Rock climbing is generally seem as a relatively low impact sport, but that is because our impacts are not as noticeable. In this video I explore the various environmental impacts climbers have had in The Beach climbing area. Hopefully this will make you think more and reflect our yours and your climbing partners habits.

We climbers like to think we have no impact on the areas we frequent.

But often times, as you can see here, we change the landscape to suit our needs by cutting down trees and moving debris and rocks.

Even on our approach to these areas we disrupt and destroy vegetation, soil and peat, and mosses and lichen.

This erosion of the soil beds makes them infertile and therefore unsuitable as a place for seeds and grasses to grow.

This little guy has tried to sprout up in a undisturbed area below a rock

The moss and lichens of various varieties found on these rocks shows how diverse and healthy flora can be and the barren rock next to it clearly shows how we have impacted this area

Lichen and mosses feed a lot of animals and they also grow on the faces we climb, once they do, we promptly clean them off with a wire brush.

The base of climbs, the belay area, also get heavily eroded from all the traffic, you are able to clearly see which areas are frequented most.

The ledges found on rock walls are an excellent place to rest, but many types of birds use the area for nesting.

There is often a lot of debris at the base of climbs this is caused by the high traffic aspect of the area, people trample small bushes, snap branches, or kick rocks and all this over time weakens the structural integrity of the soil.

Where there is a crag there is often a fire pit, and in this case two, once again damaging the soil and plants around it. In the case of the latter fire pit, scalding the soil all the way to rock below making it uninhabitable for any plants.

Just because we have a negative impact does not mean we can’t create a positive one as well. Pick up trash at your crag that others have left behind, making the space more beautiful than you found it.

Watch out for plants beginning to sprout, don’t trample them.

Use proper gear and technique so bolts don’t have to be replaced as often.

And keep your eye out for wildlife, they were here first, and they have dibs.

Happy climbing!