Moderate Sport Routes Removed At Lion’s Head
The Ontario Alliance of Climbers (OAC) announced on its website that it had been informed that all the moderate sport routes at the Latvian Ledge area have been removed. When contacted by Ontario Climbing, the OAC stated that it was not aware of who was responsible for the route removal. They went on to say that they had been contacted anonymously by email, and that the individual(s) responsible claimed that this is a temporary action to encourage the environmental rehabilitation of the area.
News of the route removal has garnered mixed reactions from the climbing community. Some feel that the actions are justified as the moderate routes attract a large number of climbers to a crag that already suffers from numerous access and environmental issues. Others have noted that the more difficult routes at the Latvian Ledge area have not been removed, and suggest that this action has more to do with elitism and nymbism than any legitimate concerns about the environment. Some climbers have also pointed out that the Coeur de Lion area (primarily 5.13 climbing) suffers from similar erosion issues, and yet none of those routes have been removed.
This news comes at the same time as the announcement from Grey County that they were now welcoming visitors to their outdoor areas. This coincides with Grey Sauble confirming that climbing is now no longer restricted by Provincial Order and crags like Metcalfe, The Swamp, and Old Baldy are now open.
This news comes at the same time as the announcement from Grey County that they were now welcoming visitors to their outdoor areas. This coincides with Grey Sauble confirming that climbing is now no longer restricted by Provincial Order and crags like Metcalfe, The Swamp, and Old Baldy are now open.
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