After finishing my master in 2019, I travelled around Europe in my van for climbing. Although enjoying climbing with my friends and seeing a lot of beautiful places to the fullest, I was increasingly concerned about the impact travelling for climbing has on my own carbon footprint.
Being an ecologist and constantly dealing with the implications of our climate crisis, together with my motivation to protect the places I love, I wanted to change the way how I travel for climbing to decrease my own carbon footprint.
After returning home from my trip, I only went to the gym to avoid travelling by car to go rock climbing outside. However, I soon realised that this is not an option for me – spending time outside in the nature at the rock together with my friends gives me so much energy. So, I started looking for climbing areas which can be reached by train and bike.
Since then, I am trying to reduce the amount of time I spend in my van and instead travel by bike and train. I love this way of getting around, you get to spend more time outside while biking and the time in the train can be spent working or for a relaxed conversation with your climbing partner.
© Lena Müller/Johannes Ingrisch