kheegster wrote:Really dumb question, but what's the MLC SC?

Sierra Club.

1000Pks wrote:I thought I read similar about Mt. Fuji in Japan. I think Japanese lore states that it had been climbed, many times in ancient times, there's nothing that hard about that. In the style of the 1850's, it was to be credited to others, or something like that.

I've heard that the name "Fujiyama" is actually a corruption the Ainu phrase Huchi Kamui. The Ainu were the aboriginal original race of Japan; I wonder if they climbed the mountain first?

I see a lot of couples at the crags, in their mid 20's, a white guy, and a asian woman. the women usally lead harder as well. apparently they make really good ropeguns...

Are Sherpas considered "white"? I've climbed with Asians, Indians, and Pakistanis.

Good points, all. I was just chatting about this on the way back from the crag today. I agree with the fact that Sherpas would not have been climbing in the Himalayas if the Brits didn't come along and offer to pay them to climb. I wish there was demographic data on this, like the breakup of climbers' race. My friends and I came to the conclusion that it would probably be about 95% white, maybe 4 % Asian, and 1% "All Other Races". That's not based on any factual evidence, just some numbers we came up with.

Of course, at the end of the day, it doesn't matter at all what your race is. Just get out there and climb!

knoback wrote:Race aside, this child is showing obvious signs of Widitis, a progressive, incurable genetic disease. If she doesn't get therapeutic exposure to molded plastic resin immediately, she risks chronic back pain, wrecked shoulders, horrible body odor, disfiguring scars, and permanent nasty attitude. Please notify the parents.

Widitis? She's a significantly better climber on real rock than plastic, mostly because the holds in rock gyms are spaced too far apart. But 5.7 granite slab is pretty easy for her.

knoback wrote:Widitis = wide crack addiction. Wedged in a chimney, scrapes all over her legs, enthusiastic smile - she has all the signs. That shit-eating grin is the key. It shows up on a small percentage of faces of every shape and color exposed to the heights. If the propensity is there, opportunity and support are the limiting factors.

Ah yes, she does enjoy chimneying, even artificial chimneys in the rock gym.

Well this is a interesting post... my black friend next to me says its because we are stupid and volunteer to go out on that crap. He says his people went through slavery and struggled to be able to live in a house and have ac and shit. So why in the world would they want to go back outside, sleep in the rain and cold, and eat terrible food??? White people are just stupid and have always had a house, food, ac.. so they decide to give that up and go deal with harsh conditions??? Idiots...

ok back to me now... lol. He is a trip, we have had this discussion before also, we both just end up laughing our butts off about his argument. I can argue his point though.. lol

It is very interesting though how very rarely do you see a black person hiking in the outdoors, although this really only pertains to european and american areas i think. I imagine that in places like Africa there are plenty of black hikers... maybe.

Pyroman9 wrote:It is very interesting though how very rarely do you see a black person hiking in the outdoors

I was out riding my mountain bike in the Los Gatos hills yesterday afternoon. A black dude was trail running and passed my slow ass on the uphill I see black people in the climbing gym all the time. Visit Yosemite Valley and you will see them there too.

I lived back east for the first 29 years of my life, so I know what you are saying though.. culturally I think Silicon Valley and other large western cities are different.

Climbing, especially the alpine kind many folks on this forum like (as opposed to, say, bouldering, which doesn't necessitate travel costs or expensive gear investments), tends to favor those with expendable income & freetime. In the US, this generally skews the profile of your average climber to one with a fairer complexion. Here in California, using this same set of influences (& the corresponding demographics of the area), you can extend this 'typical climber' profile a bit to include people of eastern Asian descent as well.

If you're struggling to support your family & to just make ends meet, you're not going to be as inclined to go out & suffer in your freetime, regardless of your skin color (go to your nearest trailer park & take a poll to see how many climbers you find there).

Come to southern cali these days, probably almost half of the rock climbing population is Asian in and around LA.

Diggler wrote:Climbing, especially the alpine kind many folks on this forum like (as opposed to, say, bouldering, which doesn't necessitate travel costs or expensive gear investments), tends to favor those with expendable income & freetime. In the US, this generally skews the profile of your average climber to one with a fairer complexion. Here in California, using this same set of influences (& the corresponding demographics of the area), you can extend this 'typical climber' profile a bit to include people of eastern Asian descent as well.

If you're struggling to support your family & to just make ends meet, you're not going to be as inclined to go out & suffer in your freetime, regardless of your skin color (go to your nearest trailer park & take a poll to see how many climbers you find there).

As a Latino, I've often thought about this question. While I've encountered a few other Latinos on hikes, the black hiker, in my experience, is still a rarity. Once you get past straight hiking and move to backpacking, mountaineering, and rock climbing, the faces of color really dwindle. I think Diggler summarizes a great deal of the answer, the socioeconomic factor (which factor as she correctly points out accounts for the paucity of whites from the lowest socioeconomic rungs opting for these activities).

But with a growing middle class among Latinos, blacks and other ethnic groups of color in the U.S., why don't you see more of their middle class members and professionals participating in the activities we're talking about? I think role models play a part here. You just don't see many photos of non-white faces (identified as Americans) smiling from atop snowy peaks in foreign lands or climbing some airy route in Yosemite or Patagonia. I think the role model factor extends to both kids and adults. Especially for kids, lack of role models may prevent them from ever considering that such activities may be for them. The individuals and groups that organize outings for kids from inner cities are making a good start to show these kids what an enhancement to life loving the outdoors can be.

My 2 cents.

rhyang wrote:I was out riding my mountain bike in the Los Gatos hills yesterday afternoon. A black dude was trail running and passed my slow ass on the uphill

A black dude in LG? That's almost as rare as seeing a black dude in the back country!

McCannster wrote:

rhyang wrote:I was out riding my mountain bike in the Los Gatos hills yesterday afternoon. A black dude was trail running and passed my slow ass on the uphill

A black dude in LG? That's almost as rare as seeing a black dude in the back country!

Times they are a changin'

MoapaPk wrote:I was asked several times to explain the accident, and at first all the listeners responded with indifference. Finally I was asked again by the radiologist, a Black woman, and she responded, "Hon, don't rock climb; it makes no sense."

Her reaction has nothing to do with the color of her skin probably - I got a similar reaction from my middle-aged white male orthopedic surgeon treating my shoulder fracture - "Don't climb, climbing is dangerous" (as in don't climb period, not just because I had an effed up shoulder).