This post sat in my draft folder for months now, so here she goes.
The human body is an amazing thing and is capable of magnificent things. I had a brief conversation with a colleague this morning about injuries and recovery and made me think of the interesting topic of respect for your body. Respect for the fully capable and operating human body. Respect for the body that constantly recovers from the torture it is put through on a daily basis. Respect for the privilages and opportunities we, as North Americans, are blessed with.
Personally, I have had to learn to respect my body and treat it well. It was not always that way.
I come from a very traditional family where junk food (chips, pop, white bread, candy, etc...) was the norm and was around all the time. Most adults dont have the discipline to stay away from these types of horrible foods, let alone children exposed to it from the day they were born. It becomes a way of life. By the time I hit high school, I was a bit overweight from over indulging in such bad eating habits and not paying attention to my body when it reacted badly to certain foods. This is very common and I see it all the time with people all around me.
I started climbing mid-way through high school and learned that this particular body type was not at all suited for the activity that I had fallen in love with. I was forced to change my ways and it took a long time to acheive this.
During my long climbing career and other crazy (or stupid) things I have done, I ended up taking many long and hard falls onto my back, sides, ass, etc. This ended up compounding and in my early 20's lead to seven lessions in my spine (where the vertabrea get cranked out of line). Its about as bad as it sounds. There was a year and a half of my life where brushing my teeth caused radiating pain in my back, shoulders, and ribs. It was a tough time. Luckily, through a great friend of mine, I found an osteopath that thought very holistically and was able to literally put be back together. Many lessons came from those dark days of my past. They helped shape the person I am today and allowed me to truely respect the fully funtioning body that most people take for granted each and every day.
I heard a quote, which I absolutely love, last year and I cant get it out of my head. It has become somewhat of a modo that I have been living my life by for the past year or so. Infact, I spent and entire day scrambling up a mountain in the Eastern Sierras last spring looking for the perfect tree to represent the thought. The saying is this "Memento mori" it translates to remember you die or remember your mortality. I am planning on getting a tattoo of a Bristle Cone Pine with the words Tempus Fuget - Momento Mori (Time flies, remember you die). It basically means that you have to live everyday like it was your last. It reminds me that we are infact mortal beings and that what we have now may not and will not last forever. Take advantage of the here and now.
So, as a moral to this little note and a classic cliche. Live life to the fullest and take in all of each days beauty while you still can. Enjoy your time on this Earth, for it is an amazing and wonderful place full of opportunities. See the beauty that others simply ignore. Treat yourself with respect and listen to your body. Use your body well. Treat your body well. Rest. Train. Challenge.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Motivation
Here is another post that was hanging out in my draft folder forever.
How is it that some people are just so naturally motivated while others seem to struggle with everyday pressures placed on each and every one of us? Where does ones motivation come from? How can we improve our level or intensity of motivation? Do you find that you are a motivated person or do you find yourself struggling the way many North Americans do each and everyday.
After living and interacting with people for 27 years, I believe that I am a fairly motivated individual. I raise the questions above because I am not too sure why certain peoples motivation level seems to be so high, while others come across as lacking. I can understand as far as my climbing is concerned because I just love it so much and have such a passion for the activity. But it seems that motivation spills into other parts of my life as well. For example, when completing projects around the house. Its true, I do procrastinate the final finishing details on allot of my projects (not sure why that is either). However, for the most part I get an idea in my head and just go for it.
Motivation is a funny thing. It come and it goes. Does it have a direct correlation with your environmental surrounding? Does it reflect you eating habits? Other habits? Is it influenced by those around you? Im sure it is each of the above to certain extents. Can one change their motivation level? Does having a passion for something in life (ie. climbing for me) provide a source for this motivation? These are the questions that I just dont have a grasp on the answers too.
I can only speak from personal experience when I say that most of my motivation comes from spending time with myself. What does this mean? Setting aside time each and everyday to think. Spend some time in your own head and figure things out. Sort out all of the worlds craziness. I believe that people require a certain connection to the natural world as well. I am sure that, in today's society, there are people that do not require this connection due to generations of adaptation to the city scape. However, I feel that most people are so far disconnected from where we came from (ie the world around us) that there is a major slice of the pie missing. I find that spending time trail running, XC skiing, snowshoeing, walking the dog, etc.... allows you to spend some time with yourself and truly be a part of the "real" world. The world as, I believe, it was truly meant to be.
Once one has the time to organize thoughts and reassess life's goals and ones current path of life, the motivation to push forward in whatever you choose should just come naturally.
Maybe its the fact that there are simply too many distractions from simplicity in today's world (Internet, TV, media, restaurants, advertising, magazines, movies). All of those things have shaped and "brain washed" us, as humans, to think and behave in very particular ways. Un-natural ways. I can understand why it is so difficult for some people to find motivation through all of this complication. Maybe the true path to motivation does lie in simplicity and a quite mind.
Hmmmmm....thoughts.
How is it that some people are just so naturally motivated while others seem to struggle with everyday pressures placed on each and every one of us? Where does ones motivation come from? How can we improve our level or intensity of motivation? Do you find that you are a motivated person or do you find yourself struggling the way many North Americans do each and everyday.
After living and interacting with people for 27 years, I believe that I am a fairly motivated individual. I raise the questions above because I am not too sure why certain peoples motivation level seems to be so high, while others come across as lacking. I can understand as far as my climbing is concerned because I just love it so much and have such a passion for the activity. But it seems that motivation spills into other parts of my life as well. For example, when completing projects around the house. Its true, I do procrastinate the final finishing details on allot of my projects (not sure why that is either). However, for the most part I get an idea in my head and just go for it.
Motivation is a funny thing. It come and it goes. Does it have a direct correlation with your environmental surrounding? Does it reflect you eating habits? Other habits? Is it influenced by those around you? Im sure it is each of the above to certain extents. Can one change their motivation level? Does having a passion for something in life (ie. climbing for me) provide a source for this motivation? These are the questions that I just dont have a grasp on the answers too.
I can only speak from personal experience when I say that most of my motivation comes from spending time with myself. What does this mean? Setting aside time each and everyday to think. Spend some time in your own head and figure things out. Sort out all of the worlds craziness. I believe that people require a certain connection to the natural world as well. I am sure that, in today's society, there are people that do not require this connection due to generations of adaptation to the city scape. However, I feel that most people are so far disconnected from where we came from (ie the world around us) that there is a major slice of the pie missing. I find that spending time trail running, XC skiing, snowshoeing, walking the dog, etc.... allows you to spend some time with yourself and truly be a part of the "real" world. The world as, I believe, it was truly meant to be.
Once one has the time to organize thoughts and reassess life's goals and ones current path of life, the motivation to push forward in whatever you choose should just come naturally.
Maybe its the fact that there are simply too many distractions from simplicity in today's world (Internet, TV, media, restaurants, advertising, magazines, movies). All of those things have shaped and "brain washed" us, as humans, to think and behave in very particular ways. Un-natural ways. I can understand why it is so difficult for some people to find motivation through all of this complication. Maybe the true path to motivation does lie in simplicity and a quite mind.
Hmmmmm....thoughts.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Life is a Goal
Good day to all.
What a weekend I just had. I took Thursday and Friday off to complete some work around the house. I cleaned out the entire basement, prepped wood for the winter, cleaned and organized the yard, finished some side tables my dad had made me, painted our front deck, roughed in the fireplace, and many other small random jobs. I also had a roofing contractor in putting a new roof on the house (finally!). I could not really be much more happy about that. My dad also came out for the weekend and helped me with some projects that had backed up from my summer in the field. We finished putting in the new fireplace (well, new for me anyways and finished framing in and dry walling the new skylights. It feels amazing to have that stuff finalized and completed. So the little cabin is starting to feel more like a house now, its almost done.
The greatest thing about completing all of these intermediate goals is that I will finally have a little more time for training and enjoying the simple things again. The things I have been missing for the past little while. I know that there is really no super rush to have these projects completed, I put this pressure onto myself. At the same time, it feels so good to have them out of the way so I can move on to the next big job (or small jobs....).
Jobs and tasks take allot of time to complete. As I look around my property, I see more and more little jobs and tasks that I would like to complete. It seems that the older I get, the faster time seems to pass. I am sure that this is not a phenomenon strictly limited to my little world, I am sure most people suffer from the same fate. As I get older and time passes, I constantly wonder if I will have enough time to accomplish/see/experience everything that I conjure up in my mind? Which is the right choice and/or path in life? How is one to know?
I do have major goals in all parts of my life. Take climbing for example. The only goal I ever had (when I fist started) was to climb 5.12. The whole purpose of this goal was to open up more climbs to me while visiting other climbing areas. I have basically achieved this goal, so my climbing world is a happy and enjoyable one. Now I can participate in climbing as an activity with nothing to prove to myself or anyone else.
I also have many other personal goals or life goals I suppose. The most interesting thing is that my career does not often creep into these life goals. I wonder why? Does this mean I am not following the proper path in life? I don't necessarily think that is the case. I do, in fact, love my career (for the most part, it does have its downfalls). The one major goal is total self sustainability. What does that mean.
When I say total self sustainability, I mean total self reliance. My ultimate goal to to build my dream home. Now my dream home is pretty far from the average persons dream home. It would be small (just large enough as is required). The ultimate goal would look something like this:
Goals are funny things. I strongly believe that one will never accomplish, realize, or see anything to fruition unless it is first conjured up in the mind. At the same time, one can certainly dream too much or dream un-realistically. I think that my ultimate goal of living off grid in an environmentally friendly home is actually achievable. I have come across too many people that dream up these crazy idea that will (very likely) never be realized. Maybe that is the point to this sort of goal setting, a sort of fantasy goal setting ritual. I find that I don't really work all that well with that type of approach. Dream big, but dream real.
Life is nothing but a series of goals, reach one at a time. Some peoples goals are huge and others are small. Some people have to set many many intermediate goals to accomplish their main goal. I believe that this is an excellent approach and will enable you to experience small successes along the way, which will boost the confidence and give you more drive to keep fighting for the end purpose.
What is success then? I once read a quote that has stuck with me for my entire life. "Success is the progressive realization of a worth wile dream". I don't think that there could be much more truth spoken in a sentence when talking about goal setting. Success is strictly determined by the individual. You see, climbing 5.12 means absolutely nothing to 85-90% of society. There are also many average goals (money, big house, cars, large screen televisions, etc...) that I just cant possibly understand the value of. If the dream seems worth while to you, then you must pursue it with everything you have.
I think that everyone sets goals on a daily basis, whether we all realize it or not. If we make a more conscious effort to make and achieve goals, I think our lives will be allot happier and more full of the feeling of achievement. Like I said earlier, achievement is in the eyes of the individual. Each and everyone of us will see achievement differently. I suppose the most difficult part is excepting that each of us has their own version of success and achievement.
I have taught myself to live everyday to the fullest (what a cliche). We have all head that before. But how do we actually accomplish that. I believe that we cannot waste any amount of time spent on this earth. Each and every second is precious and we need to learn to see the beauty in every moment, no matter how small or big. In a world full of negative influences and people, this can be incredibly difficult. We need to learn to associate ourselves with positive influences that will empower us to accomplish the goals we have set out for ourselves.
So, get out there and set some goals. Work towards them and enjoy the journey just as much as the destination.
Peace,
Ryan
What a weekend I just had. I took Thursday and Friday off to complete some work around the house. I cleaned out the entire basement, prepped wood for the winter, cleaned and organized the yard, finished some side tables my dad had made me, painted our front deck, roughed in the fireplace, and many other small random jobs. I also had a roofing contractor in putting a new roof on the house (finally!). I could not really be much more happy about that. My dad also came out for the weekend and helped me with some projects that had backed up from my summer in the field. We finished putting in the new fireplace (well, new for me anyways and finished framing in and dry walling the new skylights. It feels amazing to have that stuff finalized and completed. So the little cabin is starting to feel more like a house now, its almost done.
The greatest thing about completing all of these intermediate goals is that I will finally have a little more time for training and enjoying the simple things again. The things I have been missing for the past little while. I know that there is really no super rush to have these projects completed, I put this pressure onto myself. At the same time, it feels so good to have them out of the way so I can move on to the next big job (or small jobs....).
Jobs and tasks take allot of time to complete. As I look around my property, I see more and more little jobs and tasks that I would like to complete. It seems that the older I get, the faster time seems to pass. I am sure that this is not a phenomenon strictly limited to my little world, I am sure most people suffer from the same fate. As I get older and time passes, I constantly wonder if I will have enough time to accomplish/see/experience everything that I conjure up in my mind? Which is the right choice and/or path in life? How is one to know?
I do have major goals in all parts of my life. Take climbing for example. The only goal I ever had (when I fist started) was to climb 5.12. The whole purpose of this goal was to open up more climbs to me while visiting other climbing areas. I have basically achieved this goal, so my climbing world is a happy and enjoyable one. Now I can participate in climbing as an activity with nothing to prove to myself or anyone else.
I also have many other personal goals or life goals I suppose. The most interesting thing is that my career does not often creep into these life goals. I wonder why? Does this mean I am not following the proper path in life? I don't necessarily think that is the case. I do, in fact, love my career (for the most part, it does have its downfalls). The one major goal is total self sustainability. What does that mean.
When I say total self sustainability, I mean total self reliance. My ultimate goal to to build my dream home. Now my dream home is pretty far from the average persons dream home. It would be small (just large enough as is required). The ultimate goal would look something like this:
- straw bale construction (amazing R-value)
- green energy production (wind, solar, micro-hydro)
- possibly power creation from WVO (waste vegetable oil)
- geothermal ground source heating (horizontal or vertical loop depending on geography)
- passive solar design features
- passive solar air heating
- back-up wood cooking appliances (wood burning oven and stove)
- in-floor radiant heating (for high efficiency of power use)
- composing toilets
- grey water system
- organic garden and fruit orchard
- herb garden
- fishing nearby
- Electric car for commuting purposes, run off of the solar and wind power
Goals are funny things. I strongly believe that one will never accomplish, realize, or see anything to fruition unless it is first conjured up in the mind. At the same time, one can certainly dream too much or dream un-realistically. I think that my ultimate goal of living off grid in an environmentally friendly home is actually achievable. I have come across too many people that dream up these crazy idea that will (very likely) never be realized. Maybe that is the point to this sort of goal setting, a sort of fantasy goal setting ritual. I find that I don't really work all that well with that type of approach. Dream big, but dream real.
Life is nothing but a series of goals, reach one at a time. Some peoples goals are huge and others are small. Some people have to set many many intermediate goals to accomplish their main goal. I believe that this is an excellent approach and will enable you to experience small successes along the way, which will boost the confidence and give you more drive to keep fighting for the end purpose.
What is success then? I once read a quote that has stuck with me for my entire life. "Success is the progressive realization of a worth wile dream". I don't think that there could be much more truth spoken in a sentence when talking about goal setting. Success is strictly determined by the individual. You see, climbing 5.12 means absolutely nothing to 85-90% of society. There are also many average goals (money, big house, cars, large screen televisions, etc...) that I just cant possibly understand the value of. If the dream seems worth while to you, then you must pursue it with everything you have.
I think that everyone sets goals on a daily basis, whether we all realize it or not. If we make a more conscious effort to make and achieve goals, I think our lives will be allot happier and more full of the feeling of achievement. Like I said earlier, achievement is in the eyes of the individual. Each and everyone of us will see achievement differently. I suppose the most difficult part is excepting that each of us has their own version of success and achievement.
I have taught myself to live everyday to the fullest (what a cliche). We have all head that before. But how do we actually accomplish that. I believe that we cannot waste any amount of time spent on this earth. Each and every second is precious and we need to learn to see the beauty in every moment, no matter how small or big. In a world full of negative influences and people, this can be incredibly difficult. We need to learn to associate ourselves with positive influences that will empower us to accomplish the goals we have set out for ourselves.
So, get out there and set some goals. Work towards them and enjoy the journey just as much as the destination.
Peace,
Ryan
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Climbing - Environmental Impacts
Here's a good (potentially heated) discussion topic and one that's close to my heart.
I am a rock climber and as such, am constantly in a struggle against access to our most valuable resource...the rocks. The main issue (especially here in Ontario) is the environmental impacts caused by climbing. Does climbing cause a significant ecological impact? Does climbing impact the environment in a negative way? What do we as climbers need to do to secure access in our beloved climbing areas? How can we do more to protect the environment?
This topic is fresh in my mind after the Niagara Parks Commission released a draft version of their Environmental Lands Management Plan (here). You see, the Niagara Parks Commission is responsible for around 1700 hectares of land in the Niagara region. Recommendation 11 of this draft plan is to eliminate bouldering activities in the Niagara Glen. FYI, a petition has been started to voice our (climbers) concerns about a complete ban on our favorite past time (here). But, before you go sign the petition, at least know the arguments on both sides of the fence.
Before we head any further into this topic, you all need to know that I am biased in my opinions because gaining access to these wilderness areas benefits me greatly. I truly find joy in life through my outdoor activities and to have the opportunity taken away is a great blow in my little world.
Does climbing impact the natural environment? YES. It absolutely does. This is not the argument here, we are all aware (at least most of us) that climbing does in fact cause negative impacts to the cliff ecosystems. Climbing destroys cliff bottom ecosystems by causing heavy traffic in sheltered areas below any given climb. Climbing removes lichen from cliff faces in order to provide a clean climbing experience. Climbing has in the past (not so much anymore) removed trees on or at the bottom of cliffs to open new routing ground. Climbing introduces chalk to the environment causing the local environment to become basic and therefore, killing off vegetation in the landing zones of boulder problems.
Now lets look at the positive impacts of a sport like bouldering. It gets a user group of people off of the couch and outside to participate in a non-violent, non-competitive (for most participants), supportive outdoor activity. Climbing has the ability to bring awareness of environmental concerns and issues to a large number of people and all those who associate with this particular user group. I have yet to meet a climber who disregards the environment and destroys delicate ecosystems or habitat recklessly (certainly not purposefully). I think that the majority of climbers are more than aware of their individual impact on our natural world while participating in their chosen activity.
We now live in a world with far more climbers as the sport progresses. I began climbing around 12 years ago, when the sport was still relatively infant. We are approaching a time of childhood for the sport of rock climbing here in North America. This will bring on many new challenges with regards to access as more and more people flock to areas like Niagara Glen. More people using areas = more impact.
I once had a mentor that told me "80% of environmental impact (damage) is done by the first person to travel the path". I'm not too sure how much of this is truth and how much is fiction, but it does bring up the point that the damage has already been done in cases like Niagara Glen. I think that the approach is to mitigate further damage to surrounding ecosystems and to allow climbing in all currently established areas. There have actually been some studies on the impacts of rock climbing on the cliff Eco systems and the conclusions of such studies are that climbing significantly decreases the amount of bryophytes and lichens (up to 40% less) and 84% less vascular plant species. This is strong evidence that climbing does in fact negatively impact the cliff ecosystem. However, the study was undertaken on the Niagara Escarpment in the Halton Region near Toronto Ontario. The study broke down the cliff ecosystem into three main parts; upper plateau, middle cliff face, and talus slope below.
The major problems I can see with such a study is that all of the climbable surfaces on these particular cliff faces have already been climbed. The other cliff faces are not steep enough or contain too many fractures to consider them stable enough for climbing. One thing that most scientists don't take into consideration is the fact that only certain rocks are suitable for rock climbing. I would take a shot at estimating only 2% of rocks are actually good enough for a climber to even look at. I know this by combing the woods for hours and hours looking for new bouldering options (not too many out there by the way). The cliffs that are actually climbable are typically steeper, which contribute to more rock fall than cliffs with a lesser % grade. Therefore, is is logical that there will be less vegetation growing at the base of a steeper cliff face. Another huge consideration should be sun exposure. The sun can really cook a cliff face in the mid-day sun.
(Not related to the particular problem at the Glen) I do, however, agree that climbing has significantly impacted the cliff top ecosystems. Climbers (top-ropers mainly) approach the top of the cliffs to set up their ropes and usually use trees (cedars at that, which contain a soft bark that is easily damaged by abrasive behaviours such as that). Climbers on cliff tops also contribute to mechanical erosion of soils and destroy delicate vegetation that clings to life on the edge of the escarpment. I am a strong believer that top-roping is a bad habit that should no longer be practiced in today's world (I will get allot of shit for that one).
I believe that climbing should commence in these ecologically sensitive areas (such as Southern Ontario) on established climbs only. I think that top-roping should be banned from all cliff faces in the Niagara Escarpment. I think that climbers need to wake up a bit and realize that our activity does in fact cause some environmental impacts and mitigate these impacts by responsible behavior (we all know what that is). I think that closing areas to climbing is not at all the answer in this or any situation (closing areas to human activity goes against the purpose of these types of parks in the first place - Another post). I think we can overcome any problem if we can all come together and agree on a solution instead of pointing fingers and blaming other user groups for their impacts.
It is true that UNESCO classified the Niagara Escarpment as a World Biosphere Reserve, which does come with certain responsibilities from user groups of the escarpment. The Niagara Escarpment contains the oldest forest this side of the Rock Mountains, which is something to cherish and protect. The little (sometimes thousands of years old) ancient white cedars are an absolute wonder to see growing out of cracks in the rock with the most minimal of soil coverage. Absolutely amazing! As climbers we do have a duty to protect such amazing creations to ensure that they will continue to grow for thousands of more years to come.
One more thing I feel that I need to touch on is the common argument from climbers against access issues. One only has to look at some of the comments posted on the petition against the bouldering ban in the Glen. There are some very uneducated climbers out there that actually do not believe climbing has an impact on the environment. I can tell you from personal experience of visiting the Glen for around 8 years now, things have changed drastically. I can remember going for an entire Saturday without seeing another climber down there. That is simply impossible now. The lack of education or pure selfishness of some climbers is clearly evident in post such as the one on RC.com when the first study of Climbers impact on the environment was released (here).
I guess the moral of the story here is that climbing does effect the environment negatively, but the key to problems such as these is mitigation and not Prohibition. If we can come to a consensus and manage our impacts as a user group, everyone can go home happy (including mother nature).
I struggle with issues like this all the time because of my background and my moral standing as a human being on this earth. It is difficult for me to come to the conclusion that the one thing I adore the most in life (spending time out at the cliffs) could actually be causing environmental damage. Each and every one of us have a responsibility to shed lightly while participating in any outdoor activity. Keep this in mind next time you are out at the craigs and are going to toss your pad or bag down on those little bushes, they may not be there that long if we keep treating them that way. Keep this in mind next time you go to clean a new climb (is it really going to be that good of a route and is it really worth the consequences?).
Keep good ol mother nature in mind from now on.
Remember climb for fun, not for others.
R
I am a rock climber and as such, am constantly in a struggle against access to our most valuable resource...the rocks. The main issue (especially here in Ontario) is the environmental impacts caused by climbing. Does climbing cause a significant ecological impact? Does climbing impact the environment in a negative way? What do we as climbers need to do to secure access in our beloved climbing areas? How can we do more to protect the environment?
This topic is fresh in my mind after the Niagara Parks Commission released a draft version of their Environmental Lands Management Plan (here). You see, the Niagara Parks Commission is responsible for around 1700 hectares of land in the Niagara region. Recommendation 11 of this draft plan is to eliminate bouldering activities in the Niagara Glen. FYI, a petition has been started to voice our (climbers) concerns about a complete ban on our favorite past time (here). But, before you go sign the petition, at least know the arguments on both sides of the fence.
Before we head any further into this topic, you all need to know that I am biased in my opinions because gaining access to these wilderness areas benefits me greatly. I truly find joy in life through my outdoor activities and to have the opportunity taken away is a great blow in my little world.
Does climbing impact the natural environment? YES. It absolutely does. This is not the argument here, we are all aware (at least most of us) that climbing does in fact cause negative impacts to the cliff ecosystems. Climbing destroys cliff bottom ecosystems by causing heavy traffic in sheltered areas below any given climb. Climbing removes lichen from cliff faces in order to provide a clean climbing experience. Climbing has in the past (not so much anymore) removed trees on or at the bottom of cliffs to open new routing ground. Climbing introduces chalk to the environment causing the local environment to become basic and therefore, killing off vegetation in the landing zones of boulder problems.
Now lets look at the positive impacts of a sport like bouldering. It gets a user group of people off of the couch and outside to participate in a non-violent, non-competitive (for most participants), supportive outdoor activity. Climbing has the ability to bring awareness of environmental concerns and issues to a large number of people and all those who associate with this particular user group. I have yet to meet a climber who disregards the environment and destroys delicate ecosystems or habitat recklessly (certainly not purposefully). I think that the majority of climbers are more than aware of their individual impact on our natural world while participating in their chosen activity.
We now live in a world with far more climbers as the sport progresses. I began climbing around 12 years ago, when the sport was still relatively infant. We are approaching a time of childhood for the sport of rock climbing here in North America. This will bring on many new challenges with regards to access as more and more people flock to areas like Niagara Glen. More people using areas = more impact.
I once had a mentor that told me "80% of environmental impact (damage) is done by the first person to travel the path". I'm not too sure how much of this is truth and how much is fiction, but it does bring up the point that the damage has already been done in cases like Niagara Glen. I think that the approach is to mitigate further damage to surrounding ecosystems and to allow climbing in all currently established areas. There have actually been some studies on the impacts of rock climbing on the cliff Eco systems and the conclusions of such studies are that climbing significantly decreases the amount of bryophytes and lichens (up to 40% less) and 84% less vascular plant species. This is strong evidence that climbing does in fact negatively impact the cliff ecosystem. However, the study was undertaken on the Niagara Escarpment in the Halton Region near Toronto Ontario. The study broke down the cliff ecosystem into three main parts; upper plateau, middle cliff face, and talus slope below.
The major problems I can see with such a study is that all of the climbable surfaces on these particular cliff faces have already been climbed. The other cliff faces are not steep enough or contain too many fractures to consider them stable enough for climbing. One thing that most scientists don't take into consideration is the fact that only certain rocks are suitable for rock climbing. I would take a shot at estimating only 2% of rocks are actually good enough for a climber to even look at. I know this by combing the woods for hours and hours looking for new bouldering options (not too many out there by the way). The cliffs that are actually climbable are typically steeper, which contribute to more rock fall than cliffs with a lesser % grade. Therefore, is is logical that there will be less vegetation growing at the base of a steeper cliff face. Another huge consideration should be sun exposure. The sun can really cook a cliff face in the mid-day sun.
(Not related to the particular problem at the Glen) I do, however, agree that climbing has significantly impacted the cliff top ecosystems. Climbers (top-ropers mainly) approach the top of the cliffs to set up their ropes and usually use trees (cedars at that, which contain a soft bark that is easily damaged by abrasive behaviours such as that). Climbers on cliff tops also contribute to mechanical erosion of soils and destroy delicate vegetation that clings to life on the edge of the escarpment. I am a strong believer that top-roping is a bad habit that should no longer be practiced in today's world (I will get allot of shit for that one).
I believe that climbing should commence in these ecologically sensitive areas (such as Southern Ontario) on established climbs only. I think that top-roping should be banned from all cliff faces in the Niagara Escarpment. I think that climbers need to wake up a bit and realize that our activity does in fact cause some environmental impacts and mitigate these impacts by responsible behavior (we all know what that is). I think that closing areas to climbing is not at all the answer in this or any situation (closing areas to human activity goes against the purpose of these types of parks in the first place - Another post). I think we can overcome any problem if we can all come together and agree on a solution instead of pointing fingers and blaming other user groups for their impacts.
It is true that UNESCO classified the Niagara Escarpment as a World Biosphere Reserve, which does come with certain responsibilities from user groups of the escarpment. The Niagara Escarpment contains the oldest forest this side of the Rock Mountains, which is something to cherish and protect. The little (sometimes thousands of years old) ancient white cedars are an absolute wonder to see growing out of cracks in the rock with the most minimal of soil coverage. Absolutely amazing! As climbers we do have a duty to protect such amazing creations to ensure that they will continue to grow for thousands of more years to come.
One more thing I feel that I need to touch on is the common argument from climbers against access issues. One only has to look at some of the comments posted on the petition against the bouldering ban in the Glen. There are some very uneducated climbers out there that actually do not believe climbing has an impact on the environment. I can tell you from personal experience of visiting the Glen for around 8 years now, things have changed drastically. I can remember going for an entire Saturday without seeing another climber down there. That is simply impossible now. The lack of education or pure selfishness of some climbers is clearly evident in post such as the one on RC.com when the first study of Climbers impact on the environment was released (here).
I guess the moral of the story here is that climbing does effect the environment negatively, but the key to problems such as these is mitigation and not Prohibition. If we can come to a consensus and manage our impacts as a user group, everyone can go home happy (including mother nature).
I struggle with issues like this all the time because of my background and my moral standing as a human being on this earth. It is difficult for me to come to the conclusion that the one thing I adore the most in life (spending time out at the cliffs) could actually be causing environmental damage. Each and every one of us have a responsibility to shed lightly while participating in any outdoor activity. Keep this in mind next time you are out at the craigs and are going to toss your pad or bag down on those little bushes, they may not be there that long if we keep treating them that way. Keep this in mind next time you go to clean a new climb (is it really going to be that good of a route and is it really worth the consequences?).
Keep good ol mother nature in mind from now on.
Remember climb for fun, not for others.
R
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
The State of Things
I think I found a decent topic for my first real post. How about the state of things today. It is a bit of an extension on a reply to a blog I did earlier today. Think about simplicity at its uttermost basic form. Nature. Its also a get to know you type of post....a random mixture of thoughts and ideals.
So, we are in a time of elections here in Canada and down south in the United States. The economy has not been in so much trouble in my life time (that I can remember anyways). Yesterday saw record drops in the TSX and had investors shaking in their boots at the prospects of loosing everything they have worked for. The world stock markets watched as 1.2 Trillion dollars vanished into thin air. The topic of world economics is far over my head, but the bottom line I am reading here is that we are heading into some interesting and possible tough times. Life is going to change for allot of people in our society born into privilage (Im not talking about those born into money - most North Americans are incredibly privilaged).
We live in a world that is dominated by money and media. What do I mean by this? Money controls the world economic scence, correct? Money also buys us (the average joe) food, coffee, water (a shame at that, but for a different post), cars, houses - THINGS! Money also fuels the media giants of our time and alters the way we humans think, act, react, and respond.
I was reading a blog earlier today (hence the reference) that was questioning our ties to "things" and our happiness. Interesting topic. How much of your happiness is tied to material objects? Are material objects (things) required in your life? Do you see those around you spending too much money on things and items that are not required? Do you do the same? Have times changed so much, that we have lost all connections with what really matters in life?
Let me tie all of this together by saying that money truly is the root of all evil. Money fuels media. Media tells you how to think and behave. Media also tells you what to buy in order to be happy. Media portrays ideals (unrealistic ideals at that) in our minds as young people that stick with us through adulthood. Media is the conduit of propoganda. Because of all the negetive media influence in our lives, we spend more money on things we dont need in order to fill an empty void that is meant to be filled by something else (something that is missing from most peoples lives) - SIMPLICITY.
Life is an incredibly complex place to exist and live. I think that reaching back into our history will provide the clear and consice answers to lifes hardest questions. We need to get back to basics and simplify our lives. Learn to let go of technology and get away from everything now and again.
How does this tie into nature and simplicity? If we would all stop, slow down, and notice all the small wonderful things around us in each day; life would be great! Nature is simplicity in its greatest form. There is no need for money, technology, cars, cell phones, computers. Its just there, working the same way it has for millions of years. The scariest part is that it is changing at a noticable rate (another rant, another time).
I apologize for the wondering mess of thoughts and jumble words. I will get better at this blogging thing.
Take care, leave your thoughts behind you, put down your cell phone and get outside!
So, we are in a time of elections here in Canada and down south in the United States. The economy has not been in so much trouble in my life time (that I can remember anyways). Yesterday saw record drops in the TSX and had investors shaking in their boots at the prospects of loosing everything they have worked for. The world stock markets watched as 1.2 Trillion dollars vanished into thin air. The topic of world economics is far over my head, but the bottom line I am reading here is that we are heading into some interesting and possible tough times. Life is going to change for allot of people in our society born into privilage (Im not talking about those born into money - most North Americans are incredibly privilaged).
We live in a world that is dominated by money and media. What do I mean by this? Money controls the world economic scence, correct? Money also buys us (the average joe) food, coffee, water (a shame at that, but for a different post), cars, houses - THINGS! Money also fuels the media giants of our time and alters the way we humans think, act, react, and respond.
I was reading a blog earlier today (hence the reference) that was questioning our ties to "things" and our happiness. Interesting topic. How much of your happiness is tied to material objects? Are material objects (things) required in your life? Do you see those around you spending too much money on things and items that are not required? Do you do the same? Have times changed so much, that we have lost all connections with what really matters in life?
Let me tie all of this together by saying that money truly is the root of all evil. Money fuels media. Media tells you how to think and behave. Media also tells you what to buy in order to be happy. Media portrays ideals (unrealistic ideals at that) in our minds as young people that stick with us through adulthood. Media is the conduit of propoganda. Because of all the negetive media influence in our lives, we spend more money on things we dont need in order to fill an empty void that is meant to be filled by something else (something that is missing from most peoples lives) - SIMPLICITY.
Life is an incredibly complex place to exist and live. I think that reaching back into our history will provide the clear and consice answers to lifes hardest questions. We need to get back to basics and simplify our lives. Learn to let go of technology and get away from everything now and again.
How does this tie into nature and simplicity? If we would all stop, slow down, and notice all the small wonderful things around us in each day; life would be great! Nature is simplicity in its greatest form. There is no need for money, technology, cars, cell phones, computers. Its just there, working the same way it has for millions of years. The scariest part is that it is changing at a noticable rate (another rant, another time).
I apologize for the wondering mess of thoughts and jumble words. I will get better at this blogging thing.
Take care, leave your thoughts behind you, put down your cell phone and get outside!
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