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THE AUSTRALIAN RE, RETRO-BOLTING OPEN FORUM 18-Apr-2007 At 6:45:02 PM LGJ

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Usually I browse right past these topics, mainly because it really is such a grey area as you said Mousey, and it seems like debates keep on going round in circles. I can't even make my own mind up on most things bolting, something I want to start doing a little bit of in the not too distant future.

One side of my coin: I've been climbing (living?) up at Armidale for nearly a year now, ie lots of granite. There's a great slab (Innocence, 30m 18) down Gara Gorge that I've been up a few times now - I love it! Definately one of my 'favourite climbs' but to dissect why I like it, one of the reasons (and there are others, eg the fact that it's sustained at the grade the whole way up, no real 'ledges') is that the bolts are adequately spaced that you don't let you mind or your feet wander at all the whole way up. Basically, I think it improves the mental aspect of the climb such that when you top out, you feel so good because the climb was REWARDING. You can take what you want out of that, but I guess I'm saying the boldness of routes isn't just a hoorah to the FA and forever after a saftey issue, it can mean the difference between a nice route and a route that makes you feel a plethora of emotions. (note that compared to a lot of granite slabs out there Innocence might actually be considered quite reasonbably bolted - for me I'd consider it a bit run out, but safe...)

Other side of my 2c. I finally got around to meeting Paul Bayne recently, one of the old school climbers who put up a huge percentage of the stuff around here. I had a lot to talk to him about, but one of the things I did broach was that I had been up a few climbs at Gara and around the other crags and had thoughts about replacing some anchors, or possibly more than that (ie possibly rebolting or retro). He just laughed and said something about how dodgy so many of those bolts probably are considering how they put a lot of them in/up (ie hand drilling on lead, etc) and said he'd never want his name to anything that kills someone. Again, take what you want from that but I guess one thing I'd personally do if/when I was ever to re/retro a route would be contact the FA or at least someone in the same 'crew' to get an opinion.