Four Key Areas
While the number of people climbing outdoors has been steadily increasing, the number of climbing areas available has pretty much remained the same or reduced. As climbers, we have to do what we can to minimise our impact on these precious climbing areas to help protect them from degradation.
We have selected the four key areas where climbers can have the most significant impact on their visit to a crag. We have tried to provide information on the damage that can be done and what you can do to avoid it. None of these things are hard to do and if everyone can do them it will make the world of difference.
Access
Chalk
Respect
Toiletting
Please take a little time to read these suggestions and do a little planning to make sure you are well set for your crag visit.
Access
When we talk about accessing a climb we’re talking about the whole process of parking your car, walking into the crag, putting down your gear and moving between climbs. All of these actions have the potential to compact the soil, damage vegetation and spread weeds. To minimise the impact of your access there are two key things you can do:
- Stick to existing tracks
- Pay attention to where you lay down your gear
Stick to existing tracks
Parking your car. Obviously if there is an established car park available you will use that without a problem. If there is no formal car park available or it is full, you will need to park on or near the side of the road. Simply consider the impact of your vehicle on the soil and the vegetation when you do this.
Walking to the crag. Staying on the approach track restricts soil compaction, erosion, vegetation damage and weed dispersal to well-defined areas that can be monitored and managed much more easily. Multiple trails, shortcuts and bypasses all add to the degradation of the area and make maintenance so much harder.
Walking around the crag. Tracks between climbs and climbing areas are often much more subtle than the trail into the area. You may have to look for more subtle indicators of a path such as deliberately positioned rocks or branches. If you have to stand on or push through vegetation you are probably in the wrong spot. Remember that many climbers have been here before you.
Laying Down Your Gear
Where possible, look for Flat Ground and Hard Surfaces. Sloping and soft surfaces are easily abraded by feet and gear moving and slipping around. This erosion can cause further soil destabilisation and uncover and damage the root systems of the surrounding vegetation. Compaction of soft soil will also damage root systems.
Also try to keep your gear contained neatly off any access trails. At least leave sufficient space for other climbers to walk past without having to step off the track to get around your gear.
Chalk
Use coloured chalk outdoors.
The visual impact of white chalk in a natural setting is quite offensive to many people including climbers. White chalk is for gyms only. We highly recommend you use separate chalkbags for climbing indoors and outdoors.
There are many coloured chalk products on the market. They may feel a little different and they may make your hands look a little dirty, but their visual impact is much lower.
Most coloured chalks come in a brown or grey. Either of these is far better than white, even if doesn’t match the colour of the rock.
Here are some recommended products. If you don’t use one of these please check that your chalk does not contain Rosin or Resin. This ingredient is sticky to help with your grip, but it stays on the rock and builds up a polished layer that can’t be removed easily.
Brush your chalk and tick marks off your climb when you’ve finished
This is common etiquette so that the next climber has clean rock to climb on.
Once you start laying down the chalk with several attempts, several people or place tick marks, please take the time to remove visible chalk with a brush on your way down.
Consider seriously if or where you really need tick marks. Of course it’s really up to you if you want to use them but please, if you put them on the rock, brush them off when you’re done.
Respect
Demonstrating respect for the owners, managers and users of the places where we climb builds trust between the climbing community and the people who support our access to these places. There are things you can do to demonstrate respect for each of the following groups of people:
- Traditional Owners
- Park Managers
- Other Park Users and Climbers
Traditional Owners
Find out whose land you are climbing on and, specifically, if there are particular things you should note about cultural heritage and values in the climbing area including closures and restrictions. This website is a good starting point for this information.
Park Managers
Local rangers are a great help to us in supporting our volunteering activities to monitor and maintain climbing areas in their parks. We put a lot of work into building these relationships and ask that you do what you can to support that by being friendly and courteous to them. They also have a role to monitor and enforce the rules for visitors that are set out in the Park Management Plan to protect the park.
Other Park Users and Climbers
Be considerate of others wanting to experience the same area
Keep tracks clear, or move aside to let people through.
Keep down the noise and the language. (Allow nearby climbers to communicate with their belayer)
Try not to dominate an area or climb for too long.
If you leave a rope on a climb, keep your eye out for anyone else wanting to do that route.
Toiletting
Climbing areas can’t handle poo or paper:
- Plan your poo before you arrive – use this website to find toilets near the crag
- Carry out your wee paper – use ziplock bags
- Carry and use a Wag Bag for emergencies or if you get caught out often
Be considerate where you pee.
Pooing
There are too many climbers to consider burying poo and/or paper. Burying is not particularly reliable anyway :
- Needs to be deeper than most people think and this is difficult in rocky or hard soils
- Disturbs the soil, plants and root systems
- Often uncovered by animals
- People always go to the same areas
So, plan do a poo before you arrive – use this website to note where the nearest toilets are.
Wag Bags are toilet kits that can be used anywhere. They are designed so that is easy to collect your poo, solidify it, deodorise it, wrap it up and seal it so that it can be carried out reliably. Ok, sounds awful to many people, but if you can get over the ick-factor, these are a lifesaver for the crag environment. Most people will only need one for emergencies, others will know that they get caught out frequently and should always have one handy.
https://www.bogong.com.au/go-anywhere-toilet-bag-wag-bag.html
https://www.climbinganchors.com.au/cleanwaste-go-anywhere-toilet-kit-the-original-wag
Peeing
Urine smells, but it breaks down quickly. Move away from climbing and belaying areas to have a pee, just be careful of damaging plants and disturbing soil and rocks.
A good strategy is often to go back down the access track some way and find somewhere not too far from the track.If you use toilet paper, please carry it out with you – two ziplock bags are fine for this.
Planning
If you’ve read any of the information above, you already aware that a little planning can really minimise your impact on a climbing area. Once you know where you are going climbing, check:
- CSV website for information on Traditional Owners, cultural significance and any restrictions in place
- CSV website for toilet information
- TheCrag or guidebook for parking and access instructions
Make sure you pack:
- Coloured chalk
- Emergency Wag Bag
- Ziplock bags for pee paper
Once you are there:
- Stay on established tracks
- Store your gear on flat solid ground
- Be considerate of other climbers and park users
- Have fun!
