The Bay Area Climbers Coalition is dedicated to preserving the environment, especially in and around climbing areas. We use the land; we need to take care of it.
- Be mindful of your biological waste (your pee and poop). Check before you go if you will be in a “pack-in, pack-out” area where all waste must be carried out. Toilet paper and waste can have deleterious impacts on the area around them. They are also very unsightly and not fun (to say the least) to cleanup later.
- Leave the crag just as clean or cleaner than you found it. Properly dispose of all waste, or carry it out if there is no trash can. While throwing glass bottles off the top of a crag may sound like a fun ideas, broken glass is a huge hazard and incredibly hard to clean up. At Summit Rock, we discover layer upon layer upon layer of broken glass – don’t add to it! Also, make sure to brush off your chalk marks.
- If you have to ask if your music is too loud, it probably is! If you have to ask if it is too late to be climbing, it probably is! Keep in mind that many great climbing areas are in the middle of residential areas, and follow the platinum rule: don’t be a jerk!
- As much as possible, stay on the trail! Trails are carefully constructed to be in the best place to minimize impact to the area. While “social trails” and other shortcuts may sound nice to cut down on your walk, using these can greatly damage the area – and just think, the extra walking will help your endurance for those big wall climbs!