How does rock climbing effect the environment?

Answer 1

To take care of the rock and not to litter around the area and to not deface or paint on the rock. In many cases, rock climbers use pitons, pounding them into crevices and cracks. Not only to they damage the rock, speeding the erosion process, they are often left in place, rusting out and making it dangerous for following climbers.

Answer 2

Potential Impacts to: environment, cultural & historic resources, social

Environmental:

soils

rock surface

vegetation

wildlife

Cultural & Historic Resources

Social:

crowding

conflict w/other visitors

Answer 3

The climbing of the rock itself is not terribly detrimental to the environment- by nature, the rock faces are inhospitable to biological development, so little damage is done by merely scaling a face. Unfortunately, climbing rock is not as simple as I just suggested- the parties must first hike in, often at the risk of destroying fragile ecosystems that are barely hanging-on as it is. High desert vegetation, such as that found at the popular Yosemite park are slow-growing, and take a very long time (many of our generations) to recover from a careless footstep. Furthermore, rock climbers, although they appear to thrive on risk (and often do), take precautions while on the face: older techniques of securing the rope to the pitch can result in increased erosion (such as the use of hammer-in pitons). Newer technology (cams, nuts, etc) rely on setting the protection in existing cracks, rather than hammering in an iron spike into virgin rock. Every climbers goal is (should be) to place protection but to not rely on it. With the new minimally invasive "pro" (protection) the follower (the second person up the route) removes the gear without harming the rock at all.

The other impact to ecology present in climbing is that of input and output. Climbing requires tremendous energy, which has to come from food. The responsible climber packs wrappers and packaging out, so no impact to ecology from discarded foodstuffs. Biology turns those meals into less appetizing waste, however. All of us pee and poo; imagine having to do it from hundreds of feet above the ground! The chemistry of urine may increase erosion of the rock depending on the rocks composition (soft rock such as sandstone seems to be particularly vulnerable). Feces is never friendly- sure, in time it will degrade to a useful form, but it exists as a stinky, embarassing mess for many months. The most responsible climber will take the "Pack it in, Pack it out" philosophy to heart and will carry in all their needed food, and carry out all waste (be it packaging or the biologic type).