Wall Water Ethics

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Melissa

Gym climber
berkeley, ca
Jun 5, 2007 - 02:54pm PT
In the high traffic areas of Yosemite, I think booty water can be a very good thing. It doesn't last that long, and it seems people generally pick up junk in exchange for what they've been giving.

Walls are a rare occasion when I prefer store bought water b/c I know it won't go bad for a long time if I do cache it. It's such a special treat to crack open sealed booty water when you're going leathery!

Generally, we take every empty that we find...and the occasional rancid pee bottle too.
Tom

Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo CA
Jun 5, 2007 - 03:39pm PT
I've never been on an El Cap wall where I didn't find and haul out other people's trash. Since I do obscure routes, this typically happens at the odd pitch that is shared with a trade route. For example, from the ground all the way to Chickenhead ledge on the Mushroom was pristine. The last three pitches are shared by the Shield, and right off Chickenhead there were eight or ten empty bottles shoved behind a big flake.

Even worse, there were no fixed booty cams to pay for removing the garbage. All I got was an off-route angle, a pretty big one.



I would like to see a water fountain installed on every pitch of every bigwall..

A sandwich stand would be nice also..



A couple of years ago, I was seriously thinking of jugging Fake Blast to Heart, and setting up a lemonade stand. I figured everybody would buy, even if I had to trust them to pay me later in Camp 4. Plus the photos would have been hilarious.
Nefarius

Big Wall climber
Fresno, CA
Jun 5, 2007 - 03:46pm PT
I've thought of setting up on top of Half Dome.... Water and Beer. A buck a squirt! hahaha It's amazing how many people I've seen up there who thought they would do the entire hike with a nalgene or even NO water. People who are in sad shape to begin with!
Wade Icey

Big Wall climber
Indian Caves, CA
Jun 5, 2007 - 03:56pm PT
wasn't there a story about someone setting up a concession, beer and soda at the top of the mist trail a few years back in one of the rags?
I think fiction and way funny if I recall correctly. Largo or Fish maybe?





David Pagel?
Historians?
10b4me

Trad climber
Hell A
Jun 5, 2007 - 04:04pm PT
folks, keep in mind the Yosemite cleanup. I believe it's the first weekend of October.
ricardo

Gym climber
San Francisco, CA
Jun 5, 2007 - 04:05pm PT
godamm ..

.. my dream is of setting up a pizza delivery service to el capitan ..

.. i'd go in as partners on the lemonade stand idea though ..
TradIsGood

Happy and Healthy climber
the Gunks end of the country
Jun 5, 2007 - 04:06pm PT
John Vawter,
to be sure, algae are photosynthetic, but I am having a hard time figuring out what the source of the algae are in your water bottles. If they are not in the water to begin with, it seems unlikely that they just get there from your lips.

So, are you filling your bottles from an algae source? If there is water on the climb, is there any need to leave water behind?
John Vawter

Social climber
San Diego
Jun 5, 2007 - 04:30pm PT
Unknown, but probably extraneous since chlorinated tap water is unlikely to be the source. That assumes that what we saw growing was algae and not some other contaminant.

But in the Valley climbers often fill bottles at the Spring. Obviously that has algae in it.

P.S. Good point TIG. Algae and other living stuff is an unlikely contaminant in tap water. So I should only say that factory sealed bottles have less chance of contamination (from any source) than bottles you re-use. The backwash from mouth to bottle contact is the real problem with leaving water behind. So best to leave unopened bottles as Karl suggests, or like Clint, pour the water into a container before drinking.
salad

climber
San Diego
Jun 5, 2007 - 04:45pm PT
I had a suffer-fest on Lurking Fear a few summers ago in a July heat wave. I cramped and puked from day one.

Anyway, I was at the point on the descent were a honestly didn't think I could keep going for much longer. Out of water and miserable. Found a coupla liters at the top of Zod, we each took a liter. It was enough to do the trick, but barely.

We also drank some cached water on Thanksgiving the day before that was pretty rank, but had no ill effects.


clockclimb

Trad climber
Orem, Utah
May 13, 2014 - 11:20pm PT
I treat water with clorox. I drop per 2 liter bottle. I have never had a problem drinking cached water no matter how many years old it was or how green or cloudy it looked.

You can leave clear water in clear plastic bottles out in the midday summer sun for a few hours and it is good to go. The U.V. kills everything dangerous to you. This method is promoted heavily in third world countries by health organizations - no supplies needed other than the reusable bottles.
cuvvy

Sport climber
arkansas
May 15, 2014 - 12:54am PT
I may get my first visit to the valley this fall.We are talking about south face as the primer to aid, i would be very disappointed to find food and water on the route.
i think it has to do with more laziness than helping fellow climbers. Its only like a 1000 ft??? I would like to feel like we are pioneering explorers....50 years late of course. I like the leave no trace ethic. So many people enjoying the outdoors now, best to leave it clean and as wild as possible
deuce4

climber
Hobart, Australia
May 15, 2014 - 04:33am PT
Trash is trash. Take everything off. Leave only slings if you bail.
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