05.06.2004

Area in the "Maltatal" closed !
We kindly ask all climbers not to come to Maltatal until fall

The reason is that the area "Arche Noah" also known as "Gailtaler Area" has been closed by the land owner.
He simply was fed up with offending climbers, who did not accept that he did not want them to boulder on his property. Further people were running through his field, had dogs run around and offended him after his pleasant request.

We hope we can work something out with the land owners until then.
We locals agree with the opinion of the landowners, that all climbers who do not respect the local rules
and wishes of land owners are no longer welcome. We strongly reject the behaviour of some stupid cimbers.

All climbers have to know that all areas in Maltatal (also "Schleier Wasserfall" (Alligator) and "Falleralm"
(at the toll station) are in danger, because all the areas belong to the same family and they are all related!

Unfortunately another incident has risen severe troubles. Some stupid climber or hiker has sued the land owner
of the area "Schleier Wasserfall". The reason was, that a cow damaged his car, that was parked on the land owners field. So the farmer had to appear in front of the court twice, but was not punished of course, because
he's not to blame for anything. Whoever that climber / hiker was, he destroyed most of the basis we local climbers had with the land owners.

Further other land owners heard of that incident of course and want to ban climbers now out of their property.

At the moment all climbers who go to the first area are sued by the land owner, which causes quite a financial damage to these people and unpleasant contact with the police, when they show up (when the farmer calls them and they come in time, so climbers are still there!).

Finally the chain of problems continue by a publication of the whole bouldering area of the "Maltatal" by Gino Pavoni from Tolmezzo / ITA, in the Italian climbing Magazine "PARETI".

The locals in the Maltatal feel strongly offended by this action, because they had NEVER been asked by the author of the article about local rules, about our wishes for a possible article and we had even never been asked for our allowance of the publication.

We further have to say that the publication itself has mistakes as far as names, grades and locations are concerned.

This fact at the present moment is another negative influence that has been carried inside our area and local community.

We feel offended by other climbers and by Gino Pavoni, because they are very egoistic and do not accept that we all have a great responsibillity.

We ask 8a.nu for their help and kindly ask to publish our letter. We hope that all climbers help to protect that place, that is for sure one of the most beautiful areas in the alps.

On behalf of the local climbers in the Maltatal, Gerhard Schaar