[[alternative]]A Study on the Process of Eco-mountaineering Training Course

[[abstract]]The objective of this study is to aid the researcher’s understanding of the feasibility of infusing environmental education into mountaineering activities. By engaging in the process of planning and executing eco-mountaineering courses, the study therefore aimed to facilitate understanding of the effect that such courses have on participants. Based on this objective, this study attempts to answer the motivations of and effects on course participants. What impact do the courses have on participants’ attitude toward eco-mountaineering? How do the courses influence participants’ land ethic and value system? The study focuses on the process of developing and conducting Eco-mountaineering Training Courses. Twenty-six course participants were chosen as study targets. Qualitative research was conducted on participants’ learning status to show the process of development of this research. Field observation, in-depth interviews, and document analysis are the primary sources of information used. The following conclusions were made in this study: Personal interest and personal capacity building were the participants’ main motivations for participating in the courses. Concrete experience gained during nature experiential courses was shown to aid participants’ understanding of abstract environmental concepts. However a longer period of exposure to the concepts presented in the course is deemed necessary in order to elicit behavioral changes. In-depth discussion of the dilemmas presented in putting “Leave No Trace” principles into practice facilitated changes in student behavior. Moreover, it was found that “Leave No Trace” concepts were more meaningful after first establishing a relationship between the individual and nature. As for the courses’ influence on participants’ “Land Ethic” and value system, on an ecological level, participants learned firsthand the concept of a living land that transcends economic value systems. On an emotional level, participants discovered the emotional connection between the individual and nature. Finally, on a social level, participants gained a better understanding of the inseparable relationship between people and nature throughout their co-evolution.