12.04.2023
At the BEA fair in Bern, the topic “sustainability” will be put in the focus. The Swiss Alpine Club SAC and our partners are helping to shed more light on the matter with activities around the stand of the IFSC Climbing World Championships Bern 2023.
Sustainability is something that concerns all of us, but the IFSC Climbing World Championships Bern 2023 and the climbing community in general are particularly concerned about this topic, as we would still like to see climbers outdoors in the future.
At the BEA, a fair taking place on the grounds of the IFSC Climbing World Championships Bern 2023 Location Partner BERNEXPO in Bern from 28 April to 7 May 2023, the Climbing World Championships 2023 – together with the Swiss Alpine Club SAC and our partners – are therefore paying special attention to the issue of sustainability, which is also an integral part of the World Championship concept.
Respecting nature while climbing
The co-moderator of the Climbing World Championships 2023, professional climber Nina Caprez, says it quite clearly: “Peaceful coexistence of climbing and nature conservation? Of course! We can do a lot to keep the impact of our sport on nature as small as possible!” And, thus, the SAC will not only provide information about this issue at the BEA fair, where they will offer playful activities for children as well, but also gives a lot of advice on its website about how to climb in the most nature-friendly way possible.
The general rule is: consume sustainably and promote local added value. The SAC advises staying overnight and buying locally to promote the mountain regions and improve the eco-balance of the tour.
Is a new purchase always necessary, or are repairing, second-hand products or renting alternatives? If a new purchase is indeed needed, then sustainable and socially responsible production, durability and multifunctionality should be considered.
Old items should be disposed of properly or given a new life – EDELRID, Supporter of the IFSC Climbing World Championships Bern 2023, will be demonstrating at the BEA fair, for example, how old climbing ropes can easily be made into key chains. You can also find lots of tips and tricks on how to improve your ecological footprint on their website edelrid.com.
Upcycling – Creating your new (old) rope mat with EDELRID
Acting responsibly is a top priority at EDELRID, a rope manufacturer based in southern Germany, which makes them the ideal Supporter of the IFSC Climbing World Championships Bern 2023. The company tries to understand all the negative effects a product can have on our environment and identifies possible processes to systematically reduce these effects – this is how their mantra “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” came about, for example.
In the meantime, EDELRID – who are supplying the Climbing World Championships 2023 in August with special ropes in the Swiss national colours – have managed to produce a climbing rope that is 50% recycled rope, while they will also add two new PFC-free climbing ropes to their Green Collection this summer.
As described above, they will be at the BEA fair in Bern and you will be able to make key chains from old rope scraps. If you have a little more time and patience, EDELRID has a very special tip for you: turn your old climbing rope into a rope mat. This can be used as a doormat or seat pad, for example.
Click here for the complete instructions for the rope mat.