stix wrote:The quick version. Alli and Kevin were super pissed the draws came down cuz it violated a global consensus. As opposed to talking to anyone involved they emailed Chuck Odette and talked a bunch of shit about shit they didn't really know and called out Dario and Tackett for not getting involved. They encouraged Petzl to think about including bylaws to prevent cleaning routes and removing Petzl's support from the red. Chuck seemed to agree and talked some more shit behind everyone's back based on false shit. Tackett responded and cc'd tons of folks who were being slandered and to open communication. No communication actually occurred as was to be expected, just more whining and shit talking. Finally someone called someone and Chuck and Cletus talked as well as Kevin and Cletus. Chuck apologized to everyone via email and Nick Duttle got the draws from everyone at Miguel's and from what i understand the Lago Linda's folks hung up from Resurrection left to the cave.
That's pretty much what happened. Just so everyone is on the same page I am still VERY motivated to establish an agreed upon ethic/policy on the future of pd's at the Red. There is talk of another meeting in mid-december. I am still of the opinion that routes at the red being fully equipped with pd's, with exception of maybe the madness cave and the cave at bob marley, is a non-sustainable solution due in part to the amount of traffic the red sees on an annual basis. I think that with a greater restriction on pd's at the red we could raise funds and maintain fixed gear with 1 annual fundraiser and 1 annual "fixed gear maintenance day".
I'd also like to take this opportunity to clear up some rumors and confusion that seems to be circulating throughout the community. There seems to be a lot of talk about people feeling threatened at the crags. For some reason a lot of this sentiment seems to be a reaction to supposed "violent threats" and "bullying" made by me to climbers both in person and on this website. To be clear I HAVE NEVER MADE ANY THREATS OF VIOLENCE TO ANYONE OR SUGGESTED VIOLENCE AS A SOLUTION TO ANY PROBLEMS we are facing here at the red. To my knowledge the only violent threats that have been circulating are from Chuck Odette (he sent an email stating that if need be he'd buy a ticket to KY to come settle this "old-school style") and from others in the community who have expressed to Michelle ellington that they will "break windshields" and "cause physical harm" to anyone who touches their quick draws. I called chuck after reading an email he sent out accusing me of using my gun to threaten climbers at the crag, suggesting that the reasons the draws came down was because I am weak and am pissed that pro-climbers are warming up on my projects, asking local buisnesses to boycott me, asking local climbers to "run me out of town", suggesting that my behavior is a akin to generations of child abuse, etc, etc. I'm curious if anyone who feels "uncomfortable", "threatened" or "unwelcome" at the crags has had this kind of dialoge directed at them? Has anyone sent out widespread emails defacing your character, threatening you, asking the community to run you out of town?
I spoke with Kevin Wilkenson for about an hour yesterday before he put up the draws. He expressed to me the deep hurt the removal of the draws has caused him, his wife and "hundreds" of climbers who have visited the red this fall. After hearing him talk about the huge amount of distress generated from seven or eight individuals removing pd's from the undertow without public discussion I have come to the conclusion that the level of sensitivity within the greater climbing community has grown exponentially in the last ten years. For the record I am not interested in dancing around people's "feelings" and when it comes down to it I dont really care if removing pd's makes people feel unwelcome. If hanging and cleaning your draws ruins your trip thats your problem. If climbers excersising their right to remove abandoned gear that they deem unsafe to climb on ruins your trip thats not my problem. ANY gear left on the wall is and always has been considered abandoned and is subject to removal without community consensus. If this is not in line with some vague global standard and causes visiting climbers distress I suggest that you climb somewhere else because this is not likely to change at any point. I would like to say that Kevin was easy to talk to, reasonable and I felt like we cleared up a lot of confusion between the two of us. He seems like a good guy and seems willing to work with the community whatever we decide. I'd like to invite anyone who feels threatened by me to come talk to me, I'd like to clear that up. I'd also like to invite anyone who will break windshields or cause physical harm to anyone who touches their draws to contact me, I'd like to know who you are. -cletus
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