New Climbing Center in Yosemite Valley

Erik, I guess you really don't understand English.  People aren't saying that there shouldn't be a museum to commemorate Yosemite climbing. What we are saying is we don't want you involved in its creation.

Erik Sloan wrote:

The discussion about bolting is for another thread, but yeah for sure there are still people hand drilling (vastly inferior bolts compared to those placed by a power drill, but who cares about safety ;).

I started this thread because I've been shocked over the years about how few of the newer climbers know why the YCA was started, and no one has heard anything about progress on a museum space, whether inside or outside the Valley. Tens of thousands of artifacts have been collected, and now with the amazing movies documenting many of the most significant climbs, seems like there could be something really cool done with that stuff. 

Of course it was tangential to say that the government is not intersted in celebrating climbing in Yosemite by creating a dedicated section of a museum or separate space, because it has golf courses, swimming pools, and other things to take care of, but I can say having lived in Yosemite since 2002 you never hear a government person say 'we have the money, it is just a matter of connecting all the dots'. 

If a cool history climbing center was not going to be in Yosemite, where would be a good place for it?

Woot!

Erik

Rockclimbyosemite.com - Yosemitebigwall.com

Ignoring your self-serving drilled bolt safety claims, let's focus on these tens of thousands of "artifacts" that somehow in your mind deserve a space in the national park.

What are these artifacts? Are they truly priceless? Are people really going to want to see them when they visit Yosemite? 

Mydans - what's your name? What do you do here in Yosemite?

I can say, and I know the interpretive rangers that work for the company and the park service would agree - people Love climbing history and learning about climbing when they are in Yosemite.

Erik,

Mydans is my name.  I'm just a climber from Colorado who's been coming to the valley since the 90's.  We've met a few times.  I just take issue with the fact that you seem to think you are the steward of Yosemite and that you think you get to make decisions about the state of routes you didn't put up, and that those decision impact people who disagree with your ethics.

As I said I love Yosemite history and I think there should be a museum but that you shouldn't be involved.  There are so many people who are more qualified to actually be a steward in the valley. Chris Mac, Yager, Grossman, and a litany of others come to mind.

This is my favorite thread of all time. Woot!

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Just a reminder to all of those overreacting.

I would love to have a climbing museum in Yosemite!  So many cool stories and photos to share.  

The biggest issue is probably just finding a location since nobody wants more buildings in Yosemite, but that just means something else has to go.  I don't know Yosemite well enough to have any idea what that could be.  I doubt the lodge wants to get rid of their pool, though.

Boooooored. I’m out. 

limpingcrab wrote:

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Just a reminder to all of those overreacting.

I don't know Yosemite well enough to ...

Exactly. I think you’re missing some of the long term political and ethical debates of the climbing community in the Valley. 

Don't worry, I've very familiar with the fact that Erik has added bolts where people don't want them and he uses a power drill so people ignore what his threads are actually about and use them to grandstand.  

My quote that you cut off said I don't know Yosemite well enough to know where a climbing museum could go.  I live close enough that I have done day trips before work, and I don't live under a rock.

limpingcrab wrote:

Don't worry, I've very familiar with the fact that Erik has added bolts where people don't want them and he uses a power drill so people ignore what his threads are actually about and use them to grandstand.  

My quote that you cut off said I don't know Yosemite well enough to know where a climbing museum could go.  I live close enough that I have done day trips before work, and I don't live under a rock.

Great!  But do you know the history on MP threads where ES categorically to all but himself, ignores what the galactic majority have to say. He summons the opinions of the masses and then cherry picks the responses he wants.  He’s a bizarre communicator. Perhaps it’s due to living 15 years in the valley. 

limpingcrab wrote:

Don't worry, I've very familiar with the fact that Erik has added bolts where people don't want them and he uses a power drill so people ignore what his threads are actually about and use them to grandstand.  

My quote that you cut off said I don't know Yosemite well enough to know where a climbing museum could go.  I live close enough that I have done day trips before work, and I don't live under a rock.

Ok, there isn't room in the valley proper to make a museum without paving more of the remaining "wilderness".  Something would have to go (don't say the golf course, it isn't even in the valley but in National Park lands).  I'm against the museum for reasons I won't disclose but if I were to do one, I would do it outside the park in one of the small towns.

Thanks everyone for all your posts. Lol, I don't know if we came any closer to visualizing an amazing climbing center in, or near, Yosemite in this thread but we tried. 

We see governments, both local and national, struggling to provide basic services these days so probably no surprise that the management at Yosemite does not have a lot of resources to preserve and present some of the amazing climbing history here in a dedicated space. Maybe a private venue is a better idea? But where? 

I wasn't suggesting that people who swim in pools, or play golf at the golf course here, have any less fun than the rest of us - I'm just not sure that those things are a better use of government resources than presenting some of the unique climbing history here, and giving people an opportunity to 'put their hand in the crack' or 'poop in a bag', haha. Yosemite is Climbing's Mecca!

Every year Yosemite gets brand new police cars and more gun-toting rangers, even though what we have the most of are lost / starving hikers, drivers and disoriented elderly people. It's all good, and everyone is trying their best for sure....personally I can't wait to see that footage of Ondra climbing the Dawn Wall. 

Weather is so perfect here - live it up! Woot!

Erik

No climbing center or climbing museum in the valley please! It's a disgusting idea and I would be embarrassed to be associated with something like that being built in the valley. Who cares if tourists want to wander around a building a learn about it--Yosemite is not the place for that!

climbing history is written on the walls. leave it that way.

This thread is proof that REI should robably just go ahead and shut down the forums on here. This merry-go-round of ego, redundancy, stupidity and ill formed arguments from all sides (but, mostly from the OP, like shit, dude, it's called "self-awareness") shows that, basically, the internet makes humans suck. 

Erik Sloan wrote:

Yo Gang,

Just wanted to send a shout out to all the Valley climbers - temps are perfect right now, and it's empty, so re-lace those TC Pros and get up here!

Also, each year for the last fourteen years we have gathered at the Yosemite Facelift to talk about pursuing a dedicated climbing history space in the Valley. Each year progress is negligible. 

So I started thinking - maybe we don't need a stale museum with Royal Robbins boxer's behind glass, maybe the public would be more interested in getting behind a dedicated climbing center in Yosemite, the Mecca of climbing, if you could actual climb there. Yosemite National Park has a golf course, four swimming pools, tennis courts, two stables, etc. What better place than to give people the opportunity to climb? And how awesome will it be to have a place to train in the Valley (maybe the AAC can operate the facility?). We could have historical displays, hang boards, and a spot for all the latest beta / conditions / changes / new routes for the Valley. 

A perfect spot for the new climbing center would be the Yosemite Lodge Pool - Yosemite has four pools and no climbing center, so we could get by with three pools (you never hear Michael Phelps talking about how swimming in Yosemite was the highlight of his nautical experience). There are already mens and womens locker rooms, so that's taken care of, and the pool is a pretty big area. It is right across from Camp 4, and would be a awesome compliment to Yosemite experience for both climbers and non-climbers.

What do you guys think? I looked around the web and couldn't find any amazing climbing gym photos, so grabbed this one of Tommy (Corey Rich photo) - at least at the new center we could teach climbers and tourists how most folks prefer to use both feet in aiders when jugging overhanging terrain, lol.

Woot!

Erik Sloan

Rockclimbyosemite.com - Yosemitebigwall.com  

 

While I personally could not really give a shit about a gym in the valley the idea of a legit museum is a good one. 

now back to the haters-

The amount of hate in this thread is overwhelming, and just plain sad.

I can see how wanting a gym put in is unwanted, but I still think there is merit in the museum and memorial aspect of it.

If there is already an empty building in the valley (which I'm sure there's a few), I think it would be an interesting idea. A place for tourists to go to get informed on what they all ask us out there anyways. Plus, it could be another platform to spread the word about Yosemite Facelift and the "leave no trace" principle in general. Plus plus, if this place were to make any money, the proceeds can just be donated to Facelift and the Access Fund. 

There's already hotels, pools, golf courses, ect. in the valley. There are plans in place to get Starbucks into the valley. It's not "pure" anymore, get over it. Why can't we try to work together on something that can actually benefit this place? 

Soulless Ginger wrote:

climbing history is written on the walls. leave it that way.

Don't be so elitist.

I don't see a problem in making a museum (if it could somehow not remove more wilderness, make it underground maybe?) anyone who wants to learn about climbing should be given the opportunity, chamonix has a museum for alpinism why not give yosemite one?

adam.b wrote:

The amount of hate in this thread is overwhelming, and just plain sad.

this guy has, with his bolting non-ethics (including adding bolts in high traffic areas that just to be able to practice aid climbing technique) pissed off a large number of yosemite climbers. He responds with oddly happy "i dont give shit about local bolting consensus" crap. Most of the vitriol hurled here (mine included) is completely based that.

Not to say the museum idea isn't stupid, but the anger in the responses is because of older things sloan did. His guidebook is great though