These days, you’d be hard pressed to find an outdoor enthusiast who’s a climate-change denier. Perhaps because we see forests that are on fire, walk on receding glaciers and climb mountains on which the snow is thawing and the rock disintegrating. It can seem quite a gloomy outlook until you remember that an inherent characteristic of climbers is their belief in the improbable. Climbing is all about focusing hard to solve and navigate your way through problems. That mentality of finding solutions often transcends to other areas of life, so it’s unsurprising that today’s climber-run businesses are looking for answers to the environmental crisis.

Over the past decade, I’ve become increasingly fixated on what we as an out- door community can do to help save our planet. I wish I could say it was as simple as recycling our drink containers, flying less and eating less meat. But the truth is that the role we play as individuals is important but makes little difference. What does make an impact is for us to demand action from politicians and the companies making the products we buy. Purchasing products that tell a proacti- ve environmental story indicates to companies that we want more of that. These companies adopt a more environmental mindset and spread the culture through their story telling. This translates into votes, and politicians have no choice but to listen.

The good news is that this feedback’s already working. I’ve been a brand am- bassador for many outdoor companies over the years, and it’s clear that compa- nies now focusing on environmental solutions are the ones thriving. These busin- esses are inspiring others to follow their lead. Consequently, the outdoor industry is influencing others to be more environmentally friendly. I’m looking forward to the day when companies without sustainability plans are called out for being rogues. I don’t think it’s such a far-off scenario.

Apparel companies are establishing industry programmes like B Corp and 1 Per- cent for the Planet, which now both have thousands of members. They are set- ting up repair facilities, encouraging their customers to buy less, repair what they can and recycle only at the end of a product’s life. They’re establishing goals such as pledging to be carbon neutral by 2030. They invest heavily in renewable organic agriculture. I could go on and on.

    In some ways, the clothing industry has an easier path to sustainability than ot- her sectors of the outdoor industry. The profit margins are high and fabrics are not normally required to save your life. Rope and hardware manufacturers make less profit and their products need to pass stringent safety standards. In the past, this factor has meant allowances have been made for them when it comes to environmental friendliness. But it just takes one company in any given niche to prove that things can be done better. I choose to obtain my climbing equipment from EDELRID for this very reason.

    EDELRID has been innovative for many years, all the way back to when they invented the dynamic climbing rope and the sit harness. In North America, they mostly flew under the radar until a few years ago when the best alpinists in the world started hoarding their ropes for the biggest climbs. On major, modern alpine climbs, the durability of the ropes is often the limiting factor and EDELRID ropes were simply better. These days, EDELRID is flourishing because they are managing to make top-quality, innovative, and safe products and finding all sorts of creative ways to cut the carbon footprint.

    The first sustainability breakthroughs came by taking a leaf out of the apparel in- dustry’s book. EDELRID adopted third-party certification called Bluesign® which holds textiles to the highest environmental standards. Meeting this standard re- quired huge investments in new equipment and systems. Since most consumers have no idea what Bluesign® is and retailers didn’t demand it, this choice was a huge indication of EDELRID’s intention to do the right thing. Most of the ropes, slings and harnesses are now Bluesign® certified.

    One of the most critical processes in textile production is the use of water-repellent per- and polyfluorinated chemicals (PFCs). PFCs, and the subcategory of PFAs in particular, have been linked to cancer, kidney disorders and reproductive problems. They are even harmful when diluted to 1 part per trillion. These are the chemicals that turn water into droplets, so it rolls off fabrics. PFCs are also used to impregnate ropes. EDELRID has been seeking an alternative for years. As a rope is a three-dimensional product with multiple hollow spaces due to the core and sheath yarns, it is much more difficult to achieve the same water-repellent performance as with two-dimensional products, such as jackets. We also trust ropes with our lives, so any chemical treatment used must not impair the functionality or durability. EDELRID’s Eco Dry coating is a less harmful chemical impregnation, completely free of PFC and PFAS, that fulfils the UIAA water repellent standard.

    Ropes are made of nylon, which is plastic. Plastic recycling is improving all the time. The biggest disadvantage is that when you melt down plastic and turn it into a new product, the fibres shorten and weaken. Therefore, recycled plastic
    is not such good quality as the original. This isn’t a problem in products like syn- thetic decking, drinks containers or even nylon clothing. But in the case of ropes, it’s vital that the fibres are as strong as possible.

    Most rope manufacturers believed that good climbing ropes would never be made wholly of recycled material. However, EDELRID has managed to solve this problem too by launching the world’s first rope crafted from pre-consumer- recycled ropes. This innovation is something I think is particularly exciting. So if we can do it with ropes, it should be possible for virtually everything. It’s true that this is just one step in the process towards turning our old, worn-out ropes into new ones. But it proves we’ll eventually get there.

    Metal items like carabiners and belay devices have taken a bit more creativity due to the lack of third-party certification. So EDELRID decided to make these products that simply don’t wear out and therefore should never end up in landfill. The breakthrough in this case was the integrated use of steel. A few years ago, they launched the BULLETPROOF series of carabiners. By inlaying a small plate of steel in just the areas exposed to wear, these carabiners should now last a lifetime, or even longer.

    Sometimes the cleverest environmental solutions are also the simplest. That’s certainly the case with the HMS BULETPROOF FG ECO carabiner. Have you noticed how all carabiners are shiny and colourful these days? This effect requi- res a highly toxic process called anodization. EDELRID wondered whether it was absolutely necessary. And, as it turns out, it virtually never is. I left my non-an- odized sample carabiner in the snow and rain for months. No rust formed and after adding a little lubrication, just like I do to my other carabiners, it worked and looked as good as new. And the carabiners have a cool vintage appearance.

    To progress in terms of climbing, we need to be creative. To be safe, we need to learn to analyse all potential hazards and make the requisite changes to our equipment and systems. We need to treat the planet in the same way. We have to think about our lifestyles and what we consume. The clean climbing ethos that persisted in the golden ages of Yosemite climbing, taught me that minimi- zing our impact and applying ethical standards made this sport a more reputable and adventurous one. If we do likewise in other areas of our lives, it will take us one step closer to true sustainability.

     

    Tommy Caldwell

    Professional climber and EDELRID Ambassador. Has free climbed 13 routes on El Capitán and is on a mission to protect our planet