Continue with onX Maps
Sign in with Facebook
Indiana's Best Crag!
 |
Allen Toney wrote: What makes you think that this is a good idea? Not only climbing in illegal areas but wanting to increase traffic in the areas. Not a good look for the climbing community. |
|
I'm sick and tired of rope solo |
|
So in other words, you don't have a reason for climbing in a prohibited area and bringing more traffic to said area. |
|
Yeh man, you're threatening access to all the other world class climbing in Indiana. |
|
Legal climbing is in the hoosier national forest. It's more choss so i climb here. If the state really gave a shit about the rare plants, endangered species, and Native American artifacts, then they would stop logging to balance the budget. It is sensitive habitat, I haven't posted it as a new location to mountain project because it is illegal and I don't want excessive traffic as there are barn owls there which I haven't disturbed by not climbing the overhanging cracks at their roost. Barn owls are on all continents but Antarctica, however are state endangered due to poor habitat. Unlike large trees which are almost entirely logged out, their cliff home is there to stay. We are all parasites on the earth, should I drive nearly 3 hours to the red everytime I wanna climb quality rock or nearly an hour to the closest gym to pay $12 a day or $50 a month, think of the wood it would take to build a woody or the resources you take for granted. Then again the cheap shit is pine so it wouldn't come from these hardwood forests. Maybe your hardwood floors helped destroy the forests that make barn owls state endangered or the whisky barrels made only from white oak in Ohio river valley that prevents my state from allowing me to climb in areas where species have become isolated. Cant hug your tree and burn it too. Damn shit got negative and in a big waste of time and energy. |
|
Toney, we want to protect access not the the earth, err well both but as you point out we are all hypocrites on the latter. Dude, if you want to climb near where you live, move somewhere with legal climbing. Pretty simple. |
|
Dude I TOTALLY understand about being rock-starved, and wanting to just climb anything you see. Everyone on this forum wants to just climb whatever they see without any consequences. What you're doing in and of itself is pretty much OK. Climbing is a not bad. And its a state park, so people are going to be hiking around and stuff and they will put more pressure on any endangered life than you will. But its pretty much the principle of the thing. The last thing I want is to say 'dude don't climb' but that's kinda what we have to. Climbing used to be counter-culture, and that was that. It was a much less popular sport. But now that everyone and their uncle has been to the local climbing gym, its super popular. Which is great, but also means that the impact is much greater. So now we have places like White Mountain National Forest in NH. Like, just a forest, right? But the cliffs of Rumney are packed everyday. So people really notice climbing. So if the impression people have of climbers is 'oh they don't care about rules, regulations, or principles, they just climb wherever they feel' than that hurts everyone. So as annoying and frustrating as it is, you, as a member of the climbing community, are helping yourself and others keep access to sweet locations by not climbing illegally. If someone makes a fuss of you climbing in the state forest, thats going to push you further away from being able to climb there. But if you approach the situation legally and slowly, than we have a chance to make some bomber locations accessible, like yours in Indiana. I know it sucks, but you'd be helping us and yourself out by sticking to rules. Maybe work towards getting climbing legal there. Sure can't hurt. |
|
Used to climb at Portland Arch in Attica, IN 45 years ago but that was before the Nature Conservancy. Not sure but don't think climbing is allowed there anymore... https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/indiana/portland-arch-nature-preserve |
|
Allen Climb the shit out of it without harming anything. If they catch you and whoever you're with and throw you out, accept whatever consequences come with it. The way things are going, big oil and mining will own everything soon anyway. |
|
I hear logging accross the ohio down near a quarry from the crag, (which is state forest), not a state park which the cost of entry was raised under our now vice president. However the other side of the river is kentucky's jurisdiction, hopefully we get more bears cross the river, too bad it doesn't get low enough due to damns anymore for more wildlife to cross. In the hoosier national forest next door to hemlock cliffs at messmore cliff there is a nice bike trail kept clear by off road vehicles illegally, can also follow logging trails. |
|
You said that you didn't post the location because it is illegal and you didn't want to increase traffic because it is a sensitive habitat. Yet by making your original post, you are doing just that, increasing traffic. You can try to rationalize it any way you want, but just own it. Say "I'm going to climb wherever I want no matter the impact on the environment or the consequences to the climbing community because I want to". |
Allen Toney wrote: The only arrogance is yours. You admit that it is a sensitive habitat but choose to climb there anyway. What can you do to the climbing community? Make us look bad as a user group by disobeying laws and regulations. It's not all about you. |
Allen Toney wrote:  |
|
Rock climbing in IN stinks. Maybe you should go caving... http://www.idsnews.com/article/2017/09/iu-freshman-found-after-surviving-three-days-in-a-cave |
|
I would maybe get in touch with the betafund and/or the Ill climber's coalition and RRGCC? Indiana doesn't seem to have an Access Fund affiliate and at least the betafund has experience dealing with a fairly similar land ownership structure. I feel you on just wanting to fucking get people out there!!! I'm from central Indiana and trying to get into climbing was really hard. |
|
Climb there if you want, but stop spraying about it on the internet. If you don't intend to post the area on MP then why are you talking about it on a forum here? |
Jon Frisby wrote: I grew up in Indianapolis and started hiking and caving in middle school. I got interested in rock climbing through caving (it was a pretty obscure sport in 1971) but managed to do some climbing in the Hoosier National Forest and also at Portland Arch (before it was forbidden). Better than nothing, but still pretty sorry climbing on rotten sandstone mostly. There are some limestone outcrops in Southern IN but I don't know about access. Better to move somewhere more interesting... |
Jim Fox wrote: I grew up in Fishers. I started climbing in So Ill and the Red with my cousin in high school but was never able to consistently get on rock until moving to the northeast for law school. Bummer. I think I could have gained a lot being more consistent in my youth |
Jon Frisby wrote: Portland Arch used to be my go to spot but it was purchased by the Nature Conservancy in the late 70's and they outlawed climbing. I'm guessing it's still not allowed. |
