Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
sion of the BMC's remit was underway. With it came greater influence with both
government and the climbing community. As part of the 'Leeds Mafia', Dennis
Gray's description of anyone associated with the Leeds University scene, Alex
brought authenticity and credibility with the younger and more anarchistic side of
the sport. That was no doubt a factor in Alex's appointment.
'Of course,' Dennis said, 'I knew Alex prior to his joining the BMC because of his
involvement with the Leeds University scene. It is interesting how subsequently
several other mountaineers from that milieu followed on in the style of alpinism
pioneered by Alex and the rest of you at that time: Al Powell, Kenton Cool, Rich
Cross and Jon Bracey from the present generation, are all past Leeds students.'
Peter Boardman had also brought credibility to the BMC, but was perhaps too
well spoken and well connected to speak to the feisty new generation of top
climbers emerging from less elevated backgrounds. Alex's streak of punk anarchy
went down well with this community. His personality and approach were a stark
contrast to Boardman's. According to Dennis, where Peter was 'diplomatic and
rarely animated unless provoked, Alex was thrusting, argumentative and had a
cunning mind.'
In 1978, the BMC was not the force it is today, certainly not in terms of staff and
the number of individual members. The concept of an organisation in the role of
national body was still rejected by many climbers. For them, climbing was not a
'sport'. It was an adventure and a somewhat anarchistic lifestyle. The idea of a bur-
eaucracy to look after the interests of climbing was an oxymoron, an opinion ex-
pressed not just by individuals, but also some of the long-established clubs, includ-
ing the Leeds University Climbing Club. Climbers were generally a pretty vocal lot,
and at times black and white in their views. The internal politics surrounding the
development of the BMC's policies were horrendous.
At best, the BMC was seen as a necessary evil, but justification for its existence
was becoming clearer among the better informed in the climbing community. It
had firm supporters among some politicians in the Labour government of the
time, in particular Britain's first sports minister, Denis Howell. He was keen on
governing bodies for all sports, seeing them as essential tools to manage and devel-
op sport. The ramblers' movement of the 1930s had left a legacy of freer access,
but many crags in the 1970s were on private land, and access was limited and in
some cases forbidden. So the BMC created area committees of hard-working vo-
lunteers, usually drawn from local climbing clubs, to negotiate with landowners
and other agencies for improved access.
There was also a need to educate climbers in areas of environmental concern
such as bird and plant conservation. A balance between the interests of climbers
