Impact of the “Chalk” on perceived visual quality and the willingness to climb: a research on sports climbing

Background and Study Aim: Rock climbing is a popular outdoor recreation and tourism activity practiced in natural areas. Rock climbing, like all of the other outdoor activities, has a variety of impacts on nature and visitors. Understanding these impacts is important for ensuring the sustainability of natural environments and activities practiced in these areas. The goal of this study was to analyze the impacts of chalk density on the rock surface, on the perceived visual quality and the willingness of participants to climb. Material and Methods: The visual research method was used in the study to analyze the perceived visual quality of climbers. Photographing technique, one of the visual research methods, was utilized in the study to determine the perceived visual quality of climbers. Eleven photographs, prepared for this purpose, were presented to 213 voluntary participants and the obtained results were evaluated. Results: Repeated measures analysis of variance test results indicate that the chalk level increase specifically designed and presented in the photographs statistically changed the perceived visual quality of participants. Impacts of the variables of gender, climbing experience, climbing level and chalk density level on perceived visual quality are compared with the ANOVA test. The results indicate that within-group variance in terms of the climbing level is statistically significant. Conclusions: According to the results of the study, the increase in chalk use density on rock surfaces has a negative impact on the perceived visual quality and willingness of participants to climb.