thomasholmphoto

Zulame in Valley of Fire

Added 2024-08-17 14:00:04 +0000 UTC

Another from the series I shot with Zulame from some small slot canyons.

ƒ4 1/80 sek

This is an exciting location in that if you follow official guidance (which I think should be abolished), you will never find these two canyons:

Coming from one side, you are guided away and reminded that you have overshot the route.

The same is true when coming from the other side.

So, this place is effectively no man's land.

I’m not a fan of putting up too strict routing and signage.

In this case, it’s to avoid people getting lost and risking heat exposure, but to a degree, I prefer wilderness to be wild.

And if it means that evolution takes care of people who are too stupid to venture into hazardous deserts without water and without any means or skill to navigate, so be it.

Signs everywhere saying, “Hold the railing, or you might fall off the stairs,” is, in my opinion, a cancer in a litigious society that should not be allowed to grow.

I believe in making nature accessible - to a degree.

But when nature stops being nature because of posted signs pointing to a branch you can hit your head on, warnings that sand is unstable to walk on, and “follow the designated track,” I’m not a fan…

It removes the excitement of exploring, which is a large part of nature to me.

Rant over.

What are your thoughts on the impact of excessive signage and safety measures in natural settings?