Place meanings and rock climbing in outdoor settings

Abstract

This article presents the place meanings that 21 rock climbers from Western Canada ascribe to outdoor climbing sites. It takes the form of an interpretive inquiry based on semi-structured interviews through which interviewees provided narratives about their climbing experiences. An analysis of these narratives identified eight place meanings (accessibility, site attributes, variety, social interactions, mecca, learning, exploration, and escape) which were grouped into three dimensions (physical site, social, and experiential). As these themes suggest, the place meanings of climbing sites are complex and multidimensional as articulated by the climbers. Specifically, climbing places were physical places associated with the act of climbing, exploring the site and social interactions that included group inclusion and avoidance.Management implications: The concept of place meaning can offer resource managers with important qualitative information about rock climbing sites and rock climbers:•Provides insights into how climbers perceive the importance of specific climbing places;•Provides a qualitative sense of the various desired climbing outcomes such as solitude, escape, learning and interactions with others; and•Enhances the development of intimate connections with the wider aspects of the climbing sites beyond the narrow aspects of climbs/routes (i.e. the landscape).Management may use these insights for the benefit of site planning and management to increase the satisfaction of climbers, and for marketing by positioning their climbs vis-à-vis other routes.