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Freeriding in Japan? Heliskiing in Alaska? Stay at home!

A relatively serious polemic on the subject of travel and winter sports.

by Roman Bonderer 12/20/2018
"Your posts are constantly encouraging people to go powdering all over the world. What's the point! I think it's fatal in view of the ecological consequences." We are always happy to receive reader feedback, even if it is critical, like this message that Roman recently wrote to us. If a Facebook message then turns into a meaningful discussion and an entire article, we are all the more pleased. PG reader Roman Bonderer criticizes the contradictory (travel) behaviour of many winter sports enthusiasts:

Mankind has a big problem. It's called climate change. Unless thousands of global experts from a wide range of scientific disciplines are completely wrong, we are hurtling towards dramatic changes in our environment at top speed.

Anyone who has observed the weather in recent years and is not completely blind will notice that climate change is not just something that exists in scientific model calculations, but has long been real and is increasingly shaping life in our latitudes.

The cause? Apart from a few crazy conspiracy theorists, no one doubts that man-made CO2 emissions are primarily responsible for the rise in global temperatures.

As a result, the whole world is talking about climate change - about how to prevent its worst consequences and who can contribute what. Global climate conferences, national politicians, scientists, private individuals, NGOs, etc. are racking their brains over what an effective climate policy could look like. Many committed individuals are adapting their lifestyles, and NGOs are tirelessly trying to raise awareness of the issue in society and politics. The first political successes are emerging, albeit far too slowly and far too timidly. It is already too late for many things. At the end of this century, in 80 years' time, the Alps will be free of ice and glaciers.

Countless people are therefore getting involved in climate protection - for good reasons. They are traveling less, eating less or no meat, using public transport or bicycles instead of cars, insulating their properties or generally trying to limit their (often unnecessary) consumption.

One group, however, continues to act as if the whole thing is none of their business: outdoor sports enthusiasts. They fly to Mallorca for hiking vacations, to Nepal for mountaineering, to Japan for freeriding, to Brazil for kitesurfing, to Bali for surfing, to the Lofoten Islands for climbing, to Finland for snowshoeing. The list could be extended indefinitely. Otherwise, they generally travel by car, but sometimes hire a sled or even a helicopter in the backcountry.

The outdoor film industry also conveys one message above all: really cool freeskiers and snowboarders travel non-stop around the world, are flown up the mountain by helicopter time after time and race through the wilderness on a sled in search of the best spot. In other words: "Enjoy without regard for nature and the environment!" Or to put it bluntly: "consume, consume, consume!"

Whole scenes and the associated product and travel industry advertise corresponding offers, not least on powderguide.com. It makes you rub your eyes in amazement: the very people who supposedly love nature so much (think of the unspeakable intros of the films!) and simply need it for their hobbies, contribute a great deal to destroying this very nature with their crazy travel and their behavior in general. It's a bit like if I were to punch my (alleged) lover in the face every day before breakfast.

The absurdity reaches its maximum level with winter sports enthusiasts in particular: the consequences of their behavior - greenhouse gas-induced global warming - are destroying the literal basis of their activities: the snow. By the year 2100, there will hardly be any snow below 1200 in the Alps. The average zero degree line is already 300 to 400 meters higher today than it was 150 years ago.

What follows from the above? Well, many of us winter sports enthusiasts are addicts - and I mean that in a positive sense. But addicts are very difficult to break their addiction. There is simply too much at stake: the thrill of powder, the first line. This is therefore not about discouraging anyone from freeriding.

And to anticipate: As always, the argument that outdoor sports cannot be practiced in a climate-friendly way, that the only solution is to do without and that everything else is hypocritical, falls short. Less environmental impact is always better than more environmental impact. There is also no need to refer to other, even more climate-damaging sports. Whataboutism is out of place, the issue is too serious for that. Everyone must take responsibility.

But back to the question of what must follow from the above statements. It is no coincidence that when it comes to climate-damaging behavior, travel, and in particular flying, came up first and foremost. It's all well and good if you don't buy new equipment every season or do without one or two luxuries, but as long as you fly, you leave behind a huge ecological footprint.

Because the CO2 footprint of flights is devastating. Carbon dioxide emissions are many times higher than for all other means of transportation. The Swiss newspaper Tagesanzeiger has made a few illustrative comparisons here. If you want a simple comparison: a flight to Australia and back is equivalent to the total CO2 emissions of an average Swiss person. What is particularly irritating is that there are always alternatives, especially in the freeride sector. If you live in or near the Alps, you can reach many spots by car, if not by public transport or bus. Of course, various areas in the Alps can't keep up with Japan or parts of the Rocky Mountains in terms of rainfall, but everyone should be aware of the fatal consequences of flying. What does this mean for us freeriders?

I would like to summarize my views in six theses or appeals:

  • Take care: The environmental damage caused by the travel behaviour of outdoor sports enthusiasts urgently needs to be removed from the taboo. In view of the consequences for the environment, it is absolutely fatal how little awareness there is of the issue.

  • Don't fly: The consequences of (frequent) flying for nature and the climate are disastrous. If you don't give a damn about nature and the climate, avoid flying as far as possible.

  • Stuff your car: Flights should be avoided for both long and short distances. If you really want to go somewhere further away within Europe, take the train or at least fill up a car.

  • Take trains and busses: Car traffic also pollutes the environment. Even if the balance per person and kilometer is better than flying, global road traffic alone is responsible for over 17 percent of total CO2 emissions. So: at least fill up your car, or even better: travel by public transport.

  • Ride your local spot(s): The Alps have a wealth of freeriding opportunities to offer. If you know your region, you know that. If you don't know, you should inform yourself instead of flying to Alaska.

  • Be patient: The prices for travel and mobility set completely the wrong incentives. If there is no snow or too little for my taste, I just travel to where there is snow. People forget that we are dealing with nature. And it remains unpredictable - and it doesn't always snow the same amount and the same number of times. So if it doesn't snow for a while, just stay cool and, above all, stay at home. The climate will thank you for it.

This article has been automatically translated by DeepL with subsequent editing. If you notice any spelling or grammatical errors or if the translation has lost its meaning, please write an e-mail to the editors.

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