Climb on! Examining the impact, potential of rock climbing
Veronica Baker, graduate student at Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, is exploring the opportunities for building a new global initiative tied to this growing sport
By The Yale Jackson Institute for Global Affairs | April 23, 2019
Veronica Baker at the Yabrud climbing sector, located in the Palestinian West Bank.
On a recent day this spring, Veronica Baker found herself clinging to a jagged limestone rock face in the hills surrounding Ramallah, Palestine.
The first-year Jackson graduate student and rock climbing enthusiast was there for more than just an adventurous outing or an intense workout—she’s building a new initiative that she hopes will have a global impact.
Baker’s two-and-a-half-week expedition to the West Bank over spring break is part of an ongoing research project examining the global expansion of rock climbing and its potential for economic development. Sport climbing—which will be part of the Summer 2020 Olympic Games—has long been a popular, if niche, sport in the U.S. and Europe, but in recent years, it has become increasingly prevalent in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.
Baker believes there is huge potential for climbing to have positive economic and social impacts on local communities near crags, particularly in rural areas where economic opportunities may be limited. Businesses such as restaurants, grocery stores and small inns can all benefit from climbing tourism dollars. “Climbing cliffs have become a new natural resource, much like a waterfall or a canyon, that communities have the opportunity to benefit from,” she said.