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swagburgPhoto is courtesy of crazy Karl's story- its all about being respectful, knowledgeable, and safe. Backcountry safety is not a joke and nobody who has spent enough time in the backcountry takes it lightly.
Respect and safety, that's really all this is trying to get across.
Craw_DaddyBanks is a total hypocrite for posting that but I actually agree with the message. There are a lot of jabronis out there who are only motivated by the likes and views they receive on social media. So many people are addicted to enhancing their online personas and getting their daily hit of attention like it's fucking heroin or something. They aren't really present and their main goal is to get a shot that makes them look good in their little 1 minute insta clip. Those types of people are dangerous for a few reasons.
1. They get so focused on skiing a particular line that they fail to consider other factors like the safety of others. They might cut across a north face with higher avy risk to get to some cliffs and go right above a group of people below.
2. They don't actually value their time in the mountains. If you're a filmmaker and creating videos is your art and creative outlet then that's one thing but if you're bringing a gopro to a wild place so you can make yourself look cool then you're valuing the attention of others above your personal experience in the mountains. That means you don't actually value your experiences in the mountains very much and if you don't value it then you don't deserve to be there.
3.They don't respect the sanctity of the spot. There have been studies conducted by wildlife departments around the world showing that increased trail use, whether it be by Jeeps, backpackers, or anything in between has an adverse effect on wildlife. Animals do not like to be near people, especially older more mature animals. Part of what makes the backcountry so cool is seeing those animals on their terms and sharing their homes with them. If everyone is blowing up a spot you take away that whole aspect of the experience.
Frankly, I think a lot of people need to take a step back from their phones and really think about what motivates them. If it's likes and retweets then you need to stay at the resorts. And if you do find your way back to a wild place then you should be willing to make compromises and you should hold the world around you and your personal experience in higher regard than an Instagram post.
IdahoeI saw this post from Banks Gilberti making the rounds on peoples stories a few days ago, and I'm honestly kinda conflicted about it. The picture, along with the caption, come off as somewhat demeaning and elitist, because who the fuck says that you own a spot? Sure geotagging posts is wack, but am I not allowed to take a friend to a new zone that I found? Someone had to show you the zone in the first place, so aren't you being hypocritical? Also, who the fuck out the is seeing a zone on a random persons insta page and putting enough time and effort into it to find the area?
little_boy_primeI hate when people say there are "right" reasons for being in the mountains. If you are enjoying nature responsibly you could be going out just to jerk off for all I care. No one "deserves" to be in the mountains.
Craw_DaddyThat's honestly a super naive way to look at things. There are definitely some people that deserve to know where good backcountry spots are more than others. There are people who spend a lot of time looking at topo maps, satellite photos, google earth, etc, and then go on scouting trips in the summer. The whole process takes a TON of time and energy. I also hunt so I combine purposes for my scouting trips and I would be just as pissed if someone posted a cool zone I scoped as I would be if they posted the great piece of elk sanctuary I found. If I came to these specific places through hard work and I'm there for the specific purpose of skiing a line or taking an animal then I don't want other people there who didn't spend the time and energy that I did. Especially if they don't have actual reverence for the places that they're in, but are there because they want to look cool online.
**This post was edited on Nov 27th 2020 at 6:04:53pm
FUUUCK"Also, who the fuck out the is seeing a zone on a random persons insta page and putting enough time and effort into it to find the area?"
Right here dude, I'm that guy. Almost every sick zone I've discovered over the past decade has been thanks to people posting GoPro shots of their favourite spot. Give me a clear view of the adjacent peaks and it's only a matter of motivation and time before I find it on Google Earth. I highly doubt I'm the only one who does this given the amount of content out there.
Personally I only show my spots to my close friends that I know will enjoy it. At the same time I'm not going to be a snobby dick about people riding these spots. It's an eventuality that they will be further discovered as time goes on, there's no since getting sour about it.
Finally, the backcountry is enormous. There is way more untracked snow out there than there are people to ski it. If you're sacred zone isn't a secret anymore use your skills and knowledge to find other great spots.
cheener12Banks is a clown. I really think the reason that post is getting backlash is because people are fed up about these fucking instagram "pros" gramming everyday and telling others they can't do the same. Yea they aren't geotagging, but still come onnnnnn. You are still notifying your many thousand followers where your general location is, planting the seed amongst followers that x location is sick, and subsequently bringing more people to the area wanting to post in the same way. Can't bitch about conditions that you yourself are bringing!!
I completely support the backcountry safety argument, overcrowding areas, and one's gradual accumulation of area knowledge, eventually earning one's greater access to an area. But I also see the other side. It's just as annoying to see fuckers gloating about sledding in "no tellem creek" or even the "tag responsibly, keep x wild" post is stupid. That is the gate keeper bullshit people are pissed about. I think it is a stretch to say that geotagging substantially helps BIPOC people gain greater access to the outdoors, but also white people don't have to be such pricks about their instagram presence. Aghhhhh, geotagging really does blow up spots, though. Definitely an issue. Hard sayin'.
Not a simple solution to all of this, and I don't claim to have all the answers, just a partial perspective. But as others have said, maybe we just be respectful/kind to areas/people, and shut the fuck up when necessary?
theabortionatorHow did this become about race? Did I miss something?
little_boy_primeI hate when people say there are "right" reasons for being in the mountains. If you are enjoying nature responsibly you could be going out just to jerk off for all I care. No one "deserves" to be in the mountains.
DeebieSkeebiesthe elitism and territorialism/tribalism in skiing and mountain communities is just absurd. no one gives a shit youve been skiing x or y zone for x or y years. time to let others enjoy it as well as long as they pack out what they brought in and respect it. when are we gonna learn that its time to let others play in the sandbox as well as long as they do their part and keep it safe? dont be a fucking dick and help educate others if we're so worried about crowding in the sport though. You should feel ashamed to be involved with the sport for so long and be okay with creating unwelcoming atmospheres.
**This post was edited on Nov 27th 2020 at 6:22:06pm
**This post was edited on Nov 27th 2020 at 6:26:22pm
IdahoeI think some people in the comments of the original post were saying that gate keeping spots was bad for bipoc people that want to get into winter sports. But if a stretch IMO.
cheener12Banks is a clown.
sqeellicbicThis comes off as kinda selfish. Just because you "did the work" to find the spot doesn't mean it belongs to you more than it belongs to someone who saw the spot on ig and decided to go.
In my opinion, the only people who shouldn't be at a spot are people who leave trash and disrespect nature. Like that other guy said, I couldn't care less if you just go to the spot to jerk off as long as you're being respectful.
strictlyok, saying "the safety" of it is the reason to promote this post is bullshit. that's a thin excuse to avoid the backlash of the main point of the sign. people are familiar with hearing about backcountry safety at this point and reposting this to "encourage user safety" is just an excuse to blast your philosophy about the other half of the sign.
zones aren't sacred. these places we ski backcountry are literally PUBLIC LANDS. nothing is proprietary and nobody owns a zone. nobody can pretend they own the zone. just because you are KNOWLEDGEABLE about a spot doesn't make it yours. and that's where the blurring of the line i feel is that makes this shit so controversial.
that said, i'm a proponent for silence about spots - backcountry skiing, but also hiking around wildernesses and other public lands. never geotagging, never publicizing location information, not name dropping, and i'm not going to be writing trip reports. if someone reaches out to me about a spot, i'll be okay with providing basic information, like a forest or mtn range, safety notes, etc., but i'm not giving GPS coordinates to the zone.
just because you don't talk about it, publicize it, or report about it, doesn't make you an elitist immediately. i don't think i own any of my special spots - i fully understand they're public lands and i hope other people enjoy the magic of discovering these wonderful places on their own. safety is the responsibility of each and every backcountry user, not the person who's choosing not to write a trip report for sake of avoiding promoting increased traffic.
dylansiggersdude mind your mouth. Banks is a good dude
cheener12hahaaaaa yea he is a good dude, run into him infrequently at the skatepark, mountain, bars, golf course... I hate to talk shit on the internet, but two summers ago this mans got in a fight at a summer league COED soccer game.. Also he is a ball hog and always plays forward. THERE I said it.