Leaving no (or actually as little as possible) trace is everyone's responsibility. Everyone, not only the supposed hardcore mountaineers and climbers but including those who consider themselves as newbies, weekend / weekday warriors, joiners of organized climbs, and even occasional hikers, must take it upon themselves to be responsible in knowing by heart the 7 leave no trace principles of outdoor ethics.
1. Plan Ahead and Prepare - Climb preparation is not limited to knowing where to go. It also requires preparing oneself, physically, mentally, and emotionally for all the rigors of the outdoor activity/ies that you are going to participate on.
Always keep in mind during the climb, be an asset, not a liability.
2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces - Stick to the trail. If you must step on water or mud, do it. You are in the outdoors. It is generally acceptable to get some dirt on you. You are not expected to remain immaculately clean after the hike. As much as possible, lessen your impact on the trail. You might end up stepping on the grass and other vegetation or worse, eventually creating a new trail in the process.
 |
| Saddle Campsite - Akiki Trail Mt. Pulag |
Also, camp on durable surfaces. It is best to camp on established camping grounds. That way, one's impact on the surroundings is confined to a specific and limited area only.
3. Dispose of Waste Properly (Pack It In, Pack It Out) - Do not litter. As much as possible, bring back with you even biodegradable trash when you go home.
However, if you see pieces of trash anywhere along the trail, it is best for you to pick them up and dispose of the same properly. As they say, let us make it a habit to make every climb a clean-up climb.
4. Leave What You Find - One of the most violated principles of outdoor ethics. Remember the notorious mountain bikers who vandalized a part of the Monolith in Pico de Loro? Worse is that they had the guts to make a video and upload it in the Net. How about the Star of David at the Gungal Rock in Mt. Ulap? There are also the vandalized rocks/boulders in Mt. Batulao, the yellow paints serving as trail guide in Mt. Arayat, and the famous mountain bikers incident at the Monolith in Pico de Loro.
But for me, the worst is what happened to the summit of Mt. Maculot. Before, hikers would only frequent the Rockies for that magnificent view of Taal Lake and Taal Volcano Island, and only a few or should I call, the more serious mountaineers would continue hiking up the summit. The reason is that the summit is actually covered with tall cogon grass, shrubs, and small trees.
A year ago however, the summit area of Mt. Maculot was leveled to the ground and is now devoid of any plants. And much to my disgust, a signboard marking the summit of Mt. Maculot was even put up, maybe for posterity. Maybe it was done to lure more tourist but still, it is downright unacceptable. Why? They could have just built a viewdeck similar to that in Mt. Tabayoc. For this reason, I decided to shun from climbing Mt. Maculot and have ceased encouraging others from doing so.
It is not limited to vandalism, but also includes respecting the flora and fauna found in the place. We should refrain from picking flowers, getting plants, or worse, killing shrubs, trees and even the rocks and boulders that we see.
5. Minimize Campfire Impacts - The use of portable stove when cooking is encouraged. Aside from being easy to use, the risk of accidentally causing a forest fire is minimized. With the current state of our forests, and the rate that they are being exploited, we should be aware of the impact, not only to us but more importantly to the next generations, that a forest fire will cause.
One could only imagine the extent of the forest fire that razed acres and acres of the forest in Mt. Apo which was supposedly caused by some climbers. Also, a similar thing happened in Mt. Banahaw a few years ago. I have also been a witness of the more recent forest fire in Mt. Tangisan that started when a farmer decided to burn some f
Please keep in mind that forest fires are simply despicable. As they say in Filipino, "Mabuti nang manakawan, wag lang masunugan."
6. Respect Wildlife - While not all animals in the wild are as appealing as a cuddly cub or a huggable puppy, we should keep in mind that the place that we should always consider and treat ourselves as just mere visitors to their home. Although giving treats to a local/guide dog is common and in fact encouraged, feeding wild animals is still a no-no.
Let us also maintain the balance of the ecosystem, and yes, it even includes the critters in the forest and the infamous "limatik". As a guide, let us remember that to respect wildlife is to respect life itself.
7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors - It is true that no one owns the outdoors. It is for everyone to enjoy. Nevertheless, while we all have different concepts of enjoyment, it is noteworthy that we should know how to limit our own freedom while in the outdoors. Self-regulation is vital and is in fact the key factor for all to enjoy the outdoors.
While you may enjoy playing load music, or even have unlimited chit-chat and laughter throughout the day and night, let us be considerate enough to think about the others who might have their own preference. Because some would want to enjoy in silence and observe nature.
Moreover, be respectful and mind your surroundings. You should not feel slighted when other climbers would ask for permission to advance and go past you. In as much as you would want them to wait for their turn at the trail, it would not hurt if you would not delay them no further, and allow them to pass.
#leavenotrace #outdoors #skookum
No comments:
Post a Comment