Climbers are out there—we climb the highest peaks, roam deserts, and explore the woods for the most inspiring boulders. And the climbing community has been increasingly seeing anecdotal evidence of climate change impacting our climbing landscapes. But stories are one thing–scientific evidence, on the other hand, can be our topo for advocating for change.
In a first-of-its-kind study that was a finalist for the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA) Mountain Protection Award, a team from the American Alpine Club joined up with climate researchers from the University of New Hampshire and the University of Calgary to take a close look at the historical data on seasonal temperatures and ice season length in the Mount Washington Valley of New Hampshire, one of the premiere ice climbing destinations in the United States. With the context of this historical data, the team ultimately created a climate model to predict the length of ice climbing seasons in the future under moderate and high emission scenarios. The AAC team also interviewed dozens of guides in the region to gather qualitative data about how tumultuous climate impacts are impacting the guiding economy that is an integral part of these NH mountain communities. Ultimately—climate change is impacting climbing and the economies built around it. But we're ready to do something about it.
Learn about our climate research and how it's impacting climbing by diving into this film!
Ice Evolution: A Deeper Dive into the Climate Study
By Jimmy Voorhis and Micheal Wejchert
It’s our responsibility to ensure fat ice flows like this one remain on tomorrow’s tick lists. Photo courtesy of the AAC’s forthcoming film freeze//thaw, edited by Nate Ptacek
Like everywhere on Earth, the Mount Washington Valley faces fundamental shifts in weather patterns due to climate change. That’s why, in 2018, a team of researchers backed by the American Alpine Club began a research project to understand how climate change may physically impact ice climbs in the Mount Washington Valley, and how guides and climbers could adapt to these shifting conditions. Dive into this article to learn about this first-of-its-kind study, the current and predicted impacts to guiding livelihoods, and what we can do as climbers.
The Implications of Warmer Winters for Ice Climbing: A Case Study of the Mount Washington Valley, New Hampshire, USA
Ice climbing is important to the culture and economies of mountain communities worldwide. However, warming winters call into question the future of livelihoods associated with ice climbing. In response, the AAC conducted a case study that presents observed and simulated ice climbing conditions in the Mount Washington Valley, New Hampshire, USA, as well as local climbing guide's experiences of and responses to these changes. First, variability in ice conditions were evaluated by classifying and summarizing ice characteristics depicted in a 20-year collection of conditions reports (n = 372) including photos and written observations for a benchmark ice climb (Standard Route). Next, climate model ensembles were used to simulate probable changes in future ice season lengths according to intermediate and high climate forcing scenarios (i.e., RCP 4.5 & RCP 8.5). Finally, a survey and focus group were conducted with Mount Washington Valley ice climbing guides to examine observations and lived experiences of warming winters.
This study, which is the first formal assessment of the implications of warming winters for ice climbing, reveals significant effects of climate change for current and projected ice climbing conditions as well as marked, and often differentiated, vulnerability and adaptability to these changes amongst climbing guides. The unique mixed-methods approach used is applicable in other locales where climate change is impacting ice climbing activities and associated livelihoods.
You can read the full case study here.