SOUTH AFRICA: MATERIAL FOR CLIMBERS

UIAA

The following update comes courtesy of Greg Moseley, President of the Mountain Club of South Africa and UIAA Management Committee member. Moseley used the federation’s April newsletter, to offer the following words and tips on enduring lockdown:

May you live in interesting times – well, we are certainly doing that! Albeit not in a way that we would choose! Obviously, the Covid-19 pandemic is having a serious impact on our chosen way of life in the mountains. But the mountains endure and we will be back on them before too much time passes!

In the interim, I have been researching ways that we – as climbers – can keep ourselves amused/occupied/entertained during the lockdown. And there are a number of ways that we can “virtually” enjoy the mountains and climbing and all the great things that go with a life in the mountains. I am sharing some of the links that I have come across below. I am sure that you have found some more – please let us all have the links where this is appropriate.

First on the list is the Sheffield Adventure Film Festival or ShAFF. This is an annual event that has had to be cancelled/postponed this year but they are putting out Weekly Watch Lists – a free selection of films from this and past years’ festivals. You can access these movies at – https://shaff.co.uk/shaff20/shaff-weekly-watchlists

Number 2 is the COVID-19 OUTDOOR INDUSTRIES HELP HUB. This is an initiative by the Outdoor Industries Association in the UK in conjunction with a number of organisations (including the British Mountaineering Council and other climbing organisations). They have a web site called Get Outside, Inside which gives ideas on activities and talks on subjects of interest to climbers covering a wide variety of subjects such as how to survive Covid-19 lockdown without going crazy!

Some of the features are:

  • Mental Health Interviews – Mind Over Mountains
  • 10 Great Travel & Adventure Books
  • Extreme Scrambled Eggs (!)
  • Keeping active at home

…and lots more

Find this at https://getoutside.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/guides/getoutsideinside/

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