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An NGO’s Contribution to Mountain Conservation in South Africa A. Schoon M. Shroyer F. Hunziker Abstract—The Mountain Club of South Africa (MCSA) is a non- environment, decided to vest their activities with some government organization (NGO) with objectives relating to the degree of formality, and formed the Mountain Club of South enjoyment and conservation of local mountain areas. It is a Africa (MCSA). This occurred in 1891, and it is interesting national federal body comprising 13 autonomous sections distrib- to note that the formation of the MCSA took place at much uted throughout South Africa, with a national central committee the same time as other European mountaineering clubs, as coordinating the Club’s national operation. Key activities include the same needs were being experienced elsewhere. The mountaineering and rock climbing, search and rescue, securing MCSA is in fact one of the oldest mountaineering clubs in the access to mountains, conservation, and outreach. The MCSA has world. good linkages with national bodies such as the International Today the MCSA’s membership has grown to over 4,000 Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) Access and Con- members in 13 autonomous sections countrywide, with the servation and Mountain Protection Commissions. The MCSA’s largest concentration of members in the Western Cape. The involvement in conservation of the mountain environment includes Club operates as a federal body with a central organization the following initiatives: looking after its national and international interests. Due to its modest size, the Club makes use of only very limited • Watchdog function in terms of development proposals and professional help and relies largely on voluntary input from land-use changes in mountain areas in South Africa. its members for its operation. • Environmental Management Plans for Club properties to pro- A fine distinction is drawn insofar as the MCSA is a tect the wilderness qualities of properties and to educate “mountain club” rather than purely a “mountaineering club.” members regarding environmentally friendly behavior in This broadens the perspective, allowing the Club to partici- mountains. pate in most things to do with mountains. While mountain- • Environmental Management Systems (according to ISO 14001 eering and climbing are, and always have been, the Club’s EMS guidelines) for sport climbing and mountaineering in the core interests, it also participates in many other mountain- Cape Peninsula National Park, and ongoing conservation related activities. efforts to clear invasive alien vegetation and protea atlassing. The objective of this paper is to briefly summarize the • Public participation regarding local, regional, and national MCSA’s range of activities, to describe its involvement in environmental issues potentially affecting mountains and re- activities concerning conservation of the mountain environ- lated communities. ments in South Africa in greater detail, and to highlight The MCSA strongly supports initiatives to preserve mountain some typical issues that are relevant to them. wilderness areas. International Involvement_________ Introduction ____________________ Like many other sporting bodies, the MCSA experienced a degree of isolation during the apartheid era, manifested in The Western Cape Province of South Africa is blessed with the difficulties experienced when climbing overseas, par- great natural beauty. The rugged Cape Fold Mountains are ticularly in the greater ranges such as the Himalaya and attractive and impressive by any standards. It is perhaps Karakoram. There was also very limited contact with other not surprising, therefore, that shortly before the turn of the mountaineering federations, and the MCSA “missed out” on 20th century, some of the region’s like-minded inhabitants, very significant steps in the development of mountaineering who displayed a natural desire to explore this mountain and climbing that occurred at the time. That changed quite dramatically in the early 1990s when the Royal Dutch Alpine Club and the British Mountaineer- A. Schoon is the National President of the Mountain Club of South Africa, ing Council put the MCSA forward for membership in the 97 Hatfield Street, Cape Town, South Africa 8001, phone: 27-21-465 3412, World Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) FAX: 27-21-461 8456, E-mail: [email protected]. M. Shroyer is MCSA and the MCSA was elected to that body. Convenor of the National Environment Subcommittee, E-mail: [email protected]. F. Hunziker is the MCSA National Honorary Secretary, With its UIAA membership and the changes that took E-mail: [email protected] place in South Africa’s political fortunes, the international In: Watson, Alan; Sproull, Janet, comps. 2003. Science and stewardship to mountaineering community has gone out of its way to wel- protect and sustain wilderness values: Seventh World Wilderness Congress come the MCSA back into its ranks. In terms of mountain- symposium; 2001 November 2–8; Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Proc. RMRS- eering and climbing, this has been of immense benefit to the P-27. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. MCSA due to the opportunities that have been made USDA Forest Service Proceedings RMRS-P-27. 2003 99 Schoon, Shroyer, and Hunziker An NGO’s Contribution to Mountain Conservation in South Africa available to its members. But a further benefit, which was Search and Rescue perhaps not at first evident, has been the benefit derived in terms of the contact, information, and advice available In conjunction with other government bodies (such as the through working with the UIAA’s Commissions, which ad- police or air force) and the statutory emergency services, the dress specialized fields such as expeditions, training, medi- MCSA has over many years offered a highly effective volun- cal matters, youth, and safety, among others. The MCSA is tary mountain search and rescue service to provide assis- presently one of only two mountaineering federations on the tance to hikers and climbers who get lost or suffer accidents African Continent that are members of the UIAA. in the mountains. Activities of the MCSA ___________ Training and Development To give an overview of the full spectrum of activities in The MCSA recognizes the importance of safety in moun- which the MCSA is involved, all its key activities are de- taineering and climbing and has over the years provided scribed here. These are expanded only where relevant to the training in mountain leadership and in mountaineering and objective of this paper. climbing skills, both for its own members and for nonmem- bers. More recently it has taken the initiative in forming the South African Mountaineering Development and Training Mountaineering and Climbing Trust (MDT), of which it is the chief patron, to formulate and apply training standards. The MDT is now recognized both by The MCSA has a proud record of mountaineering achieve- the Government and by the tourism industry as the relevant ments from expeditions made to mountain ranges outside authority in this field. MDT standards are fully documented South Africa’s borders. These include many important as- and are in the process of being incorporated into the stan- cents of mountains in ranges on the African, North and dards set by the Government’s qualification authority. South American, and Asian Continents and elsewhere. The MCSA subscribes to the UIAA ethic contained in its Mountain Club of South Africa members have also exten- “International Year of the Mountains 2002 Summit Char- sively explored the mountains of the many ranges inside ter” (UIAA Summit Charter 2002) that everyone should be South Africa, where Club members have made most first free to enjoy the natural mountain environment and that ascents of the mountains considered to be of major impor- mountaineering and climbing contribute to the human spirit tance. Individual MCSA sections organize frequent Club and to human endeavor, as freedom sports with human and meets that vary in nature and difficulty from simple hikes to social values. Therefore, it is aware of the importance of scrambling and kloofing (canyoning). The MCSA’s KwaZulu- providing opportunity to previously disadvantaged commu- Natal Section has organized an annual July (winter) Camp nities to use and enjoy South Africa’s mountain environment at various locations in the Drakensberg for the past 80 years. in a safe and responsible manner. In order to introduce Other MCSA national meets also provide opportunities for members of these communities to the mountain environ- members from sections around the country to climb and hike ment and to convey a message to them regarding the safety together. Besides all these organized meets, members orga- and responsibility aspects relating to going into the moun- nize many more of their own private excursions. tains, as well as the importance of protecting mountains, the South Africa offers some of the best rock-climbing oppor- larger MCSA sections operate outreach programs. tunities to be found anywhere in the world, and both tradi- tional and sport climbing are major activities of MCSA sections. In traditional rock climbing (generally on longer Access and Conservation multipitch routes), the leader and other members of the climbing party are protected by clipping the climbing rope Probably the single most critical element determining the into temporary protection (in the form of slings, chocks, and well-being of our Club’s mountaineering and climbing activi- camming devices called “friends”) placed over rock projec- ties in South Africa is the question of maintaining access to tions and in suitable cracks as the climbers proceed, with all the mountains and to other climbing areas (such as river and of this equipment being removed when no longer required. roadside crags or sea cliffs). Both at sectional and national In sport climbing, the routes are generally shorter and levels, enormous effort is put into ensuring that existing steeper, and protection is afforded by clipping the climbing MCSA access arrangements are maintained and, where rope into permanent preplaced anchors drilled into the rock.

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