Patagonia: Join the fight against fracking by Friends of the Earth

In a candid climbing video, international rock climber Pete Whittaker has spoken out on the importance of nature and outdoor spaces, and the need to protect them from fracking.

Pete Whittaker is a rock climbing ambassador for Patagonia and has climbed routes around the world, having famously all-free rope soloed Yosemite’s El Capitan in less than 24 hours – the previous fastest time being four days.

In the video, produced by Friends of the Earth and supported by Patagonia, Pete returns to Wharncliffe Crag – a popular climbing spot close to his hometown of Sheffield. Just two hundred metres to the east and west of the crags, the land is licensed for potential fracking.

Over seventeen thousand square kilometres of England is covered by oil and gas exploration licences, which could put large parts of the countryside, including countless areas enjoyed by climbers, walkers, mountain bikers and more at risk of industrialisation.