North American Climbing History Archives (NACHA) It's On!

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crunch

Social climber
CO
Nov 29, 2014 - 07:06pm PT
What Steve Grossman is doing relates to rock climbing history. No crevasses in sight.

Oh. Thank you for clearing that up, as it's not clear from the acronym. So, really, it should be called NARCHA. That would also have the advantage of not signifying something best served with cheese and salsa.

Of course, that's nit-picky... but, then, so is historical research, done correctly. We're to be forgiven for questioning Steve's "objectivity" regarding everything from, well, truth to, well, uhh... truth.

Example: fast turn-around as "evidence of a solid application." Yeah, or more probably evidence of about 1000 other things having exactly zero to do with a 'solid application,' such as: Nobody at the IRS cares about this sort of thing because it has nothing to do with religion or politics; the IRS is presently an embattled organization that just has no time or staffing for insignificant 'organizations' like NACHA; and the IRS is one of the worst organizations in human history regarding weighing 'evidence' on any subject. The list goes on. LOL

Bias is a biotch, particularly when you wear it on your chest in all of your "historical" endeavors. Best to stick to "archival" and "librarian" work than to pretend this is "historical" in any sense that matters. That way, at least the contents (and/or lack thereof) won't have anybody believing that Steve's "take" on "history" is anything other than, well, HIS narrow-minded, self-serving take.

This will not be "history." This will be "The Library of Steve." Any actual history that makes it in will be an unintended side-effect rather than what would be expected by design, as Steve seems astoundingly unqualified for this role.

I've asked, flat-out, and gotten no answer: Steve, exactly what formal training do you have in history? What are your degrees? Post-doc fellowships? ANYTHING at all? Do you have ANY training in how a historian actually conducts interviews for archival and research purposes? Or is this just "willing and interested construction worker" turned "professional historian" because he's added a NARCHA after his name?

Who is on the Board of Directors of NACHA, NARCHA, whatever? Who is Chairman? You want funding? Then how about providing some actual organizational information and making pubic the details of what this organization actually is?

But, at least he IS willing (for the price of tax-deductible 'support')....


Dude, WTF. Are you even a member of the Access Fund?
madbolter1

Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
Nov 29, 2014 - 07:36pm PT
Dude, WTF. Are you even a member of the Access Fund?

If the Access Fund were the organization doing this, I wouldn't be posting on this thread. If so, we don't need NARCHA. If not, then your question is irrelevant.

I'm still waiting on answers regarding qualifications and organizational structure. Simple questions. Relevant questions.

The ACTUAL history matters. Evidence matters. Truth matters.

I've asked straightforward and relevant questions. We deserve answers. Especially since Steve himself has made so much about "qualifications" and "credibility" as the basis for respect in a given endeavor. Surely, then, he himself understands the weight of what he's set himself up as here: "Historian!"

Librarian or Archivist is a lower bar to clear. Perhaps Steve can tell us about his qualifications for even that sort of role. A resume' perhaps?

Edit: Actually, Nah000 and RyanD have already done an amazing compilation job (for free and without any need of tax deductible status!) on this very site. This is the sort of grass-roots, organic effort that has a lot more value and credibility than ANY pile of chips built to glorify particular individuals. Their efforts already are worthy of applause!
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Nov 29, 2014 - 09:47pm PT
From Miss Dawn Wall Pardo's gossip page.From Grossman's Wally Reed thread
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=616439&tn=20

SteveW

Trad climber
The state of confusion

Jul 21, 2008 - 11:55pm PT
Steve, you just keep getting the great stuff out here
for us.

Thanks, BIG TIME!

EDIT

Are you a historian by trade, or only dabbling in it?
Just curious--but keep doing it, either way!

You can't please everyone, obviously, even though there are some telling points brought up.

Keep on keepin' us informed about the past, Steve.
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 8, 2015 - 01:20pm PT
To clarify Crusher's remarks about the scope of NACHA, in structuring this organization my intent is to cast a very broad net including all aspects of climbing including ski mountaineering. NACHA is a clearing house for any and all climbing history and offers a home to the impressive amount of historical material that a lot of folks have amassed over the decades.

Big mountain expeditions and climbers have been very well documented so the real work as Crusher noted is in documenting the many unaffiliated rock climbers whose stories aren't well known. I am primarily a rock climber and consequently much of my historical interest is centered on that aspect of mountaineering as I research and interview climbers of record for the Elevated Lives Project which started with Tom Frost in 2007.

We mountaineering historians are a rare breed and if you survey the people that have written consequential historical material over the last fifty or sixty years such as Roper, Steck, Jones, Ament, Rowell, Scott, Wilson, Perrine and Messner virtually none of us have academic standing or formal training as historians. What we do have in common is a passion for the material, ability to interview, research and write well, solid character and deep accomplishment which allows us to write about the outstanding events and participants in the history of grand alpinism from the inside of the experience.

Richard Jensen- All of your insistent squawking about credentials amounts to no more than that.

I have had a good career as a general contractor serving as the board chairman of the Climbing Wall Industry Group (CWIG) while it existed and ASTM Committee F08 writing the engineering specification that insures that artificial climbing walls are properly designed and built. Historical work is what I am good at and what I need to be doing as I have been for several years now.

If unlike Richard Jensen you would like to support NACHA and join me in preserving and making readily available our amazing and grand historical legacy please contact me and let's work together and make this happen.
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