The Rock Climbing Dilemma
By Marcus Nathan
Imagine clinging to the side of a steep rock face. Your hands are jammed in small openings in the rocks, and your toes are barely hanging onto a narrow ledge. You can continue up to the top or you can return to the ground below. Either way, it is a deathly decision. Rock climbing is an exhilarating sport that tests a climber’s physical strength, stamina, agility, and mental focus. However, just like that decision to continue upwards or to return to the ground, climbing individuals, as well as the climbing community as a whole, have tough decisions facing them regarding the type of equipment they use and their interaction with the environment. Rock climbers face ethical dilemmas that create both consequences and accomplishments in the sport of rock climbing.