Crag Climbing – Best Practices
Climbing is becoming increasingly popular. With more climbers visiting crags, this growing popularity brings certain challenges.
The issues can be grouped into three main areas:
- Environmental impact
- Potential disturbances to landowners, neighbours, and other site users (hunters, hikers, etc.)
- Impact on other climbers
In Corsica, we are far from experiencing the crowds seen at the major crags on the mainland, but a few issues have still been reported.
By following a few simple principles, we can ensure that climbing continues to thrive as a sustainable and enjoyable sport.
DURING THE APPROACH
Parking and path maintenance
Let’s respect parking areas and ensure we do not obstruct traffic.
Be sure to close gates behind you.
On the path, a quick snip with pruning shears from time to time helps maintain the path.
Average weight of pruning shears: 253g, price: €9.75.
They should be a standard item in every crag climber’s pack.
AT THE CRAG
NO TOP-ROPING ON IN-SITU EQUIPMENT!
Always follow this rule, as top-roping on the maillon (quicklinks) causes it to wear out quickly and become unsafe. We often replace worn maillon with rings, but these also wear down over time… The pictures show the damage.
Setting Up a Top-Rope
In Corsica, most belays are equipped with chains and a maillon or ring.
This ring (or maillon) should only be used for lowering the last climber. For top-roping or when multiple climbers are attempting the route, descents should be done using personal gear, ideally a screw carabiner and a quickdraw (photo 1).
The last climber then performs the “belay cleaning” procedure.
With a Second Climber Who Lacks Experience
If the last climber doesn’t have enough experience to perform the “belay cleaning” procedure, the experienced climber does it first but clips the rope into a carabiner or a quickdraw attached to the upper point of the belay. This way, the ring is not worn (photo 2).
The last climber simply retrieves the carabiner (or quickdraw) and descends using the belay ring.
The Famous “Belay cleaning” procedure… What’s That?
When the last climber reaches the belay, the “belay cleaning” consists of safely passing the rope through the maillon or descent ring of the belay.
As a good video is worth a thousand words, I encourage you to watch the tutorial on the side.
Chalk marks and “Ticks”
Whenever possible, climb with a brush (non-metallic) and, during the descent, give a quick clean to the holds that have been whitened.
If you leave “tick marks”, you should always erase them. It’s frustrating for climbers who follow.
Some popular crags are even equipped with small boxes containing old toothbrushes. You have no excuse now!
Pee-Poo
It may seem obvious, but apparently not to everyone: Let’s poop and pee far from the crag, and bury our waste! And especially, not under overhangs, because rain, that natural flush, can’t wash away our organic offerings there!
Next to this, you’ll find a detailed article on “How to Poop in the woods“.
And if this topic fascinates you, Kathleen Meyer has written 140 pages on it: How to Shit in the Woods: An Environmentally Sound Approach to a Lost Art.
Environmental awareness
Let’s strictly follow any specific bans or regulations put in place to protect the environment: protection of nesting birds, preservation of rare species, etc.
Let’s minimize our impact and, of course, no fires, and take our trash… and that of others.
You might say, “Rules, more rules, and always rules! … Climbing is FREE!!!“
But by following these simple principles, we can hope that climbing continues to thrive as a sustainable and enjoyable sport.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP, THE ROCK WILL REWARD YOU!