Pyrsk 3

There are no set-in-stone ethics for the Beskid Mountains and Carpathian Foothills region, but there are guidelines everyone should follow to minimize the impact.

• Never climb on wet sandstone. You have to wait for 1-4 full days after rain depending on the area as the rock is brittle when wet.
• Use chalk reasonably and remove it when possible. The white spots worsen the aesthetics, reduce friction when too much is built up, and sometimes irreversably change the mineral structure of the rock.
• Avoid overbrushing. Only use brushes with soft bristles and do not press too hard.
• It is better to use UFOs and knots (textile protection) instead of metal gear when trad climbing, but both are usually deemed okay.
• Do not create artificial holds. It is allowed on some quarries, but even there it is reserved for a select few.
• Avoid climbing in areas where it is explicitly forbidden (all national parks, most nature reserves, some natural monuments).

Unfortunately, all of the rules stated above are broken regularly, often times by experienced local climbers.