STAR LETTER: Equal share

I was delighted to read of Helen Senior's joy in finding climbing, described in Summit 47. Good luck to her - I'd like to wish her lots of happy days out in the hills. However, one thing puzzled me - and I ask this in bewilderment, not criticism. Why on earth did Helen want to take up so much of her time doing her partner's share of the housework? It strikes me as obvious that if you both go out to work, you both do the chores and they should be distributed as fairly as possible. It seems rather pointless of Summit to describe excellent women climbers as role models, or to show a certain percentage of female climbers in photographs, if the vast majority of women don't have time to climb because they're too busy doing a portion of the housework that should be done by someone else - i.e. the male of the species.
Ann Griffiths, Summit 48

Role models

Thanks for the Role Models article in the last issue. I found it interesting, but there is a trend in the climbing world to treat women as 'different' - so when I see these types of articles my heart does sink a bit. But I guess at the end of the day everyone that climbs is passionate about the sport, and the more we can read about female and male achievements the better. Personally I've been inspired by some very talented female climbers appearing at Bristol Climbing Centre, and it's great to see them climbing and to chat and climb with them on the bouldering wall. It's very sociable and makes all my training worthwhile. At the end of the day all articles go towards inspiring us to get climbing and reach our goals. Whether they be about training, destinations or achievements - both male and female.
Karen Balmforth, Summit 48

A real disgrace

"National Disgrace" was the headline in one news item in Summit 45, but it was in the wrong place - it should have been above the Better Bolts item. I consider it a national disgrace that the national representative body for climbing see fit to replace bolts that deface the landscape, whilst claiming to have a minimal bolts policy. The fact that someone saw fit to deface the rock in the first place does not mean that the BMC should waste our money replacing them. The money would be better spent removing the bolts and restoring the rock. Bolts are litter, no different to the rest of the rubbish left around the crags. We should be trying to fix the problem by objecting to bolts not creating it. Bolts are not the answer but education is. This stand by the BMC has meant that although you do a lot of very good work, I feel unable to support you if you are willing to do things like this.
Christopher Parker, Summit 48

Too much creamer?

I enjoyed Mick Ryan's interview in Summit 47, especially the points he made in support of his assertions that "there's too much celebrity in the climbing media now, it's not real" and "I think that magazines have again lost touch". And then you print five photographs of Lucy Creamer in the same issue. Come, come, surely you can do better than this?

- John Thorogood, Summit 48

Lost dog?

I've just finished reading the latest edition of Summit which gets better every time. But, poor old Gary Rolfe. By the time I had got from page 8 to 75, he'd lost one dog. Not sure if it was the multimat that got him or the food dryer! Enjoying the read. Keep up the good work.
- Ian Campbell, Summit 48

Time for ticks

I've only just got around to reading the great article about ticks in Summit 46.The point is made, rightly, that you should remove them properly. Lynda Bramham suggests using tweezers - this is not ideal. The insensitive and unforgiving metal will often break the mouthparts, leaving them buried in the skin, likely to get infected. The easiest and best way is to purchase a special tick-removing tool - an L-shaped piece of plastic or metal, with a very fine slot in the base. This slot takes the head of the tick, and with a deft twist and pull the whole tick is out. I regularly use them on my dogs and they're worth their weight in gold. I understand some paramedics in Australia even have them in their medical kit.
- Bob Hinton, Summit 48