Introduction:
Ecology is the study of the interaction of living and non-living components of a system. New thinking asserts the essential role that humans play in ecological systems. Enter Homo Sapiens spp. climberus--an increasingly prevalent primate inhabitant of crags, mountains, and spires that gestates in the gym. In the late '80s, spp. climberus entered a stage of geometric population increase. Likely long-term consequences include depletion of its habitat by the early 2000s. Widespread mortality will follow with only the most gym-tolerant surviving unless climberus can adapt to new conditions through behavioral changes. Social Darwinism? You bet.
This story is about climbers; and by necessity it is also about the land, its managers, other outdoor recreation user groups, plants, animals, and the political reality of being a climber in the '90s.
In the field of natural resource management, ecological reasoning has been applied to answer questions about what recreational opportunities of a certain quality exist or about the perception of conflict between competing user groups. Both the interactions between user groups and the interaction between user groups and the land are increasingly being examined within the new natural resource paradigm of ecosystem management. Indeed, all activities on public lands are being examined with a scrutiny never before encountered.
Land managers will act in such a way as to sustain, within acceptable limits of change, the social and biological context of an area. Among other things, this means that if severe impact occurs to an area, they are likely to intervene with regulations and restrictions aimed at conserving existing resources.
The Way It Is:
Enter the '90s. Outdoor recreation has been a marketing bonanza and the places we play are beginning to show it. Those charged with stewardship of the land--historically land managers--have noticed. At the peak of the outdoor recreation pyramid for climbers is the unconstrained recreational opportunity. This is the stuff that climbers live and die for; that place where personal choice is at a premium; the place where decisions must be made, a place where the margin is always close at hand.
The Margin:
The edge of something. The place where all progress occurs. Whether its the edge of fear, endurance, power, or understanding, the margin is the place beyond which you have not gone. Advances as a sport climber come when you push one move higher than you thought was possible; advances as an alpinist come when you hang it out one step further than you thought was prudent. The envelope cannot be defined without finding its upper limit. What does this mean for climbers?
The Way It Is at the Margin: Resource Management and Climbing in the '90s
On the surface, this means that the effects of our activity will be judged more carefully than at any point in our past. The notion of what conservation practices are appropriate must evolve in response to higher use levels and the recognition that we are no longer alone in the high and wild places we frequent. Even though it may not always look like it, we are in the close company of other user groups, land managers, and growing numbers of our own kind that often hold widely varying views. This increasingly necessitates adoption of a stronger ethic governing our choices in recognition of the special responsibility that comes with the privilege of visiting extraordinary places.
For climbers who care about future freedoms this means one thing: educate yourself and others about the way your activity affects the land and the other people you share it with. This means going to the margin of what you think is necessary to know and to do, and then pushing beyond. It's not as romantic as secretly picking the plums on the new crag you "discovered," nor is it as unfettered as going any where and doing anything, a feeling near and dear to climbing hearts. But it is a course of conduct that will ensure the future availability of places to practice our craft.
Here are some essential recommendations:
* Familiarize yourself with the values of other recreationists that you may share an area with and be willing and able to minimize activities that fuel the perception of conflict.
* If on public lands, familiarize yourself with the other land management objectives of the areas you frequent and when exploring new routes, consider the long-term effects of your exploration on other resources.
* If on private lands, find out who the land owner is, what their disposition toward climbing is, or their management objectives for the area.
* When exploring new or seldom used crags, consider trails or other ways to minimize impact to vegetation and wildlife.
* Educate yourself about proper waste disposal methods and use them.
* Visualize a positive future for the crags you frequent and work to attain it. Ask yourself, what would a bleak future for this crag look like and how can I avoid it?
* Have fun and keep climbing.
* Subscribe your friends to Access Notes.