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General Climbing Discussion

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Araps Rebolting 13-Jan-2006 At 10:59:08 AM Mike Graham

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Neil,

I’m glad you made the analogy earlier of the "ancient hunter". He would not have been my example of the ignorant hunter. I’m sure he only killed to feed and clothe himself with be it a stone knife or spear. Ancient fishermen may work better here as an example. Again spears and maybe nets but the key point being they managed their resources. They never over fished an area which was very thoughtful for the time. Even today modern researchers are learning a lot from these techniques. Would these ancients have been different with more advanced technology? Hard to say, man is inherently greedy and aggressive.

You seem like the main man here regarding this bolting. You have an impressive résumé, well traveled and all. What I don’t understand is why you feel it’s your responsibility to make the cliffs safer? Those are individual choices each climber should make on their own. I’ve said this in an earlier thread. Climbing is safe when you climb within your limits. Adding more bolts to existing routes will increase the traffic on them raising the odds of an accident. It will be that little extra courage that’s drilled into the rock that will make the unprepared one prematurely try something. Creating Absile stations will increase the odds for an accident. Especially these draped over the edge chain messes. Teaching people to walk off a route may be time better spent?

Speaking for myself and probably, say 50 of my friends that have used the “ancient” drilling method. I can say we did think quite a lot about where a bolt was placed. If I took a sampling from these same people for their permission to add bolts to their routes, I think you’ll find quite a different response than you got. Why is that?

If this all started with making belays stronger all the power to you. I still remember terrifying stations on El Cap, middle cathedral…and I applauded the effort of those here trying to rectify them. You sound proud of all the bolts you put in and you should be if they are within your original intentions of safety. If you are adding them to make a route more main stream, perhaps nothing to boast about. Your call