How to be an environmentally friendly climber

As climbers, we spend a lot of time outdoors. But how can we reduce the impact we have on the environment whilst still getting the most out of our favourite sport?

Chalk and tick marks
Tick marks and chalked up holds can quickly lead to several problems:

• Many areas are shared with hikers and other visitors and walls covered in tick marks and chalk could lead to complaints and in turn to access issues and closures.
• Other climbers do not always want beta (in the form of tick marks) and often prefer to work through a route themselves.
• Old chalk left on holds is not only an eyesore, but it can cause the holds to become slippery and polished over time.

So please brush away your tick marks and clean those holds when you have finished for the day!

Private property, sacred sites and conservation areas
As visitors to private property and national parks, we need to respect sacred sites and conservation areas. This means following the rules set by the park management and land owners. Following rules such as parking in the designated areas, staying on marked tracks, taking rubbish out with you and only lighting fires in designated areas (on days where there is no fire ban in place) means that we can continue to share these areas with other visitors.

P.S. You can order a free biodegradable rubbish bag here with your next order to help carry out your rubbish

When nature calls
Sometimes you just have to go. When choosing a spot, take care not to trample plants and flowers or disturb animals or water sources. Take a shovel to dig a hole, but please carry any toilet paper or tissues you use back out with you. Toilet paper can take up to 3 months to decompose, tissues up to 5 years and wet wipes can take up to 10 years to decompose!

Buy plastic free or upcycled products
Taking the time to look carefully at what you are buying can have a huge impact on the environment. Buying products from local manufacturers or plastic free products and products made from upcycled materials can make a big difference to your ecological footprint.

Read more about KletterRetter and the environment here.

Enjoy the outdoors and leave no trace
Most importantly you should enjoy being outdoors and have fun! Take the time to look around, observe trees, plants and animals, enjoy a healthy breath of fresh mountain or forest air and leave nature how you found it 😉

Do you have any other tips for your fellow climbers? Post them in the comments below!