I recently spent four days in the cederberg, and was shocked at how many people don't know how to shit in the woods!

People will walk 3 metres from a cave, take a dump, use 5 metres of TP, then just put a stone on top and carry on.

Cape Nature needs to introduce a pack-it-out policy like the Grand Canyon, or boskakking should be taught as a school subject.

Its only a matter of time before giardia infests the Cederberg like it has already on TM...

Any idea if it was locals or foreigners (and then what country)?
Generally speaking Euro's are notoriously bad at this.

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Climb ZA - Administrator

I suspect locals. You find it a lot in normal hiking areas where not many Euros go.

Has anyone ever used a big-wall style pooptube for hiking/climbing trips? Would be good for places like spout cave where there is very little topsoil to biodegrade ones deposits.

what did it smell like?
the local odour is apparently more pungant, whilst euro crap is more herby.

agreed, there is a need to transform the padkakkers into honourable boskakkers quite urgently!

We also saw a crapload (excuse the pun) of toilet paper and human waste scattered all over Rocklands last weekend. Plus a lot of finger tape and general rubbish at all the bouldering areas. There needs to be a concerted effort at making foreigners (and locals) think about their impact. Not sure of the best way to do this - signs in all the campsites, notices in the bouldering guides...?

At least they did it 3 meters of the trail.

we were in Boven 2 weeks ago and on the walk in trail to Hallucinagen there was a nice turd & TP right in the path as you scramble down. Same with the path from Hallucinagen to God No there was one there too.

Its really great how we all go on about saving the mountain and crags when WE are the ones ruining it.....

Essential reading!

FYI: This is the reason that Bosch Kloof is closed (the owner believes that his water supply was polluted by human faeces) which put his wife and kids in hospital.

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Climb ZA - Administrator

If I catch someone with bad shitiquette I will drop a deuce in his/her sleeping bag, that should teach them

How hard is it to just go for a walk when gravity starts pulling? Don't wait for the walls to be breached. Leave enough time to find a suitable place - far from water, enough top soil to speed up the decomposing process. Near trees are usually best. Dig a hole, or even easier pull out a rock or a tuft of grass. To save yourself some embarrassment, take your pants off, it's not worth the risk just dropping them to your ankles. Don't use more tp than necessary (if you don't know the 1 block method, ask someone ). Bury the treasure and put a rock on top to save someone else stepping in it.

I've been thinking that a lot of this is our own fault, not just foreigners. We always want to introduce people to nature for some reason, but do we teach all the newbies how it is done?

Lecturing someone on how to shit in the woods feels like you are teaching them to suck eggs.
But you know what? It's not as obvious as we like to think.

We need to have the courage to teach our friends properly
We also need to have the courage to be a little unpopular with the visitors. Leaving finger tape etc? Call them out on it!

Where do people stand on setting the tp alight before burying it? I used to carry a lighter with me, but after almost having an accident in Nam grass veld I stopped...

When I Hike I usually carry a mini version of a poop tube for just my tp. A cellophane bag (like a supermarket veggie bag) which I pop the tp into and then tie it off offering a new spot for the next tp load. I put the bag in an old tube out of a paper towel roll. Whenever possible I bury my business at least 30cm deep and have a trowel with markings on the handle to help me judge when is deep enough. When I was hiking in Yosemite the rangers gave me the trowel for free - I see you can buy them in SA as well.

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I don't think, therefore I'm Not

Wherever possible the pre-emptive strike method works well - fruity breakfast followed by a cup of strong filter coffee. Unlock and unload before you leave the campsite.

This is by far the shitiest topic on this particular forum!

And ant, what the hell do you mean by sucking eggs????? Say what? I for one was not aware that teabagging has etiquette to it as well?

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Strangers have the best candy!

I think you've got your eggs & seeds mixed up. Refer to Psalm 69

generally speaking methinks that climbers have far better shitiquette than most. one turd for every thousand that visited is a fairly low hit rate. the few that desecrate the landscape with their excrement will unfortunately force us to clean up after them. shiite job if there ever was one but that's the way it rolls. and may i say that you have a duty to confront, in the most friendly matter, anybody that litters / craps in paths etc etc. access & enjoyment may well depend on it.