Poverty and Rock Climbing

[ynp1]

https://mic.com/articles/166135/poverty ... 52427420=1

The author didn't care for the "guide book author" much.

I thought it was kind of a weak artical. Didn't have much of a point. What did you all think?

[EricDorsey]

Pretty condescending tone to the whole article. The author rips on climbers for not getting to know the locals yet brags that he "will consider the people that live in those homes as I drive past on the way to the crag". Wow, so big of him...

Not to mention the home discussed WAS a huge meth lab and not just some mean stereotype... But he comes down from Michigan a few times a year so obviously knows that

[tradosaurus_rex]

I don't understand how we're supposed to do a better job to 'consider the people who actually live there'. We create jobs by keeping the businesses running, especially the Beer Trailer which the author obviously realizes is not in Slade because Slade is in a dry county. Czechoslovakia doesn't exist anymore. Via ferrata isn't climbing. The gear prices listed are retail, who pays retail? Finally, unlike Playboy, people don't read climbing guidebooks for the thoughtful content, we want to see jugs.

[EricDorsey]

I liked the author's suggested price of $170 for a pair of shoes for a beginner. The author has no idea what he is talking about or is inflating numbers to try and prove his incorrect point...

[Ascentionist]

Haha, I don't care much for that guidebook author. I wouldn't climb with him if he was the only belay slave left on the planet. Just kidding Ray...don't ban me!

As a biological local to the area and not just a climbing local I have mixed feelings about the article. I appreciate that the author was trying to draw attention to the disparities. Believe me, its something I've tried to do for a couple of decades now. I try to get locals to see visitors to the Gorge as normal people and I try to dispel stereotypes about the locals to my climbing (and hiking/biking/paddling) friends. I've been trying to understand why more locals aren't climbers, backpackers, photographers, etc, etc. It's not because we're dumb hillbillies; there's some other cultural divide that exists. In other rural areas places like the Gorge spawn a local culture of environmentalism, love of nature, participation in outdoor recreational activities and the like. And its not that those things don't exist around the Red, but its really a small contingent of local artists and enthusiasts compared to what you'd expect.

I can't understand why there's not a big outdoor retails chain in Slade. After decades of the Gorge being a premier outdoor destination you would think you could show up and buy any kind of gear you wanted. I do understand a lot of the factors affecting this, but still, you would almost think progress would defy minor obstacles. So what are the major obstacles?

[lena_chita]

https://mic.com/articles/166135/poverty ... 52427420=1

The author didn't care for the "guide book author" much.

I thought it was kind of a weak artical. Didn't have much of a point. What did you all think?

There wasn't much point to it. It is not news to anyone with half a pea for brain that climbing is a relatively expensive sport (even if you adjust the gear prices that the author has posted), and that majority of climbers come from priviledged, relatively affluent background. And the fact that Slade is one of the poorest places in the US has been discussed in more than one opinion piece ( better than the author of this article does).

But beyond noting these two rather obvious things, and a dig at "the guidebook author" (I'd like to hear Ray's story with more in-depth details about that house) the article is rather pointless: "Look at me, I'm a climber, I hae gear, and I drive to KY from Michigan couple times a year! But I'm not just a climber. I think deep thoughts, and I can talk about those thoughts! Even if I'm not quite sure what's the point is... but I was paid to write, and I had to produce certain number of words that are travel-related for the company that pays me to write these words, and I did it! So there... look at the stock image of Via Ferrata, because I couldn't find any climbing pictures of the RRG that were not copyright-protected..."

[businessprofessional]

Yea....

It seems like the article has a pretty arrogant tone, and to me it seems laughable that people who have been climbing in the gorge for years and years ("the guidebook author") are less connected to the local community than somebody who comes down a few times per year. Also, meth is real, for real bro.

That said, I was bored at work and the article did entertain me for a few minutes, so I can't bash it too hard.

[Nick]

For one, that section in the guidebook is funny as shit and I laughed when I read it. You know what is a fuck ton more expensive than a set of quickdraws? A purpose built Polaris RAZR 4x4 dune buggy that costs more than a new car! Granted many of those people probably aren't from Slade proper either. I understand there is a natural hesitation from both Michigan yuppies and heehollerin' rednecks from interacting with one another but other than at the gas station, Koops, or the Beer trailer, when are they supposed to? Climbers are usually polite and support the places they buy shit at.

The author of the article is basically saying don't stereotype or judge people just because it looks like a Toys'R'Us semi truck broke open in the middle of the yard. The tone is that climbers are all driving down from whatever suburb or college they go to and look down in scorn on the poverty of the area. I see just as much poverty driving around my own city. The issue is an overwhelmingly complex one with no easy solutions but I'll be damned if I don't judge anybody who's front lawn looks like a Busch recycling center or whoever throws a McDonald's bag out of their window in Miller Fork, just sayin.

[BostonHammock]

Related?
http://money.cnn.com/2017/02/06/news/ec ... ended_pool

I like their portrayal of rock climbers flocking to the area for it's "peak's and natural bridges"...


But it certainly does give a much better insight into the area than the article Ray posted.

[Ascentionist]

For one, that section in the guidebook is funny as shit and I laughed when I read it. You know what is a fuck ton more expensive than a set of quickdraws? A purpose built Polaris RAZR 4x4 dune buggy that costs more than a new car! Granted many of those people probably aren't from Slade proper either. I understand there is a natural hesitation from both Michigan yuppies and heehollerin' rednecks from interacting with one another but other than at the gas station, Koops, or the Beer trailer, when are they supposed to? Climbers are usually polite and support the places they buy shit at.

The author of the article is basically saying don't stereotype or judge people just because it looks like a Toys'R'Us semi truck broke open in the middle of the yard. The tone is that climbers are all driving down from whatever suburb or college they go to and look down in scorn on the poverty of the area. I see just as much poverty driving around my own city. The issue is an overwhelmingly complex one with no easy solutions but I'll be damned if I don't judge anybody who's front lawn looks like a Busch recycling center or whoever throws a McDonald's bag out of their window in Miller Fork, just sayin.

I can attest that most of the expensive off-road toys are coming from out of town. Most, not all. Its still strange to me that folks who can't get decent jobs still manage to drive really nice cars and have more expensive toys than I could ever afford with my professional job. It took me twenty years to replace my aged trad rack.

Bubba down the road has a jacked up diesel pickup, $20,000 trailer, and his-and-her RAZRs (hers is pink). Bubba might be in hock up to his armpits, but he's got his priorities straight. This isn't unique to Eastern Kentucky. There are rednecks everywhere. Ours just have quaint Appalachian accents.

What is truly perplexing to me is that all of the northern Bubbas seem to have money to spend while few locals seem to have the ambition to coax it out of their wallets. Miguel was able to do just that with climbers and in a big way.