On 18 April, the Hungarian Mountaineering & Sport Climbing Federation (Mhssz) dedicated its website home page to the Covid-19 situation.
The below is a translation from the original article in Hungarian.
Coronavirus – an updated recommendation for the Hungarian climbing community
The purpose of this recommendation is to comply with and take into account local and national regulations when rock climbing. Do your best to avoid coronavirus infection, and pay close attention to accident-free sports activities.
Due to the coronavirus epidemic, climbing opportunities were severely curtailed after domestic climbing halls were forced to close. With the arrival of spring, the role of free rock climbing will be significantly enhanced, as current government regulations allow for outdoor sports and do not ban rock climbing for the time being.
Recreational sports activities are allowed under the current regulation under the following conditions:
- Only individually or in the company of those living in the same household as us (in the case of climbing, individual climbing is contraindicated!)
- If we meet others during sports, we are obliged to keep a distance of at least one and a half meters from them.
There are currently no restrictions on cultivable sports. The Hungarian Mountaineering and Sports Climbing Association is a professional non-governmental organization, not an authority, so it can only make recommendations to climbers on how to practice our beloved sport within the present restrictions, with maximum compliance with the provisions. Our recommendations are:
- Whatever sporting activity you have carried out, the first and foremost thing is to comply with the relevant legal requirements (see points 1 and 2 above)! The organization of group climbing and climbing courses is prohibited!
- Safety first! We only recommend rock climbing to experienced climbers, now is not the time to try a new sport, hospitals are overwhelmed, don’t give chances to injury or accident! Experienced climbers are also recommended to climb below their level of knowledge!
- Do not cluster in rock climbing areas at the foot of the wall, in the car parking area, but rather avoid places that attract a lot of climbers or the busier weekend period – if you find many climbers on arrival at the chosen location, choose another climbing place!
- Do not climb roads directly next to each other at the same time. Choose the climbed path so that there is plenty of distance of at least two meters on the wall!
- Do not touch your face while climbing!
- Wash hands thoroughly after climbing, if this is not possible, use disinfectant.
- Keep as much distance as possible from the other climbing parties present at the rock / climbing school!
- In many cases, settlements connected to climbing sites enforce much stricter local restrictions than the national one, especially on weekends. In some cases, this makes it impossible to approach certain climbing sites. Keep this in mind when planning your climb, be aware, and follow local restrictions as far as possible !
- Use your own car to approach the climbing area. If you use public transport, follow the hygiene regulations and wear a face mask.
You can protect your climbers (and yourself) by following these rules:
- Avoid the usual handshake, hug, kiss when greeting
- Use your own climbing equipment, tools
- Do not take the rope in your mouth when climbing the insurer will hold the rope with a gloved hand if possible
- If you need to sneeze, either put it in a handkerchief (and then throw it out) or, if that’s not possible, put it in an elbow bend
- Do not touch your mouth, your nose, your eyes
- Keep a distance of at least 2 meters from each other
- If you feel overwhelmed, sick, stay home
- Pay attention to the protection of our skin, damaged untreated skin surface (wound) poses an increased risk of infection!
- Intense training temporarily weakens the immune system, so be more careful during and for -one hour after intense training: dress warmly, wash your hands properly, replenish some calories, do not touch anything on public transport and keep your distance from others
In recent years, the Hungarian Mountaineering and Sports Climbing Association has been able to establish better and better connections with national parks, which may have serious positive results in the future with regard to our climbing places in Hungary. We ask you to strive for maximum adherence to the rules with this in mind.
Of course, the attitudes of the settlements can also be different, but the point is that where we are guests, we have to adapt. So climb responsibly and don’t take the above recommendation as an immediate travel invitation! If you have the opportunity to climb, train, play sports in or near your home, do so and avoid unnecessary / cancellable trips!
The MHSSZ will continue to monitor the evolution of the epidemiological situation and the relevant regulations and, if necessary, issue a more stringent recommendation.
You can find the current epidemiological information on the website https://koronavirus.gov.hu .
