What draws you to come and
climb at the greatest rock climbing area in the world? I hope
you don’t think I’m being too pompous with that
statement, but among other things our very own High Exposure
is considered to be the best route in the world at a 5.6 difficulty.
Seriously though, what makes the Shawangunks the Shawangunks?
Well, besides its world class rock climbing and impressive
grandeur, there is an unprecedented ecological community that
is often overlooked. This community includes over 1,400 plant
and animal species, of which 29 are rare or endangered. Some
of the wildlife includes: bobcats, black bears, fox, timber
rattlesnakes, spotted salamanders, rare insects, and over
200 species of birds (including the endangered peregrine falcon).
The rare and endangered plants include among others: mountain
spleenwort, clustered sedge, broom crowberry, helmet flower,
Carolina cranesbill, and over 2,000 acres of dwarf pitch pine
(the best example of ridge-top dwarf pine barrens in the world).
Now, these names and numbers may not mean much to you, since
they are just names and numbers, but how about The Nature
Conservancy’s designation as “one of Earth’s
last great places.” The Nature Conservancy did not give
it this designation because of the rock climbing, but rather
because of the incredible species biodiversity.
To me, the Shawangunks go beyond being just a cliff to climb.
I was born and raised in New Jersey, as I’m sure many
of you have been, but have decided to repeatedly travel the
almost two hours to get here seemingly every weekend for the
past thirteen years. There are crags in New Jersey, the Watchung
cliffs, that are within walking distance from my house, but
the Shawangunks have the rich biodiversity that adds a whole
new level to the climbing experience. I enjoy seeing plants
and critters while I am climbing. These encounters allow me
to feel like I am one with the rock and the captivating natural
beauty that surrounds it. I can only presume that other climbers
drawn to this magnificent ridge appreciate it as much as I
do.
Traditional rock climbing is practiced here in an attempt
to preserve the cliffs and prevent rock scarring from drilling
and bolting. Chipping and gluing holds is also currently banned
for good reasons, so looking from a general standpoint, rock
climbing in the Gunks has been satisfactorily regulated to
minimize the impact it has upon the ridge. Having these rules
in place allows climbers to feel at ease, that they are helping
to preserve the ridge and to prevent the destruction of the
place they love.
Although in reality, rock climbing is destroying the Shawangunk
Mountain Ridge. Current regulations, ethics, and management
practices are reducing some of the obvious impacts upon the
ridge, but there are still other obvious and not so obvious
impacts of rock climbing on the ecosystems of the Gunks that
are overlooked, ignored, or thought to be of no significance.
Some of these obvious impacts have been addressed, and are
arguably working quite well (such as the placement of rappel
slings on frequently used trees to reduce the scarring of
the tree when the rope is pulled).
There are many other problems that are overlooked, ignored,
or thought to be of no significance, and for various reasons.
I hope to discuss the intense interactions and impacts that
rock climbers have with the cliff. I plan on having monthly
articles examining certain issues that either my colleagues
or I have come across. For instance, I hope to discuss lichen
removal from the rock face, soil compaction and why that’s
harmful both along the cliff base and upon the cliff ledges,
specific endangered species that rock climbing destroys or
displaces, and many other topics related to the recreational
uses of the ridge. I will follow the problem from cause to
effect and try to offer various solutions on how to remedy
each issue.
I encourage all scholarly responses to my articles, as I am
an ecologist, and if my presumptions are flawed I yearn to
be corrected. I also encourage original, insightful analysis
upon other issues caused by rock climbing. Although all scholarly
works intrigue me, I must limit the topic to the effect of
rock climbing upon the Shawangunk Ridge. All responses should
be posted on the message board beneath the designated topic
for each article. This allows all readers to know “who
said what,” and give everybody a chance to read all
comments and be able to respond to all comments. Thank you
for reading and responding, and I hope we all can take something
from this section.
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