Call to Action: Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre Proposed Climbing Fees |
In December 2004 the National Parks Administration of Argentina (APN – Administración de Parques Nacionales) approved a measure (Resolucion 297, Capitulo IX, Articulo 22) instating a US$200 per person climbing fee for Cerro Fitz Roy and its outlying peaks, which include the Cerro Torre group.
There was an immediate strong reaction against this measure, from both mountaineers and park rangers, and the APN decided to put its enactment on hold for further study. Since that study process is going on right now, it is extremely important to make our voices heard. Below is a list of the reasons we oppose this measure, and while you might not agree with all of them, they should be helpful for forming an educated opinion.
At the bottom of the page, we have included the names and e-mail addresses of key people in the APN. If you have ever visited this area, or if you are just fascinated by the stories or photos portraying it, you might share our concerns. We would be very thankful if you could take the time to write a quick e-mail and express your thoughts about the proposed regulation. Some of the main reasons to oppose this measure are the following:
- The natural environment of the National Parks represents the freedom and open space that are indispensable for any society’s well-being. Access to such an area should be free, or nearly free, so everyone can enjoy its treasures. At the least, the fees should not be discriminatory.
- This measure discriminates against climbers by targeting them, but no other user group (under the new plan, no fees would be charged to trekkers, horseback riders or boaters).
- According to the data collected by the APN’s office in Chaltén, climbers are only 0.57% of the visitors (57 for every 10000, less than 200 in the 2004-05 season) to the Fitz Roy-Cerro Torre area.
- The fee structure does not take into account which user groups might cause the most environmental impact; while individual climbers will be subject to a US$200 fee, a trekking agency, which can take hundreds of people to the area, will be charged only US$500 a year. In the last few years the majority of the climbers base themselves in El Chaltén rather than at the traditional base-camps, a trend that has dramatically reduced their environmental impact. During the same period the number of trekkers has increased many fold, and trekking agencies have been allowed to install deep within the park semi-permanent camps that will undoubtedly cause heavy environmental impact.
- Until two years ago, the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile had a system similar to the one proposed by the APN, but they realized it was a misguided policy, and it was rescinded because, according to former park administrator Guillermo Santana, it was hurting the park’s interests. Today, climbers visiting Paine are charged the park entrance fee just like any other visitor.
- While APN’s measure does not specify the reasons for instating a climbing fee, the Park’s Resources Manager has unofficially said it relates to the cost of performing climbing rescues. Yet most rescues of climbers in this area are either self-rescues or are carried out by fellow climbers. On the rare occasions when more assistance is required, the duty falls on the Comisión de Auxilio Fabio Stedile which is a volunteer rescue group located in El Chalten, which was created with support from the Trento province (Italy) mountain rescue service. Park rangers are a great help in these cases, providing radio contact, horses and other logistical support; but their expertise is not sufficient for them to carry out rescues, especially those in technical terrain. They provide the same assistance to injured climbers as they do for trekkers, boaters, or horse packers who under this policy would not be required to pay a fee.
- Rescue philosophy from less remote places such as the Alps does not apply to a wilderness area that has far more difficult weather conditions, and lacks both the infrastructure and resources to emulate a European model (the nearest helicopter is located 400 miles away, even if the weather would allow it to fly). Any approach to user management in Patagonia must therefore be inherently different, emphasizing climbers’ self-reliance, rather than dependency on the kinds of expensive technological support that would necessitate fees to maintain.
- The policies of other wilderness areas such as Alaska's Mt. McKinley and Argentina's Aconcagua (the highest mountains in North and South America), where climbing fees are charged, are also not applicable. In those areas climbers represent the majority of the visitors (according to the NPS there were 1,300 climbers on McKinley in the 2001 season and hardly any non-climber visitors, and according to “www.aconcagua.com” during the 2003-04 season the Aconcagua Provincial Park was visited by 3,702 climbers and 2,372 trekkers) and many of these climbers are novices, attracted by the non-technical character of the peaks.
Therefore special climber management programs have had to be established, to impart information about the mountains and to have staff available to assist inexperienced climbers in dire situations. The fees charged offset the cost of such programs. The Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre massif, on the other hand, with its technically difficult mountains, attracts only experienced, well-seasoned climbers. Not only are there drastically fewer climbers (200 in the 2004-05 season according to APN’s Chalten office) than on Aconcagua or on McKinley, but far fewer climbing accidents occur. Since 1952 there have been less than twenty climbing fatalities in the Fitz Roy and Torre massif.
- If the proposed fees are destined to heighten rescue capabilities we must be aware that the essence of adventure might be at stake. One of the great attractions of climbing in wild places is that we must rely on ourselves and that our actions have consequences. This is one of the many factors that contribute to a far richer experience than we find in more “managed” areas. When we climb in the wilderness we must behave responsibly and within the limits of our experience and abilities. Such a self-sufficient attitude is the best way to decrease the number of accidents, while not detracting from the quality of the experience.
- We believe that the Argentine National Parks Administration proposed fee is discriminatory and completely unfair. It will neither adequately address issues surrounding the mitigation of environmental impact, nor can it or should it result in the establishment of effective rescue services. We believe that APN should limit itself to informing visitors of the risks involved, but should not make themselves responsible for visitors’ actions or mistakes, stressing the importance and value of self-reliance and personal responsibility.
If the APN, as the regulatory agency, starts charging climbing fees to pay for potential rescues they will become responsible for people’s individual actions, a trend that, in this litigious world will inevitably lead to restrictions and controls that we might deeply regret, and which will decrease our ability to experience wilderness and nature on their own terms.
We hope you can take the time to compose a personal letter (feel free to cut and paste any of the above text), based on these arguments, or any others you might have, and send it via e-mail to the Argentine National Parks Administration officials listed below. Writing in English is OK. Please include your full name, physical address and nationality, and label the e-mail “Comments regarding Resolucion 297, Capitulo IX, Articulo 22.”
Hector Espina (hespina@apn.gov.ar), president of the Argentine National Parks Administration.
Julio Ciurca (vicepresidencia@apn.gov.ar), vice president of the Argentine National Parks Administration.
Don Raul Chiesa (rchiesa@apn.gov.ar), board member of the Argentine National Parks Administration.
Patricia Gandini (pagandini@yahoo.com.ar), board member of the Argentine National Parks Administration.
Send a copy also to fitzroy_chalten@yahoo.com
If you have any questions or comments, please write to fitzroy_chalten@yahoo.com
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