Dear Boston Climbers, please, stay home
/Dear Boston Climbers,
Hoping that you and your loved ones are healthy and happy.
Among the many impacts of the global pandemic, the climbing community, perhaps for the first time in our history, is being significantly affected. Usually, at this time of the year we would be busy making plans for trips, ratcheting up our training at the local gym and dusting off our gear from our basement. And yes, the ice season was quite short this year but at least, spring is coming sooner.
But unfortunately all the gyms are closed and we are advised to avoid crowds and practice social distancing. This is a surreal time, even for climbers.
We, the AMC Boston Mountaineering Committee, understand that many of us are looking out of our windows, feeling the weather is about right to get out to climb. All of us are probably asking similar questions of what to do and not to do. We are an outdoor community, being outside is what we love and strive for, what makes us stronger and happier. We pride ourselves on not being couch potatoes, right?
We have to understand and take the current situation seriously, however, for the well being of everyone, including ourselves. As one Italian doctor in the epicenter of the outbreak near Milan (Italy) put it: the enemy in the fight against the coronavirus is not among us, it is actually us. We have the power to spread or contain this disease through our actions.
As the AMC Boston Mountaineering Committee we want to join our fellow climbing organizations such as the American Alpine Club, the Western Mass Climbers Coalition (Farley), the Rumney Climbing Association and the Southeastern New England Climbers Coalition (SNECC) in fighting the coronavirus. The best tool we have so far is simply staying home for a while.
Staying home is not an easy decision to make but we think it is the right one. We believe that making this small sacrifice now will help to protect the Boston climbing community as well as the local communities across the country that so generously welcome us climbers every year.
So, yes, please, let’s all keep our ropes coiled, leave the gear in the bag and air out the climbing shoes a little longer, they are probably still stinky anyway. When we get through this and look back we can all say that we did our part. And that it was definitely worth it.
