Forum

Gripped » Gripped Forums » Rock » UIAA Says “Leave no trace” but it’s impossible

Pages: [1]
Presentational Image Author Topic: UIAA Says “Leave no trace” but it’s impossible
dave
Member
Posts: 13
dave
Post UIAA Says “Leave no trace” but it’s impossible
on: October 30, 2009, 11:07

The UIAA Statement on style and “best practices” (what a stupid term) includes the following statement:

Article 8 – Style

Maxim:

The quality of the experience and how we solve a problem is more important than whether we solve it. We strive to leave no trace.

They’ll elaborate on this in the further notes to come later. I like placing gear and trying nt to wreck the place as much as the next guy, but I detect in these statements a real tendency to romanticize climbing and the way climbers have managed the climbing environment. Leave no trace- when have we ever done that? It isn’t even possible. WHat do people think?

stone_mason
Member
Posts: 132
stone_mason
Post Re: UIAA Says “Leave no trace” but it
on: November 1, 2009, 23:35

I somewhat agree with it. But like you say, next to impossible.

Once in Victoria I could not find a climbing shop open before I hit the indoor gym. I went to Walmart (yup, you might find me on thepeopleofwalmart.com) and bought some kiddy chalk. Next thing ya’know I’m sporting blue/green chalk and crushed it up inside a sock with a hammer. Oddly enough, if this practice were used (yeah, that might have looked weird), I wonder if chalk could be more colour coded to the rock and minimize ‘trace’?

Paten pending…..better throw that in there before I see “Indian Creek Red” chalk…

————————————
Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.”

John Muir

justin
Member
Posts: 9
justin
Post Re: UIAA Says “Leave no trace” but it
on: January 29, 2010, 17:21

Sorry to ruin your dream of a major climbing chalk revolution, but coloured climbing chalk has been done - not sure who…  there is also a minty chalk out there, I never could figure that on out…

As for the OP, I don’t think its possible for any species to actually leave no trace.  How do these UIAA guys get to work?  What did the build their work building out of?  I pretty sure climbers damage the environment immensly before even stepping foot on rock.  When we do get out we should try to do so in an environmentally respectful way - especially since many of our climbing areas don’t belong to us.  But if that loose rock is going to kill me or my belayer I’m going to move it.  If the crack I’m climbing is filled with dirt and moss I’m going to clean it out.  If I need to retreat or perform a rescue I might do so off a bomber tree anchor despite the fact that I have no carpet on me to pad it.

We aren’t perfect and never will be, but maybe we could try harder?

Pages: [1]

Guest  

Show or hide header

Welcome Guest, posting in this forum requires an account.

If you already have one you can login below. Otherwise, you can register for free.





Please leave these two fields as-is:

  • Presentational Image
  • Presentational Image
  • Merrell Barefoot: learn more
  • image