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In this News Bulletin:
1) Climbers Meet in Utah: 3-14 Oct 2008 (extended D-date)
2) MCSA Annual Reprints 15-17 published
3) Table Mountain - illegal bolting
4) UIAA Youth Meet to Mt Olympus
5) Snippets
6) What's what in the MCSA
7) Section newsletters new on the Web Site

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1) CLIMBERS MEET, UTAH, USA: 3-14 Oct 2008 (extended D-date)

As per MCSA eNews 2008/02-2, the American Alpine Club will be sponsoring an international climbers' meet in Indian Creek, Utah, from 3- 14 October 2008. Two (one male and one female) young climbers from each country can apply. They must be able to lead a UIAA VII- , 5.10, E2, or French 6b. A registration fee of $100 is payable.
Visiting climbers will be responsible for air travel expenses to and from Denver International Airport and their meals while not at Indian Creek; other expenses are covered by AAC. More
information: http://theuiaa.org/news_detail.php?ID=16 and
http://www.americanalpineclub.org/pages/page/151
The AAC deadline is now 1 July, but applications must reach the MCSA Secretary, Gerhard van Wyngaardt (secretary@mcsa.org.za), by 1 June 2008. Applications must include a short climbing cv (covering aspects such as why applicants believe they will represent the MCSA well, how their attendance will benefit the climbing community, service to the MCSA (past present and future)) and must include a letter from the applicant's Section stating that they support the application.

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2) MCSA ANNUAL REPRINTS 15 - 17 PUBLISHED

Steve Craven notified members who ordered reprints of the MCSA Annual no 15-17 that their copies were in the post by 30 March or at Cape Town Section Clubhouse according to stated preference.
The MCSA would like to thank him for his initiative and perseverance.

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3) TABLE MOUNTAIN: ILLEGAL BOLTING

>From a posting by the MCSA (Cape Town Section) rock climbing
subcommittee: A bolt was placed illegally at the top of Bombay Duck on Venster Buttress last month and as it will jeopardise relationship with Sanparks, it will be chopped.
Some background: Bolting on the Cape Peninsula has been a contentious issue since SanParks took over control of the land in the late-nineties. The MCSA rock climbing sub-committee then had to fight hard to prevent every bolted route on the peninsula from being chopped.
Since then, climbers who want to open new routes on the Peninsula's sport crags have to get permission through an easy application process. Table Mountain itself has always remained a bolt-free area except for a small number of strategically-positioned rap stations to be bolted on Table Mountain eg the ones on top of Africa and Fountain Ledge.
Given that people were already abseiling off a (rather
dubious) sling point above Bombay Duck, and that this is one of the most popular climbing venues on the mountain, the subcommittee feels there is a case for bolting a (legal) rap station that could serve all of the routes on Venster Buttress.
This will mean less traffic on the walk-off path, which is good for the environment and reduces the chances of rocks being trundled down on climbers below. They will be approaching SanParks on this issue and will keep climbers posted.

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4) UIAA INTERNATIONAL YOUTH MEET, MT OLYMPUS

Note that the price had been dropped to 285 euro for the youth meet to Mount Olympus (2917m), Greece, from 22-28 August 2008.
The ascent to the top will take place on Sunday 24 August, the date of the Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing:
"While one Olympic Torch is dimming, another Torch will be lit on the top of Mount Olympus by the UIAA Youth Mountaineering People to keep the Olympic values and ideals alive and send a message of peace and friendship to all young mountaineers in the world."
For more detail or application forms, contact petrogrobler@telkomsa.net. Applications close 30 April 2008.

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5) SNIPPETS

5.1) EDMUND HILLARY: Anyone who has recollections of Sir Edmund Hillary's visit to SA in 1993, should please contact Jenny Paterson (jpaterson@iburst.co.za).

5.2) WORLD MOUNTAINEERING INFORMATION: For over 35 years Mountain INFO has been an essential source of information on alpinism, big walls and mountaineering expeditions throughout the world. Edited by Lindsay Griffin, it has proved to be one of the best research sources for climbers planning visits to the world's mountains. In order to allow you to access this information more easily, CLIMB Magazine has put Mountain INFO on-line for FREE. Simply visit the Archives section of www.climbmagazine.com and download each month's Mountain INFO. Keep yourself up to date with what is happening in the World of mountaineering and plan your next expedition. From: Lindsay Griffin (mountaininfo@onetel.net; www.climbmagazine.com).

5.3) DIGITAL PHOTO CONTEST: "MOUNTAINS AND PEOPLE": The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and the Mountain Forum (MF)/ Asia Pacific Mountain Network (APMN) are jointly organising a Global Digital Photo Contest to mark the 25th Anniversary of ICIMOD on 5 December.
The theme is "Mountains and People" and there are four
categories:
1. Mountains - Geo/physical elements (mountain range, massif, mountain landscape, high altitude rangeland, bodies of water, waterfalls, rivers, etc) 2. Mountains - Hazards/disasters (landslides, floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, potentially dangerous glacial lakes, mud-slides, dangerous roads, trails & river crossings,
etc)
3. People - Livelihoods (farming, shifting cultivation, grazing, hunting, fishing, transhumance, trade, porterage, tourism, etc) 4. People - Culture (festivals, shamanism, rites of passage, dance , etc)
A panel of judges will select the entries for two Grand Prizes and four special Mentions based on a) composition, b) content, c) degree of 'mountain-ness' conveyed by content, d) originality, and e) overall b) effectiveness in conveying the theme/category of the contest.
Deadline for submission of entries: 9 May 2008
Details: http://www.icimod.org/photocontest/
Queries/clarifications: photocontest @icimod.org

5.4) EVEREST: The plans of several international expeditions and dozens of climbers scale the world's highest peak in May and June have been thrown into chaos by China, in effect closing the mountain on both sides.
The Chinese are anxious that nothing should disrupt the high point of the run-up to the Beijing Olympic Games in August - the carrying of the Olympic Torch up Everest's slopes as part of its relay procession around the globe, due to take place sometime in the first half of May. To make sure that nothing does disrupt it, the Chinese closed the mountain's north side in Chinese-occupied Tibet last week. At the weekend came the news that they have persuaded Nepal to close it from the south side also. The closures are likely to last for about the first 10 days in May, but this is the absolutely crucial time for Everest expeditions seeking the necessary acclimatisation on the mountain's lower slopes - and it means that most if not all expeditions will be impossible.
Nepal's government, high altitude guides, trekking and mountaineering industries and the region of Khumbu stand to lose millions of dollars if Everest is closed this season. They have been trying to convince the Chinese at least to allow expeditions from the Nepal side up to Camp 3 or on Nuptse.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/climbers-banned-from
-everest-as-china-seeks-to-stop-protests-on-summit-796782.html
http://www.nepalitimes.com/issue/391/Update/14566

5.5) 'ECO-EVEREST': A team of mountaineers unveiled plans for what could be the most environmentally-friendly attempt yet at scaling Everest -- where even bodily waste will not be left behind. Expedition leader Dawa Steven Sherpa said his 11-strong team will road test a United States-developed 'Clean Mountain Can', essentially a very strong, water-tight bucket that can be strapped on to backpacks. The idea, he said, was spawned last year when he spotted human waste high on a peak that the local Sherpa community and Tibetans consider to be sacred.
Years of commercial expeditions have left the 8 848m peak littered with ropes and equipment, oxygen bottles and rubbish -- a problem Sherpa also wants address. "Sherpas go up the mountain and they take a big load, and when they drop their load they come down empty. So I am going to give them a financial incentive to bring down garbage," the 23-year-old expedition leader said.
A fund has been established and will pay a dollar per kilo of waste brought down, and with $3 000 already donated, Sherpa thinks he can bring at least three of the estimated 10 tonnes of garbage that still litters the peak.
Sherpa will be testing other eco-friendly products at base camp including solar powered cookers and ovens instead of those that run of gas and kerosene.
Since it was first climbed in 1953 by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, Everest has been summitted more than 3 000 times

5.6) NEPAL: According to the Nepal Tourism Board, December 2007 capped a banner year, with air arrivals up 27% over the 2006 total. Overall, 2007 welcomed some 360 000 foreign air travelers to the country, making it the most successful year for tourism since 2000.
http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/03/23/travel/23Next.html?scp=1&sq=
katmandu+subsides&st=nyt

5.7) MACHU PICCHU, PERU: A memorandum of understanding between the government of Peru under the leadership of President Alan García and Yale University provides that Peru will have sole title to Machu Picchu materials discovered by explorer Hiram Bingham, including research materials at Yale. The memorandum also provides for the creation of an international traveling exhibit at Yale's expense and the return to Peru of almost all museum-quality objects currently held at Yale. The memorandum further provides for Yale's participation in advising a Peruvian museum and research center and scholarly exchanges.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/23/opinion/23karp-toledo.html?scp=
1&sq=%93The+Lost+Treasure+of+Machu+Picchu%2C%94&st=nyt
Rail access to the ancient Incan city of Machu Picchu, Peru's leading tourist attraction, was shut down after workers went on strike against private development around archaeological sites. The private British company PeruRail, which operates tourist trains between Cuzco and Machu Picchu, said it decided to suspend traffic during the strike in order to avoid incidents.
The protests were called against a new law which would permit private firms to set up shop in the areas close to Peru's archaeological sites. Protesters branded the law an "affront to the heritage" of the country.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/strike-closes-main-access-to-
machu-picchu/2008/02/22/1203467334837.html

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6) WHAT'S WHAT IN THE MCSA

The MCSA (Central Committee) has decided that members should be better informed about its workings, so this issue of MCSA eNews covers the UIAA Access and Conservation Commission.
MCSA member, Jeremy Colenso, became a full member of this commission in April 2007. Two meetings took place, one in May in Slovakia and the other in Scotland in November.
The main work of the commission is to promote reasonable access to uncultivated land for the benefit of mountaineers. The detail of how this is achieved may be found on the UIAA website.
It also monitors through its bi-annual meetings the current access and conservation positions of the member countries in the UIAA.
The current project of the commission is to achieve at United Nations level recognition of a 'fundamental right to relate to nature'. It is believed that this would be of great help to members of the UIAA because it may lead to a wider acceptance of the concept of reasonable access to uncultivated land.

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7) SECTION NEWSLETTERS NEW ON THE WEB SITE

None reported.

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Best regards

Petro Grobler
MCSA eNEWS Editor

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Most mountaineers and rock climbers believe that they leave little or no trace of their activities in the mountains, and as such should have ready and free access to some of the most remote places on earth. But if they do have a physical or, even more importantly, a chemical impact, then they too will need to be restricted from sensitive areas. Something that SANparks needs to take into consideration as human pressure on these cliff-faces increases.
SANParks will need to monitor the most-climbed cliffs to ensure that no long-term damage to these sensitive sites is incurred.
From: Table Mountain's cliff-face flora, Eugene Moll and Ernst van Jaarsveld for Peter Bapst, Veld & Flora (Journal of the Botanical Society of South Africa), vol 93(4), December 2007
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