Respecting nature – a guide to begin adventuring – Part III
You and your friends have been shredding the slopes all day hitting pillows of pow or you have finished a tough scramble up the mountain. The adrenaline is rushing through your veins and you are completely engulfed in the moment, you look down and notice a piece of trash laying there from a fellow adventure athlete such as yourself. Instantly it takes away from this precious moment.
As an adventure athlete the number one rule to go by while performing these sports is to respect nature. There are several good rules to follow:
- A classic rule that should not even have to be said, “DON’T LITTER”! Please bring a baggy with you to put your wrappings inside. I know a lot of your favorite power bars and energy gels can get sticky and start smelling; however, throwing them on the ground doesn’t only ruin experiences for other athletes but can endanger local wildlife. An even more disgusting version of this is cigarette buds. Not only does it make no sense why someone would rip a cig after a grueling athletic feat but smelling and seeing all the buds is absolutely gross. Cigarettes don’t magically disappear into the earth so please leave them at home or bring a baggy for them as well.
- Don’t destroy nature. This one sadly needs to be said because lately there have been multiple incidents of people destroying iconic landmarks. It is not only selfish but ignorant to destroy a beautiful creation that has been on earth for so long. In a world that is getting smaller and more urbanized every special sight matters.
- Don’t mess with wildlife, this is pretty self-explanatory but this isn’t just for your own safety. Certain species of animals will be harmed with any human contact. Just a single tough to baby animals can lead to their mother neglecting them which will ultimately result in the animal dying. Please take pictures and enjoy their world but unless you are hunting to eat or are an expert in wild life its best to watch from a distance.
- Be careful with fire! This one is close to my heart because of the destruction of many forest near me in Tennessee and North Carolina. Properly learn how to make campfires or use gas cooking sets. Forest fires as seen in Gatlinburg, Tennessee can destroy not only wildlife and beautiful scenery but can spread to urbanized civilization outside of national parks and harm humans and destroy homes.
Comment your requests of places we should visit or tips you would like to learn!
Thanks,
The Southern Summit Crew
IG: SouthernSummitCo
FB: Southern Summit Collection
Southern Summit Collection 