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What's the most eco friendly style of climbing?

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 JLS 30 Nov 2007
Do you think climbing on natural rock is likely to be banned in the future due to pressure from lichen & moss loving eco warriors?
 Rob Hannah 30 Nov 2007
In reply to JLS:

Not if we include them in the list of undesirables to be culled*.

*Success is entirely dependent on "the culling on the infrim and stupid party" being elected to power.
 twm.bwen 30 Nov 2007
In reply to JLS: True, Lichens take a long time to grow and they are often protected. But think about it, most popular rock climbing destinations will already have been stripped of moss and lichens long ago, so as late as it may be, I don't think we're at risk of stanage being closed on grounds of lichen.
OP JLS 30 Nov 2007
In reply to twm.bwen:

So the genocide of lichens by of our forefathers gives us the right to continue to occupy the territories where once lichen was free to prosper?
 JDDD 30 Nov 2007
In reply to JLS: On the other hand, many crags are very much going back to nature. Look at places like Helsby or Hen Cloud. When coal fires were the norm, these crags were bare due to all the sulphur in the air. Now that the air is much cleaner, they are very much on the green side.
 GrahamD 30 Nov 2007
In reply to JLS:

The most eco friendly has to be the one you can walk to. Which sadly means nowhere for me.
 goosebump 30 Nov 2007
In reply to JLS:
No.
And Im a lichen and moss loving eco-warrior.
Nao 30 Nov 2007
In reply to JLS:
Interesting question. Does sport climbing cause less long-term damage/wear and tear?
 Joe G 30 Nov 2007
In reply to JLS:
> Do you think climbing on natural rock is likely to be banned in the future due to pressure from lichen & moss loving eco warriors?

I wouldn't have thought so.

Most eco friendly style of climbing?

How about ice climbing within walking distance of home?
OP JLS 30 Nov 2007
In reply to Nao:

>"Does sport climbing cause less long-term damage/wear and tear?"

I'd say no. Damage/wear will for the most part be just a function of rock type and numbers of ascents. I'd suspect bolted routes see more ascents than trad routes due to fashion and relatively low number available.
OP JLS 30 Nov 2007
In reply to Joe G:

>"How about ice climbing within walking distance of home?"

Let's all move to Rjukan then! :¬)
Nao 30 Nov 2007
In reply to JLS:
> (In reply to Nao)
>
> >"Does sport climbing cause less long-term damage/wear and tear?"
>
> I'd say no. Damage/wear will for the most part be just a function of rock type and numbers of ascents. I'd suspect bolted routes see more ascents than trad routes due to fashion and relatively low number available.


But won't the wear and tear be pretty limited to certain areas (ie the routes, particularly round the bolted parts)? Whereas trad allows for dodgy/damaging placements, all over the shop...

I suppose it also depends on how you define the damage - is it better to limit it to one area (eg a footpath going through an area of outstanding natural beauty) or allow people free rein (potential for more widespread damage but less concentrated).
 Swig 30 Nov 2007
In reply to twm.bwen:

I think there is more lichen now due to reduction in pollution from people burning "smoky" coal. In most built up areas you have to burn smokeless coal (low in sulphur I think).

Climbing will only remove lichen on "holds" and holds are a tiny percentage of a crag even Stanage (completely covered in routes and gets loads of traffic). Of course most crags aren't like Stanage.
In reply to JLS:

He he he i'm not really an eco warrior, just trying to wind up the bouldering types! it's a hornets nest i tell thee.
OP JLS 30 Nov 2007
In reply to Conquistador of the usless:

No offence meant, but you post on the other thread came across a bit like p!ssing on someone elses parade! I reckon a separate thread would have been a proprate to make a general point about tick marks.
In reply to JLS:

Not at all, i didn't even read the article, the thing i saw first was the grotesque tick marks!!??
 Will Hunt 30 Nov 2007
In reply to JLS:
I would have thought ice climbing surely?
 Steve Parker 03 Dec 2007
In reply to Will Hunt:
> (In reply to JLS)
> I would have thought ice climbing surely?

Not for people in most of the UK. How are you going to get to the ice?

The only truly sustainable climbing is walking to your local organic, live, indoor wall, and climbing there, preferably in the dark.

I think we have to accept a little *unsustainability* in our outdoor climbing.

Reese 03 Dec 2007
There is an usustainability in most sports, its how you go about erm.. righting the wrongs that one part of your life brings about. So if climbing is your unsustainable part, with chalk (chemical or otherwise), ropes, boots and the rest of your gear all making an impact environmentally in some way, then look at finding a way to counter act that in your life outside climbing (if such a thing exists).

Surfing has had an eco friendly image for years, so why not climbing?

There's fair trade, recycled, eco friendly gear out there its a case of finding it and having the cash to part with so you can get it.

Be interesting to weigh up the pros and cons of all styles of climbing and see which has the potential to be the most damaging and which is has the greatest potential to make a minimal impact.
 Reach>Talent 03 Dec 2007
In reply to JLS:
Buildering, on your own mud hut barefoot.
 LewisDale 03 Dec 2007
In reply to JLS: dry tooling
:-D


like most things, climbing will be very difficult to be 100% sustainable but we can all 'do our bit' by not suffocating entire slab with chalk, not lobbing chockstones out etc.

climbing is greener than most sport anyway.
In reply to JLS: how can they ban it- there would be civil disobedience- sound familiure?lol. nah climbings gud, its other people who are ruinig climbing- all this methane melting our glaciers. britians knackered anyway, i think we should get the wind farms up over the lakes and focus on conserving the alps. it aint a natural landscape anyway.
 Al Evans 09 Dec 2007
In reply to JLS: Answer to OP, walk to a local crag and solo in bare feet, but it gets bloody boring like most totally PC/EF ways of life, its all a compromise.

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