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and other groups had to be found. Not many climbers were sensitive to these is-
sues. Being able to argue a balanced case to the clubs was an essential part of
Alex's job. Government, both local and national, wasn't impressed by the attitude
of some climbers who would climb on a crag regardless. It would be a red rag to
the Thatcher government that came in during Alex's tenure. Compulsory rescue in-
surance for all climbers was another of the bullets the BMC managed to dodge over
the years.
The biggest issue of Alex's day, however, was the role of the BMC in training and
education. Among cognoscenti, a fierce debate had been raging for a decade over
the role of adventure in education. Most agreed it was a good thing for young
people to challenge themselves in the hills, but climbers argued that it had to come
from inner 'springs of adventure', not in formulaic school expeditions. Climbers
naturally felt it was an individual choice and there were clubs to help develop ad-
venturous young people. Most importantly, climbers learned their craft through
trial and error. Only by making mistakes and having accidents were the inherent
dangers realised by the individual. Ad Carter, editor of the American Alpine
Journal at the time, famously reminded the American climber Jack Tackle that:
'Good judgment is mostly a result of having survived bad judgment.' It was all part
of the essential process of learning to behave responsibly and safely. This line of
thinking was promoted most effectively by Ken Wilson, but it missed the point that
the opportunities to start climbing have to come from somewhere. Ironically, for
Alex, that opportunity came at school.
Setting policy was ultimately the decision of the full membership of the BMC at
its annual meeting. The direction of policy was steered by the professional officers.
There were specialist committees, for training and access and so forth, which ap-
proved or rejected policy papers put forward by officers. The management struc-
ture was cumbersome but democratic. The membership in those days was mainly
comprised of affiliated clubs represented in turn by their own elected officials.
Most clubs, as you would expect, promoted their own regional and local interests.
Key policy decisions could take years to agree. The clubs had to go back to their
own members for agreement and this took time. The more politicised club repres-
entatives - many had strong socialist roots - played the role of trade union reps
against the self-created and paid professional officers of the BMC. Very forceful
and well-articulated arguments against any form of regulation of the 'freedom of
the hills' came from many directions. Alex's keen debating skills were essential to
argue his ground for the sake of the larger good.
While the community argued with itself, a steamroller of public opinion against
climbing was bearing down. The elitist and archaic practices instilled in the struc-
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