Who are we in the face of Nature?

Who are we in the face of Nature? It is a vast question and everything depends on the "we". However, we at Spéléo Canyon Ariège are obliged to ask ourselves the question as outdoor professionals in France today.

Why go conquering summits? Why Tenzing and Hillary on Everest? What are we doing in this Nature? The Conquerors of the Useless, at the end of a rope in a canyon. All that to go see what is behind this rock, behind this waterfall, in this gorge that the earth has dug, what treasures has it buried there? Curiosity is a great way to apologize for our intrusion into Nature. Faced with the mountain, how can we resist the desire to discover, to know this mystical world that obeys only its own laws? In some places on this earth, Nature remains wild, difficult to access, elusive. That's what makes it charming. We are not necessarily welcome there and we have to be careful where we put our feet, that's why we like this Nature. And it's because it does not obey Men and it does very well on its own that we should not touch it. But maybe we can be discreet visitors passing through?

Canyoning is, like many mountain activities, tinged with its own contradictions. What mark do we leave? A few plates screwed into the rock will not completely disfigure a canyon. But what about these overcrowded canyons where professionals fight over the terrain? When a dozen companies pass through the same canyon twice a day with ten customers each time, what impact on the flora and fauna? It is difficult to say that it will be positive. We are distorting the living spaces of certain species, we are probably chasing them towards quieter places. I can't help but think of ski resorts. What an ecological disaster. We have no more snow? We will transport some by helicopter. How do we arrive at this extreme contradiction? Not to mention the social aspect. A week in a resort for a family of four costs several thousand euros. We adorn ourselves with our finest branded equipment and the democratization of the activity leads to an increase in accidents. But not everyone can afford the luxury of white gold. Can it be the same for canyoning? It is up to us, outdoor professionals, to say no. We are the ones who have the keys to making this activity a healthy practice in the great outdoors. By working together, between professionals, locally. By limiting the size of groups. By emphasizing pedagogy and teaching, by ensuring that the customer becomes a trainee. Make you aware of the activity, its risks and its challenges. No, we are not evolving in a conquered terrain, we are not at home, this is not a video game. Mastering the risks, making your descent in safety, this is what gives this exhilarating feeling of having surpassed yourself but not of having tamed nature. Nature, it doesn't care.

Nature always wins. She proves it to us in Chernobyl where wolves cross a city invaded by plants. Nature, this entity apart from human beings, does not need us. But we need her. Nature not only provides us with our vital food but it also recharges us. Everyone needs to go green from time to time, especially when eighty percent of the French population lives in cities. And it feels good not to be at home, to be faced with the unknown, to feel very small. The source of life is found in the wilderness, not in a supermarket. We are visitors in this wild Nature, we can pass without leaving a trace, without leaving pieces of toilet paper behind the trees. Nature can only inspire respect in us because it reminds us that we must be humble in life. Respecting Nature means knowing it so as not to destroy it. Although it may be the strongest, nature is made up of many elements that are not eternal.

This will be our message this summer to our interns. We are outdoor teachers, humble visitors to Nature, who want to share their knowledge and love of Nature. Because sharing a passion cannot be improvised.