Green Climbing

[pigsteak]

The new edition of Climbing magazine is devoted to 'green" or "greener" climbing....what do you do to sustain the planet and the sport?

For me, I actually was torn and felt more guilty after reading the mag cover to cover. Over and over it hit me that our sport is not healthy for the planet in any stretch of the definition. Every article talks about minimizing our impact, not eliminating or improving.

Driving our cars (wasting fossil fuels) to the crag and taking road trips seems to be the biggest impact we as climbers have. But how in the world do we eliminate this? The list in the mag was long and overwhelming...dogs destroying vegetation, human erosion with trails, fixed anchors permanently scarring the rock, the by products (many oil related) that are part of gear manufacturing, the noise pollution from screaming climbers/boulderers, killing vegetation when we drop our packs or boulder pads under the new areas, .......

I always wanted to think/feel like I was engaging in a healthy lifestyle for Mother earth and for my brothers and sisters who I walk this path alongside. But now I am doubting, and think it is all an illusion to satisfy my thirst for adventure.

Is there anyone here who honestly can say with a straight face they are eco conscious, yet they climb outside regularly? If so, please share your stories of how your journey is helping and not hurting the environment.

[krampus]

I like to minimize fossil fuel consumption by never driving my own car (can't make it to the southern region anyway). I still use my first harnes so I don't contrubute to the waste generated by buying new crap every year. I use an ATC because modern technology is the fall of humanity. My shoes are mostly made of duck tape, and I only eat meatless leftovers from miguel's trash cans.

[One-Fall]

Carpooling, staying on designated trails, not climbing in big groups. Kipp, im all for making our activity as green as possible. But what about football, baseball and basketball. How much damage gets done to the environment for people to just watch those sports, let alone participate. How big are those stadiums and parkinglots? What about wiping out a forest to put in a golf course?

When done right, I think ours is one of the greener activities (with room for improvement).

[anticlmber]

yes but lots of football folks don't travel that often. they call them arm-chair for a reason.

piggie, there is nothing wrong with going outside but like stated there are ways to do it with "minimal" impact.
ways to do so:
place gear on rocks or already barren/hard packed areas
don't yardsale your shit
if its crowded, go elsewhere
keep the noise to a minimum
don't poop and if you do pack it out/bury it well
carpool
PICK UP TRASH yours and others
many,many more but those are the main ones that really do make a big difference

[ahab]

environmental responsibility is important, but perhaps we should take care of the big dogs before we start wringing our hands over driving a 4 banger 100 miles to climb on the weekend.

[Jeff]

I know I'm never using electricity while climbing.

[Jeff]

Oh yeah, you're not helping the environment by subscribing to the mags either.

[pigsteak]

Oh yeah, you're not helping the environment by subscribing to the mags either.

exactly.

[pkananen]

Simple issue for me. Doing environmental good is not the ultimate good in my life. It is important, and I minimize impact as much as possible, but it is not my ultimate value. Actually, it isn't the ultimate good for most anyone, and if they say so, they are deluding themselves. In fact, making it the ultimate goal of anyone's life is a fleeting pursuit.

[anticlmber]

yes but what IS your ultimate goal, or one of them at least??

to have an ultimate goal(s) that effect only you or your small sphere is of no benifit to anyone(including yourself)
having goals more inline with helping more than just yourself are never a fleeting pursuit.

perhaps it is thos thoughts that keep them fleeting.