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The Journey to Elsewhere: Climbers Who Start Early and Finish Late
Paul Beedie
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DOI:10.17265/2328-2169/2021.02.003
Freelance Writer, Bedford, UK
The emergence of adventure tourism is indicative of a process of commodification commensurate with the expansive mechanisms of the hospitality industry. The tension between excitement, thrill, and safety is on-going however and the emergence of climbing walls in urban areas has provided new ways of becoming a climber: It is in the interests of climbing as business to normalise pay-to-climb conditions. Such overt commercial connections are anathema to real climbers; nevertheless the convenience of climbing walls means they are well populated and used. The present study investigates the attitudes and methods of engagement by a group of older climbers who, for the most part, started climbing in their youth before climbing walls were commonplace. A typology of climbing types is presented as a framework for discussion. The methodology is ethnographic and the findings suggest that, despite subscribing to an organic and outdoor adventure climbing ethos in their youth, this group remains active and adventurously inclined as they consider wall-climbing to be making a positive contribution to their present collective identity.
climber, climbing-wall, hospitality services, symbolic boundaries, adaptive behaviors
Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Mar.-Apr. 2021, Vol. 9, No. 2, 96-107 doi: 10.17265/2328-2169/2021.02.003
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