]

Obviously not "all," but far more Frenchies and gym climbers are shitting on the trail than AMC members, and if you would like to sponsor a double blind study I'll bet all my gold coins that I'm right.

When I started climbing, most of us began as hikers and had some "leave no trace" ethic.  Today's gym climbers have spent all their lives inside, watching TV and texting.  Big difference.

[M_Sprague]

I don't know. Not burying your crap or paper I could see being a result of being ignorant and somewhat dumb, but not right next to a cliff and trail. don't think it has so much to do with learning to climb in a gym or having woods experience or even being French Canadian. There are plenty of French Canadians who are also appalled when they see it. There are also plenty of people in Appalachia type places who can gut and skin a moose in their sleep, but think nothing of trashing a nice place. I'm not even sure there is a trad vs sport element to it. I bet if you had the same number of climbers climbing trad at Cathedral as are at Rumney, you would see shit  paper all over the place, maybe more. There is just something wrong with somebody who would shit 20 feet from a popular cliff beside the trail. It doesn't take most city livers to be told to know not to shit on their front step. Some people are just so into them selves, can't think beyond the moment and are oblivious to anybody else's experience. They are defectives.

[M_Sprague]

..Frenchies .... There it is.

We'll have to have a sample sent to a lab and see if it was a result of good food.

[strandman]

I have taken many a dump at NH climbing areas     It's a pretty simple matter to cover things up. A c rowded place like Rumney must  really suck when  some asshole shits AT the cliff.
Yes, we should blame the Frenchies, but also any Italians that happen by as well.

Soon- there are posts every day about lost this and lost that, I find it amazing. On MP the other day a guy forgot a RACK of cams !!!!

There is a climb at Stanage (UK)that goes up an arete next to "the designated bog"  5.11 no gear   

[DWT]

Me thinks this might have been the same fellow that chopped new steps in the Falling Waters Trail.

[HangingChad]

I'm convinced that's why so many websites are inundated with " lost rope at crag" stuff-  HOW did you forget your rope ? HOW ?

Oh I can answer that one for you.  split into different groups, went to do a few more pitches before dark, we had two ropes, so I threw mine BEHIND my car.  climbed the rest of the evening, then drove away.  Whoops.