Do you feel it? The new season is upon us! For many, the return of the warm weather means one thing, and one thing only: we're finally going back to our favourite crags.
Some of us will be crushing granite with our heads held high and our chests tight, thanks to our regular climbing sessions throughout the winter. Others (like me), who have barely made their gym membership worthwhile, will have to loosen up their muscles before tackling their projects.
There is a third group of people: those who are curious to try it out but... have never tried. This article, an overview of good practices to adopt, has been written for them. It can also serve as a friendly reminder to the whole community.
On a beautiful Saturday morning in July, as you approach your favourite crag, you can hear the bass of The Weeknd's latest hit slowly building up.
Suddenly, seven hyperactive dogs come out of nowhere and surround you while simultaneously barking at you. Their masters try to call them back, unsuccessfully.
A little unsettled, you continue to walk towards the sector where you intended to warm up. Once you get there, you notice with disarray that all the moderate routes are occupied by abandoned ropes.
Courageous and optimistic, you continue towards the next sector. As you enter the site, your heart stops for a moment. Fifteen or so bros are shouting beta and chatting away to each other. They are surrounded by helmetless children playing king of the rock, while a state-of-the-art Bluetooth speaker blares the first notes of I'm sexy and I know it.
You spot a trail of cellophane wrappers leading to the swaggest guy in the group, who starts grilling sausages on his portable barbecue. The mob of hyperactive dogs arrive, still barking. They've sniffed out the good stuff.
While an epic skirmish unfolds to determine which of the canines will steal the sausages left behind by Mr. Swag, he sprays himself with an exaggerated amount of OFF. You give in and decide to head home, discouraged.
Obviously, this is a total exaggeration. But why not take advantage of the return of the warm weather to remind us of some important climbing ethics so that we can all enjoy our climbing days surrounded by respect and openness?
Let's go back to basics with Mijanou Colbert, from the Fédération québécoise de la montagne et de l'escalade (FQME).
We are the umbrella organization for rock climbing and backcountry skiing in Quebec. We promote these disciplines, while also ensuring that they are practised safely. There are about 180 climbing sites under our jurisdiction.
The FQME was founded in 1969. We are members of the International Mountaineering Alliance (UIAA). We follow the evolution of safety standards and adapt them to the Quebec reality. For more information about our history, I invite you to watch the documentary La FQME : 50 ans, c'est jeune.
We do it through a training program for site and route development. This program is divided into two sections: the site development section, to learn how to create safe trails, and the route development section, which allows you to open your first route while receiving feedback.
This ensures that the equipment on our walls has been installed by qualified people who have gone through a rigorous training process. This helps to ensure that our sites are safe places to climb.
Visit the FQME's training page for more information.
I strongly suggest that newcomers start with indoor climbing, to learn the movements, belaying techniques, and the figure 8 knot. Then, you can take an outdoor transition course, to learn how to set up a belay and rappel. Here is a list of recognized organizations that offer this course. A first aid course is also a good idea.
What are the guidelines for accessing the sites?
You can find a lot of this information in real time on the page État des sites d'escalade du Québec. You can see if the site is temporarily closed, if dogs are allowed, or if a training school or introduction group will be present that day.
Our climbing sites are not camping sites, but some regional groups have set up camp sites based on voluntary contributions. For more information, see the interactive site map.
We live in a society, and someone who doesn't like that can open their own crag and do whatever they want (laughs). But on the FQME sites, we meet other people. To make it pleasant for everyone and to keep our access rights, we developed up a code of ethics.
All climbing sites in the province are located on land owned by a person or entity. Whether the land is owned by a park, a municipality, or an individual, most landowners let us use their land for free. And in Quebec, civil liability isn’t ideal. If I were to go to your house and break my leg, I could technically sue you... even if you didn't invite me.
In light of this reality, we must federate a site to gain and ensure access to it. As a landowner, if an accident occurs on my land, I don't want to expose myself to lawsuits.
By federating the site, we insure the landowner in civil liability, and we guarantee that the visitors will be members of the FQME, and therefore covered by our insurance policy. If an accident were to happen, the landowner will not have to face any civil lawsuits. We, the FQME, will take care of it for them. In short, if the federation did not exist, many climbing sites would be inaccessible.
Large groups take up a lot of space and can be problematic when they act as if they own the site, preventing people from moving around. In the spirit of not monopolizing a site, small groups are encouraged. It's okay to come in a large group if you are courteous and communicate well. You can also announce the presence of your group on the État des sites document.
When you leave a site, there should be no trace of your presence. I'm not just talking about toilet paper or candy bar wrappers. It's not right to throw even an apple core in the forest, even though it's compostable. We shouldn't pack down or crush vegetation outside of trails, and we should even pack out human waste.
The experience we seek when climbing outdoors is one of discovery. When all the right holds are marked, you lose an essential element of learning and discovery, and it doesn't respect the Leave No Trace principles. In short, it's okay to make tick marks during a session, but let's erase them afterwards.
We are in a natural environment, so out of respect for wildlife and others, we should avoid music and excessive shouting. As a rule of thumb, more people are bothered by noise than not.
It's okay to leave your top rope set up because your partner will use it later. However, it should be clear to others at the crag that the ropes are to be shared. It’s also possible that someone will take down your rope to lead the route.
The information is given in the État des sites document.
One of the fundamental elements of the code of ethics is the awareness that some people are not aware of these good practice principles. The attitude to take, in my opinion, is to approach people with respect and a willingness to communicate. As soon as you notice problematic safety measures or behaviours, it's better to adopt an attitude of openness and sharing, rather than remaining silent. It helps to build a healthy community.
Yes, to access our climbing sites, you need to be insured. This is a clause in the agreement we have with the landowners. By paying the daily access fee to the FQME or the annual membership, you can climb with peace of mind.
There are two important things to remember about FQME insurance:
Please note that our insurance policy only covers FQME sites. If you go outside the province (or off the beaten path), you need travel insurance. We recommend TUGO, which offers the most comprehensive policy.
I would say: "Go for it! Start anyway.” (laughs) There are plenty of resources, especially the mountain schools. They offer beginners' courses, advanced courses, and sometimes a climbing club.
In summary, here are some tips to help you feel more comfortable starting out:
Remember that the outdoor climbing community is very dynamic, and we are always excited to welcome new members!
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