Chockstone Forum

      Sponsored By
      ROCK
   HARDWARE

Chockstone Photography

Australian Landscape Prints

Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

Topic Date User

Impacts-sport vs trad 6-May-2005 At 2:17:29 PM rocknrich

Message

I'm hesitant (scared) to post this question, but as a climber I'm curious about the impacts I have on the areas I climb in. I wouldn't call myself a trad or sport climber (though I've only climbed one proper sport route).

Anyway what I'm curious about is that when I first started climbing I thought that by climbing trad I was having less of an impact through not using bolts etc, but observations I've heard from others have made me think otherwise. As far as I know bolting has little impact other than some people not liking the way it looks (ie aesthetic), and maybe some noise pollution when they are put in. On the other hand trad climbing cleans out soil and plants from cracks in order to place gear, and prevents it from returning thereby having an environmental impact on cliff ecology. Further, my understanding is that you are usually lowered of a sport climb which I imagine would reduce tracks and erosion on descents.

Just wondering what others think about this and whether there has been any study on it?