There's a practice called 'gardening' in rock climbing where climbers clean holds to make them easier to grip. In effect they remove any earth, gravel or foliage that's in their way. The more enlightened climbers have sussed that this turns the cliff into a desert, removing any diversity of habitat that previously existed.

Sometimes a thing is best left alone, and if change is necessary, it needn't be done in a hurry. It's worth asking around to see whether other the climbers are doing similar stuff.

Kammer x