Your gear might be dirtier than you think: Australia’s invisible plant threat

OP PRESS | 03

When did you last actually clean your approach shoes? Not just knock them together a couple of times and call it done — properly clean them? What about your car tyres?

We know. It feels like a lot of effort. But hear us out, because what's living in that mud could have devastating consequences for our favourite crags.

Phytophthora cinnamomi

Pronounced Fy-TOFF-thora, this microscopic plant pathogen — also called dieback, root-rot, or cinnamon fungus — arrived with early European settlers and has been quietly devastating Australian ecosystems ever since. It is listed in the top 100 worst invasive species globally, and is Australia’s most significant plant pathogen. It affects over 2,300 native plant species, and has been detected across Australia, including areas of the Blue Mountains, Grampians/ Gariwerd, throughout Tasmania, and significant areas of southern Western Australia. Once Phytophthora comes into contact with susceptible plants, they can die off completely and will never recover.

Phytophthora lives inside plant roots, silently blocking water and nutrients until the host is consumed. Left to its own devices, it spreads slowly through root-to-root contact. But give it a lift on your shoes, tyres, or gear, and it can leap to a completely new, untouched area in a single trip — without you ever knowing.

That's what makes it so dangerous, and why we — climbers, hikers and anyone heading off the main roads or paths — are responsible for preventing its spread.

It's Not Just Phytophthora

Dieback gets the headlines, but it's not the only threat. Neglecting biosecurity can also help spread diseases affecting other native plants, native frogs and fragile waterways.

What You Can Do

The positive news is that it’s pretty quick and easy to prevent the spread of Phytophthora.

Before you head out:

• Start every trip with clean, dry, dirt-free gear — shoes, pads, packs, tents, car tires
• Keep a small spray bottle of ethanol or methylated spirits in the car, gear room or by the front door and give the soles of your shoes a good spritz before heading off
• Respect closed track and road signs; closures may exist specifically to contain disease spread
• Stick to formed tracks and avoid bush bashing — stepping off a compromised track into adjacent uninfected bush is exactly how pathogens travel. If you are going to leave the track, at least spray your shoes with a strong alcohol spray first.

The crags will be there next weekend, and the weekend after that — but only if the ecosystems around them are intact. Clean your gear!

Ali Roush - Open Project Athlete