90% Of Climbers Never Go Outdoors?

This mountaineer writes about the future of climbing and predicts that "..in 10 years, 90 percent of the climbing population might never climb outdoors. Which I think is just a tragedy."

I don't think it's a tragedy that most people may not want to climb outdoors. The outdoors is less accessible, it's messier, it's more dangerous. Let people stay inside. Then this guy - and me - can have the outdoors more to ourselves.

His main complaint seems to be that mountaineering isn't sexy anymore. That the media wants action shots of people wearing very little clothing. Duh!

It's easier to get action shots of beautiful people doing outdoor activities if the road is very close to where they are activating. Mountains are harder to get to than the seashore.

And this quote intriques me: "Because it seems like it’s just a handful of people, predominantly men, doing something that’s increasingly less relevant, year by year. But that doesn’t mean I love it any less."

When was climbing ever relevant? Maybe it was relevant for the first people to climb into the mountains to look for game or to find new pastures for their herd animals. Or, to find a pass to get over the mountains to more productive and/or safer ground on the other side. Or, to pick up some stone tablets with about 10 rules on them.

Why should anyone else be interested in climbing? Why should it be covered in the media? If you like doing it, do it. If you like climbing outdoors with all the hazards, thrills and feelings of accomplishment, do it. If you like climbing indoors, do that.

(H.T. to Lisa)