Cleanup at Women's Bouldering Event 2021

The first thing you've got to know about a clean-up is that you don't do a clean-up after a clean-up... Yes, there was something remarkable during our CleanUp event in Bleau during the Women's Bouldering Event on 17 September; Elephant climbing area was pristine! Yet, there was enough to do for the 20 volunteers who showed up for our joint clean-up with ace climber Tiba Vroom from Wildflower Climbing!

Dirty campers and parkers

Soon after planting our beach flags on the parking at Elephant, we realized there was less work to be done than expected. While the blocks had been well taken care of by a kindly group of locals in recent weeks, the main dumping grounds near the village of Larchant. Clean-ups, however, are more than just picking up rubbish. More important is our ability to meet with like-minded individuals, connect to other organizations and exchange knowledge. But we'll get to that, first we dove into the bushes and picked them clean on the parking strip and impromptu camping spot. A lot of thrash clutters the edges of climbing areas, and while climbers are likely to be blamed, they're probably not the culprits. Showing our good intentions by cleaning up is always a good thing in showing the locals that we, as climbers, care about the area too.

Meeting, Sharing & Connecting

What we like to achieve mostly on events such as these, is to connect and share our message with others. When an impromptu gap in the program opened up and allowed us to host a talk about sustainability in climbing, we obviously took the opportunity with both hands. Tiba was willing to join us on stage for a discussion on the wider topic. On behalf of Clean Climber, Justina kindly took on that role to talk about the ReSole program and other initiatives. Though there was little preparation, the talk was a big success, with both ladies speaking passionately about the topic and their appreciation of nature. Visitors participated enthusiastically, sharing ideas and experiences. Of particular interest was the participation of Francis from Chalk Rebels and local fire marshals in the discussion. Did you know a smouldering cigarette thrown in the sand can cause a fire up to three days later? Now you know, and a lot of people know. And that is the best possible result of an event for us, connecting to others and together growing our awareness.

Our thanks go out to Tiba Vroom/Wildflower Climbing and Justina Segers for their participation and support during this event in helping us reach others and spread awareness. Special thanks also to Zofia from Women's Bouldering for having us, supporting us and so enthusiastic and kind. And to all volunteers for showing up and helping out. Everyone can be a Clean Climber. If you'd like to know more about Women's Bouldering Event, visit their website.