Seerdengpu (middle left) in Siguniang National Park, China. Beautiful, but now, apparently, much more expensive. Courtesy of Pat Goodman.
Pat Goodman and Dave Sharratt, winners of a 2009 Lyman Spitzer Award from the AAC, experienced a surprising and frustrating permit situation in Sichuan, China, effectively shutting down their expedition. Goodman had climbed in Siguniang National Park in 2005 and had researched the October 2009 trip extensively, but the two men were surprised to learn upon arriving at the park gate that they needed a special climbing permit. Back in the nearby town, officials told them they had to get their permit in person in Beijing; locally, they were only able to obtain an expensive camping and trekking permit. Despite a threat of fines and jail time, they made a brief attempt on unclimbed Seerdengpu (the “Barbarian”), but the wind had gone out of their sails.
Late, Goodman learned that the permit rules had been in place since the mid-1990s, but were only strictly enforced beginning in 2009. One team that obtained the proper permits in 2009 paid roughly $3,000 for 10 days of climbing. You can read Goodman’s full trip report and find more info about the permit situation at the AAC website. Sharratt’s account can be found at the Black Diamond site.
January 25th, 2010 at 11:11 am
This team climbed illegally in China, which not only seriously endangers access to a spectacular climbing resource, but is a degradation of foreign relations with the Chinese climbing community and the Chinese government and an embarrassment to the AAC.
This team by receiving the Lyman-Spitzer award assumed the role of American Alpine Club Ambassadors and explicitly agreed to certain a code of ethics – that most importantly was in the 4th and 5th line of the “Selection Criteria” of the Lyman-Spitzer Cutting Edge Award application:
“All expeditions must be legal and obtain all necessary visas and permits required by local authorities.”
A direct violation and made even worse by the team being fully informed of the laws before they illegally climbed.
And
“All expeditions must be conducted in an environmentally conscious and sound approach, and with care and respect for local inhabitants.”
Important here is the complete disrespect of local inhabitants, including local law enforcement officials.
The American Alpine Club needs to be accountable for the outcome of this expedition.
In perusing the requirements for the Gore Shipton/Tilman grant, I don’t explicitly see the requirement that the team act within the laws of the country. However, any team traveling and climbing publicly and using widespread media coverage, industry sponsors (Mountain Hardwear, Sterling Rope, Evolv, and Black Diamond), and industry grants should be, if not only morally, but required by their sponsors to be obligated to climb within the laws of the country they are visiting. The only outcome of this will only be negative, as China will further restrict access to one of their best climbing regions.
January 26th, 2010 at 8:46 pm
I posted the news to a Chinese climbers’s website. This incident has generated an interest amongst the Chinese climbers.
As a member American alpine club who understands both the Chinese and American culture, here are my two cents:
In the US, the laws/regulations are black and white. If the speed limit is 65, you are speeding if you drive 75. It is that clear.
But in China, there are twenty shades of grey between black and white. Many situations are open for discussion and negotiation. There is always a flexibility within the bounds of the “rules”. You need to “feel” what is proper.
Copp and Dash’s team did it properly. Friend’s friend told me that the fee was reasonable, and the Sichuan Mountaineering Association (SMA) did their very best for the S&R effort. Another great example is Jimmy Chin, who went to Minya Konga region last year with three backcountry skiers. They contacted the relevant local agency and got their strong support. I would suggest that AAC collects these valuable information and share within the climbing community at large.
Since 2008, AAC has been trying to improve the relationship with the Chinese side by having Sino/US women climbers Meet and invited Chinese climbers to the International Meet at Indian Creek. As far as I know, both the AAC and Chinese wasted a golden opportunity in the women’s meet in 2008. Instead of sending the alpinists, both sides sent those climbers who do not care about light and fast alpine style climb.
I sincerely hope that AAC will be open and cool enough to post my comment. As an AAC member, I invite everyone, American and Chinese, to join this frank dialogue.
AAC as an organization is purely a grass-root NGO. On the contrary, the Chinese national and several regional climbing associations started during the cold war as part of the propaganda tool and function as a branch of the government. After Chinese opened its door to the west, these agencies provide support for the foreign expeditions. Now it is facing a somewhat awkward and painful transition as it receives less funding from the government but still has to make ends meet and answers the duty similar to the park rangers in the US. Their performance is directly tied to how many accidents it occurs on its turf annually. Yes, it is ridiculous, but it is the way it is, at least for now.
Goodman’s team went to the Siguniang region only months after two Russian went missing. Also a Chinese climber died in a climbing accident about that time. The two teams (Russian, Chinese) went there without permits but required much S&R afterwards. The SMA was under the pressure to enforce the regulation after three major accidents (counting the Copp/Dash accident).
Change is slow but sure in every aspect of Chinese society. The Chinese alpinists have shown sympathy to Goodman’s problem. But they also hope that the Americans would learn to handle the business side of climbing, and to “feel” the right way to summit.
January 27th, 2010 at 10:57 am
The AAC Lyman Spitzer Cutting Edge Award guidelines specifically state that all expeditions must “obtain all necessary visas and permits.” The AAC cannot and will not condone the disregard of the local rules and regulations governing climbing areas and mountain areas around the world. The AAC is currently gathering the facts and will deal directly with the grant recipients on this issue.
-Paul Gagner, Chair of the Lyman Spitzer Cutting Edge Award Committee