The climbing community and B.C. Parks are drafting guidelines for route-cleaning in the province's public areas.
It's about time, says Squamish environmental activist John Buchanan. Last week, he investigated a large chuck of rock on the Malamute that was scrubbed of vegetation. The cleaned white rock is visible from the oceanfront. Trees 1.5 inches in diameter were chopped, Buchanan said. After examining them under a microscope, Buchanan estimates they are approximately 82 years old.
You talk about old-growth forest and you don't think of trees an inch-and-a-half in diameter, he said.
The damage was done in an area known as a nesting spot for peregrine falcons, Buchanan added.
Education should be a big component of the climbers' guideline, Buchanan said, noting he doesn't have an issue with people wire brushing and scrubbing out cracks.
It doesn't matter what the sport is, there is an environmental impact, Buchanan said. We have to start managing this a little better.
Typically climbers take it upon themselves to clean routes, said Charlie Harrison, president of Squamish Access Society. Since 2010, B.C. Parks and the access society, with participation from the Climbers Access Society of B.C., members of the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides, Squamish Rock Guides and Squamish Search and Rescue have been ironing out route-cleaning rules.
Most of the concern we have had is rock fall, Harrison said.
The strategy focuses on minimizing the impact of cleaning and ensuring park users' safety. Trees aren't to be removed unless approved by B.C. Parks.
Some climbers use bleach to clean the rock instead of wire brushes, Harrison noted. It's those types of actions the guidelines aim to deter.
[The Squamish Access Society] have tried to curtail the use of bleach, Harrison said, noting it's not environmentally friendly. It is a bit of a lazy way out.
B.C. Parks officials recently became aware of the extensive cleaning on the Malamute cliff face and are reviewing the situation, Ministry of Environment spokesperson Suntanu Dalal wrote in an email.
The amount of cliff area impacted by cleaning is difficult to measure but is relatively low and restricted to the width of climbs, Dalal wrote. The new cleaning strategy focuses on routes in Stawamus Chief, Shannon Falls and Murrin provincial parks. The guidelines have undergone public consultation, Dalal wrote.
All parties intend to finalize this guide soon and see it in place to guide future cleaning activities and climbing route development in the Squamish area, he stated.
