But What About Land Agencies?
While some climbers believe that gyms aren’t doing enough to educate the next generation on climber etiquette, Geisler believes that the community puts too much of the onus on gyms. “Gyms are private businesses. They’re not land agencies or managers. They’re not really responsible for outdoor climbing areas; their main role is connecting climbers with land managers and LCOs. The public land agencies should be the ones establishing rules and managing for user behavior.” Because, as Geisler notes, if we don’t have the infrastructure in place like restrooms, parking, or trails—it’s hard to encourage people to behave sustainably. You can’t promote best practices if they don’t exist.
