Latin America: Climbing Responsibly in the Time of COVID-19

Created in Collaboration with Acceso PanAm, Edenes de Colombia, and Mountains Without Borders

By The Climbing Initiative | June 17, 2020

The Climbing Initiative is proud to support Acceso PanAm, Edenes de Colombia, and Mountains Without Borders in the creation of guidelines for climbing communities in Latin America in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As climbing areas re-open, climbers, land owners and climbing organizations together are adopting strategies to keep the curve "flattened" in their area and protect the most vulnerable. In some areas, this might mean not climbing at all; in others, climbing guidelines will depend on culture, demographics, and stages of the pandemic. Our united goal is to protect the most vulnerable groups while maintaining long-term access to our crags.

We offer these guidelines as a tool for climbers and organizations based on international strategies, research, and WHO reports around COVID-19. These guidelines were compiled around what we do know with hope that we will all be cautious and considerate for what we don't. Many areas will have to be creative to adapt in this period of uncertainty (which may last several years), but one thing is for sure:

Our strongest tool has always been our ability to join together to share a love of climbing and a love for the outdoors. In this time, we must expand this solidarity into a shared ethic of safety, empathy, and respect for all. We all have the responsibility to weigh the consequences of our actions at this time.

To view the guidelines in Spanish, visit:

accesopanam.org/escalada-responsable-en-tiempos-de-covid-19/