Watch Ben Lawhon and Peter Whittaker’s presentation below:
Ben Lawhon and Peter Whittaker
The New Leave No Trace Mountaineering Curriculum: Formalizing and Improving on Informal Practice.
The mountaineering community has been supporting and practicing Leave No Trace for decades, sharing techniques informally. Nevertheless, there had been little written information and no recognized curriculum. This changed in 2011 when the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, in partnership with Rainier Mountaineering, Inc., developed a mountaineering-specific Leave No Trace curriculum. The process took almost a year and has yielded a comprehensive yet succinct set of guidelines that mountaineers can follow to minimize their impacts around the globe. According to Ben Lawhon, Education Director for the Center, “This curriculum will give the mountaineering community the tools necessary to protect the places they cherish.”
As education director for Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, Ben manages Leave No Trace national education, training, and international initiatives. Peter, co-owner of RMI, believes that “As one of the largest users of the resource, it’s our responsibility to reduce the impact on the mountain.”