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With the increasing popularity of climbing over the last decade, do you guys think that in the next decade that trend will continue, or do you see things tapering off? I've been climbing for 8 years now and I can't believe the changes even I've seen. I'm sure those of you out there who have been climbing for 30+ years would really have something to say. I commend the access fund for their recent "boulder project", and it seems to me that perhaps the sport and trad communities ought to consider something similar. I understand that climbing is climbing, and the ethics asserted by the boulder project apply to all of us including the "un-naturally minded newbies", but the bottom line in my opinion is that the red and similar areas receive too much traffic to sustain the pristine feel that they once had. I'm curious to know what other people think........

neod...dig deep on here..I believe this has been discussed several times. every generation of climbers think there are "too many" of the next. any suggestions for limiting people's enjoyment?

Theres an increase in climbers but there is also lots of new areas with new routes going up. Thanks to the Webers and the Coalition. I've noticed there are alot less people going to crags on FS soil this and last year. I've noticed the number of trad only climbers has remained about constant here. There is so much sport, why pack around a rack?

I'll bet we reach saturation in 30 years, But I think it depends on technological inovation. If gyms evolve to be more like the outdoors, that would keep thi increase coming.

I agree with ynot. Keep putting up new lines with good trails to access those routes.

pigsteak wrote:neod...dig deep on here..I believe this has been discussed several times. every generation of climbers think there are "too many" of the next. any suggestions for limiting people's enjoyment?

I think we should continue climbing more just don't enjoy it so much. That should solve the[roblem.

i agree that new areas will be discovered and old areas will grow. the sport is not going to get smaller any time soon.

a bad trend is that one or two places in a large area get all the traffic. in bishop you can be bouldering by yourself in the massive boulderfeilds of dale's camp and look across the valley to the buttermilks where people are literally lining up to climb. the buttermilks has a detailed guide and is the movies, dales camp has vague directions ( and who is that dale bard guy anyway ).

out here in seattle, everyone is at exit 38 and one wall at exit 32. there are four or five areas that never see any traffic that are equidistant and the same quality. 38 and 32 have guidebooks the others do not.

should we as a community make more guidebooks and try to spread the masses out or keep our mouths shut about most areas while building up the crowded ones to sustain the impact?

how much of this is natural product of ever increasing climbers and how much of it is orchestrated by guidebook authors, magazine articles, and movies?

still one theme remains pretty consistent. the longer the approach the less climbers. if you want to be by yourself hike to a more remote crag that mostly has hard climbs.

We may need to look deeper into this as well, because I don't think the stats are really true. I actually believe that fewer and fewer climbers actually climb. Who is it to say? Links, studies, anyone?