I went to Fernkloof yesterday for the first time in a while and found loads of evidence that are taking over our sport. The amount of cigarette butts, orange peels, and various wrappers, particularly arond the belaying spots, is compelling proof that we are not the only species that enjoys the vertical challenge.

Slow roast the s on a spit I say!

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Hi Danny,

I was discussing the very same with some of the other chaps last week saying that over the last month I have found an increasing amount of trash at the kloof. I have on every occasion now had to pick up and remove rubbish.

One set of culprits are the baboons. They have now officially become a pest and the last two weeks I have been there they have raided one of the parties rucksacks and taken food. They then tear it apart and leave the wrappers etc. strewn over the kloof. We pick it up again but I suspect the average day tripper simply leaves without picking up the mess the baboons have made.

However the stompies are another issue...cant blame the baboons for that. They are definitely from baboons from another muther. I will speak to the lady at the gate and mention it to her. Maybe ask her to put up a sign at the small gate at the top of the left hand camp site and another at the fence at the top of the right hand camp site warning about the baboons and encouraging people not to litter and to watch their packs.

Hei Colin!
Interesting phenomenon, those baboons. Never saw any yesterday but I'll bet they have figured that mid-week raids are not going to yeild much. Do you think they mean us harm?
To be honest, I don't think they had anything to do with it - there were only a couple of wrappers but a lot of orange peels and stompies all around the belaying spots. I think that a more "informal" sign (perhaps pinned to the tree opposite Stormwatch), aimed at climbers in specific would have a better impact. I'm not sure when I'll get out there again, but I'll work on something.

heh heh Danny...."do they mean us harm"....Just as long as they dont start nesting and some bunny hugger puts up signs so we cant climb the bottom section anymore

Ditto.

Re the CLIMBERS- let's sort this out ourselves - bringing land-owners into it very often gets a negative response - very often closing the crag! (!!! %&$ !!)
If you see someone's crap - take the hit and remove it. We're as guilty if we don't
If you see someone else doing it. Hit him and remove him - preferably in several pieces.
If that's not your style then spread the word on who it is.

This is where the root of value in institutions like the MCSA lie - if you say that only MCSA members are allowed access to a certain area, then the MCSA naturally has credible recourse to individuals that spoil it for everyone - namely being refused membership and therefore access to the climbing area. I'm not suggesting any access changes - just an academic ramble - let's make sure that climbers have and use recourse to other climbers for such bahaviour

Re the BABOONS: Indeed officially an issue. I've been hit several times, last time the bugger sneaked up on me while I was belaying Tessa, it waited for me to engage in essential rope-work and then grabbed lunch from a METER away from me.
If feel guilty on two counts:
1) Two sets of my lunch wrappers are hiding in the vacinity
2) We are ultimately interfering with the biome that we value so dearly

Should we open the debate about arranging a food cage similar to the ones in the other kloofs?
The baboons have to stop getting our stuff - for the sake of the pristinity of the kloof and the natural balance of things - our hunger is secondary.

PS: They also enjoy climbing shoes - some beta-male stole one of Greg's climbing shoes and was pondering it's use high up out of reach. He was only persuaded to drop it into the pool after a badly-aimed rock was thrown. - like I say...