As a climber I confess to harking to Hillary's sentiment, at least
initially, about the desecration of Snowdon. It is not that I am an elitist
who believes that only the truly rugged (and foolhardy) ought to be able to
reach the summit of mountains like Snowdon. Rather I am uncomfortable with
the idea of reducing a mountain like Snowdon to the status of 'commodity'.
Remember that the operators of the railway are not motivated by the desire
to open up access to the mobility impaired; this is merely a serendipitous
by-product of their search for profits.
The same argument applies to the more recently completed Cairngorm
funicular; a monstrosity that actually decants its users straight into an
ESA!
On the other hand, I am increasingly fascinated by the way modern
mountaineering gear is creating a new relationship between climber and
environment; one that is at once highly technologised (e.g. Goretex
everything) and highly commodified (e.g. Goretex everything!). The days of
a stout pair of boots and an army surplus rucksack are long gone.
Chad
Dr Chad Staddon
Senior Lecturer in Human Geography
University of the West of England
Coldharbour Lane, Bristol
ENGLAND BS16 1QY
TEL: (0117) 328-3214
----- Original Message -----
From: "jon swords" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2005 1:35 PM
Subject: Re: Snowdon Cafe
Plus, after climbing a mountain a nice cup of tea and a cake would go down
very well!
The first time i went to the Lake District i marvelled at the natural
scenery...until i realised that what i was seeing - a lot of fields, and a
treeless landscape - was created by farmers. So, i guess you have to
appreciate that what seems natural is in some cases very unnatural (and
thats even before you get on to nature as a social construction!)
Jon
>From: Mike Kesby <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Mike Kesby <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Snowdon Cafe
>Date: Tue, 29 Mar 2005 13:11:55 +0100
>
>Trouble is Hillary - railways and cafes are all very useful for the
>elderly, children and those with disabilities and prevent "our best
>landscapes/highest mountains" becoming "spaces of exclusion".
>But never fear - the "best views" of this particular mountain are available
>from nearby "Crib Gogh" (spelling ?). This knife edge ridge is likely to
>remain accessible only to the able bodied/experienced/fool-hardy climber
>for the foreseeable future - thereby preventing its commodification by
>capitalist enterprise (although not by "Munro" baggers who fetishize
>landscape elements, especially summits).
>I think your cable car up Everest is a great idea (although I'm not sure
>such a rapid assent would be healthy) as it would aid the recovery of the
>bodies of those who decided to walk and then wished they hadn't.
>
>I think one should treat mountain climbing like life: it's not the getting
>there that matters - it's what you see and learn on the way that counts:
>It's not how high you climb but whether you do it with style and without
>treading on the fingers of others: treat every pinnacle of achievement as a
>brief enjoyable high before another long decent into the valley of life's
>miseries: While everyone wants to get to the top, the top is a very lonely
>and dangerous place to be, and besides sometimes the greater pleasure is
>simply to watch others try ... and fail: and finally, If you do find a
>restaurant at the top of your mountain of achievement take it as an
>indication that you weren't the first, and you wont be the last. The key
>thing is, can you still say: "I did it ....... Myyyyy waaayyyyy"
>:-)
>
>Mike
>hhmmm perhaps I needed another day's holiday
>
>
>
>>What is that of a conception of the "natural"? What is "our best
>>landscape"? Where humans dwell - by building for example - the "natural"
>>regresses? Is landscape destroyed by humans' dwelling? Is "nature" the
>>virgin place and a "good" landscape one without human?
>>
>>
>>Le 27 mars 05, à 21:58, Hillary Shaw a écrit :
>>
>>>Why do we need to plonk anything at the top of Snowdon at all. We already
>>>have a rack railway running up and down it - why not take this
>>>opportunity to demolish the 'third rate cafe' altogether and build a good
>>>visitor centre, cafe, etc at the bottom end of the railway. Keep the top
>>>of one of our best landscapes / highest mountains as natural as possible.
>>>(What would people's reaction be if Nepal announced it was to build a
>>>hotel at the top of Everest, accessed by a cable car?)
>>>
>>>Hillary Shaw, Geography, University of Southampton
>>>
>>>
>>>In the dim and distant past, the building at the top of Snowdon was
>>>labelled "Hotel" on OS maps.
>>>
>>>I was very disappointed, after my first ascent, to discover it was a
>>>third rate cafe!
>>>
>>>I wonder if a new building will improve the quality of the comestibles
>>>offered.
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>
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