Do trekking poles hurt the environment?
One of the common concerns about trekking poles is
whether they have an environmental impact. There are very differing opinions
about how much using trekking poles impacts the environment and whether or
not this impact is substantial enough to warrant their disuse. There is no
scientific agreement with either of the two sides, and those that are
passionate about the outdoors have very different opinions. Here are some of
the current thoughts of the trekking community.
Why Trekking Poles May Be Bad for the
Environment
·
Trekking poles expand the amount of
your body that hits the ground and makes an impact in the grass and dirt.
Without poles it is only your feet, but with poles it is your feet and the
tips of said poles. Any additional damage to the environment is still
additional damage, however minor that may be.
·
Trekking poles can make noise when they
connect with rocks, and this noise reduces the feel of the wilderness, as
well as cuts into natural rocks and greenery.
·
Poles can create holes in the ground
and may hit vegetation, doing additional damage. All of this will result in
changes in the environment that may produce permanent, long term damage.
Why Trekking Poles May Not Be Bad for the
Environment
·
By taking most of the weight off your
feet and dispersing it to the poles, it is possible that less damage is
inflicted on the environment, because the greenery is not experiencing the
full impact of your weight, and less likely to maintain permanent damage.
·
Much of the concern about damaging
nearby plants can be mitigated by simply removing the baskets unless they
are necessary for the environmental conditions.
·
It is argued that since trekking poles
provide greater support for the trek, environmental damage is also reduced
due to fewer hikers requiring a place to rest (trees, ground, etc.) that
would normally be subject to greater weight of a greater diameter.
·
When trekking poles are used, fewer
people need to find shortcuts to their path, as the poles allow people to
cross over already used (but possibly uncomfortable/wet) terrain.
What is the Verdict?
Available evidence suggests that while there is a
little bit of increased risk of damaging the environment when hiking poles
are used recklessly (e.g. poking directly into a nearby plant or greenery
when a perfectly acceptable place to stick the pole was nearby), there is
also reduced risk of permanently damaging plants due to reduced weight on
each step. In that respect, it is arguable that trekking poles may even have
a positive environmental impact, though this too is up for debate.
As of yet, there is no evidence to strongly suggest
that trekking poles cause any environmental damage. As long as you use the
trekking poles responsibly and avoid any situations where you could cause
serious environmental damage, using your trekking poles is a more than
acceptable choice that is unlikely to cause any serious environmental
problems.
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