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Climbing Ethics and Solutions: The Mountaineers Backcountry Impact Series

Explore the insights from The Mountaineers Backcountry Impact Series focusing on climbing. Learn about wilderness ethics, problem-solving shortcuts, and useful tips and tricks to ensure a positive climbing experience. Access stunning climbs such as Zeke’s Wall and Gold Bars Boulders, with a specific spotlight on climbing scenarios, including Mt. Erie. This series equips climbers with the knowledge to minimize their impact on the environment while enjoying the great outdoors responsibly.

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Climbing Ethics and Solutions: The Mountaineers Backcountry Impact Series

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  1. Backcountry Impact Series: Climbing

    The Mountaineers

  2. Wilderness Ethics:Problem-solving shortcuts, tips and tricks!
  3. ACCESS great climbs Zeke’s Wall, Gold Bars Boulders
  4. Scenario 1: Mt. Erie Off for a day of climbing at Mount Erie! Known for it’s spectacular views (the San Juan Islands, the Olympics, the Cascades—oh my!), you cannot wait to get on the rock. You snag a great parking spot and eagerly start off to the staging area. As you are walking, you get confused: there are multiple trail options. What do you do?
  5. Scenario 1: Mt. Erie Leslie is the first of her group to arrive. Always prepared, she consults her guidebook to see if there are any clues about which route to take. Discovering the best route she marks the trailhead with a cairn so other climbers follow the same one. Nate thinks, “what will a few more footsteps do?” and races around trails and through meadows to get to the staging area.
  6. Social Trails (AKA braided or informal trails) Definition: Unplanned trails that are not designed or maintained my land owners Develop as people make repeated visits to destinations that are not serviced by existing trail systems Often are short cuts, the simplest or quickest route to site Can have major impacts on soil and the environment: soil compaction, trail widening, erosion and soil loss
  7. Site Durability “Durable Surfaces” are areas that are hardly affected by the passage of humans. Includes established trails, sand, gravel, snow, dry grasses and more.
  8. Did you know? Some alpine heather communities on Mt. Rainier have been carbon dated to 10,000 years old.
  9. CAIRNSA traditional and useful route-marker?A Zen art form?A disturbance?
  10. Scenario 1: Mt. Erie Best Practices Consider the site durability of the surface Concentrate use on the most established route Consult maps and resources Avoid using social trails and avoid creating new ones If you use a cairn, dismantle it
  11. Scenario 2: Icicle Creek Yahoo! You had a successful climb at Icicle Creek. It is a beautiful, sunny day. You’ve been drinking lots of water to be sure to stay hydrated. Now you really have to go to the bathroom. You have heard that urine sometimes attracts the attention of mountain goats. What do you do?
  12. Scenario 2: Icicle Creek Tom thinks, “Sweeeet! The only think that could make my day even better is a photo with a mountain goat. I want all my friends to get the chance to see the goat too” so Tom takes a whiz in the open near the staging area. Lucy thinks, “I don’t want anyone to see me doing my business, not even a mountain goat!” She decides to find a dark nook near a crag to pee.
  13. Guess who else likes salty snacks?
  14. When you got to go…
  15. Scenario 2: Icicle Creek Best Practices Minimize interaction with wildlife Consider the social impacts of urine
  16. Scenario 3: Vantage You are headed to Vantage for the great basalt climbs. It’s a long drive. Who better to be co-pilot than your best friend, Fido? And Fido will love to spend the day outdoors with you. Perfect, right?
  17. Crag Dogs Does your dog like to chase balls? How about wildlife? What are the rules and regulations of the site? Is your dog anxious, aggressive or territorial? Does your dog bark or whine a lot? How well does your dog respond to verbal commands? Will your dog be happy being on leash while you climb? Have you brought bags to clean up after your dog? Canine feces are a pollutant and can make your shoes messy
  18. Sage Grouse
  19. Don’t Bust the Crust Cryptobiotic soil is a mixture of cynobacteria, mosses lichen, fungi and algae. Important for the ecosystem! It holds desert sands together, absorbs moisture, produces nutrients, provides seedbeds for other plants to grow…
  20. Scenario 3: Vantage Best practices Control your pet Plan ahead and pack supplies your pet will need: water, leash, snacks… Check for land restrictions in advance Follow established trails Avoid creating new social trails
  21. Scenario 4: Three O’Clock Rock Three O’Clock Rock in Darrington has an easy approach, many routes, and spectacular granite. You invited a few friends. Those friends, excited about the clean slabs and cracks, told their friends and soon enough there was a big group of you going rock climbing over the weekend. When planning for the trip you find out that Three O’Clock Rock is in the Boulder River Wilderness area and know that in wilderness the maximum party size is 12. What do you do?
  22. Scenario 4: Three O’Clock Rock Neville is sure that his friends will practice Leave No Trace principles and be respectful to the environment and other users. “The more the merrier!” The weekend trip cant come soon enough! Troy does not want to negatively impact other hikers and rock climbers wilderness experience. He decides to forgo the group trip, instead opting for a different climb.
  23. Wild Wild Wilderness Defined by the Wilderness Act of 1964 as a place that should retain its “primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation”
  24. Is solitude important to your climbing experience? It is important to other climbers experience? An Access Fund survey found that respondents consider crowding as one of the most significant threats to the climbing experience.
  25. Scenario 5: North Cascades National Park You are in North Cascades National Park traversing cross-country to get to a climb. It is hard and time consuming because of the thickets of devil’s club and slide alder and travel is slow. What do you do?
  26. Scenario 5: North Cascades National Park Lucy decides to cut down the vegetation in her way. She figures others travelers will be grateful the road block isn't there. Nathan enjoys taking his time walking among the plants. Being among the greenery is what makes the park so great!
  27. Scenario 5: Best Practices In pristine areas spread out if you leave trails On established trails walk single file
  28. Tip 1: Proper Storage of Food
  29. Tip 1: Proper Storage of Food
  30. Tip 2: Reduce Waste Orange peels are resistant to decomposition, it takes about 4-24 months.
  31. Tip 3: What to do when nature calls Avoid polluting water source Eliminate contact with animals and insects Maximize decomposition Minimize the chances of social impacts
  32. Tip 3: What to do when nature calls Pack it in, Pack it out
  33. Tip 3: What to do when nature calls
  34. Tip 3: What to do when nature calls. Pack it in, pack it out
  35. Tip 4 Remember the boy scout maxim that you should leave your camp in better condition than it was in when you arrived.
  36. What’s Next? Access Fund Adopt-A-Crag Vantage Spring 2012 Leave No Trace Trainer Courses with the Mountaineers Training participants to teach Leave No Trace Two day course: April 21-22 More information available at www.mountaineers.com
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