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Tiger Wall - Dribble Bolting? 26-Aug-2009 At 8:30:11 PM otmab

Message

I am an inexperienced climber (2.5 years). I have been to The Mount only a dozen times. I've often
wondered what the 'rules' are with respect to bolting there. Being a newbie, it's a little confusing.
Mostly, you don't see bolts at all, except, of course, at the very tops of climbs with rap anchors.

But from time to time you do see them - on harder climbs. And sometimes (rarely) on easier climbs.

Being a newbie, you also tend to be a little in awe of the place. It's one of the best places to climb in
the entire world. Many (most?) of the people you meet there have come from overseas or interstate.
You're climbing in the footsteps of giants. Surely, at a place like this, there _must_ be rules about
bolting, and making changes to this amazing rock nature has provided?

Over time, you realise that there aren't any clearly defined rules. This seems all the more surprising,
because, apart from the significance of The Arapiles worldwide, it's also in a state park.

There's a little guidance in the outstanding guidebooks by Simon and Glenn ('Rock Police', p13 2001
edition, p16 2008 edition). The advice is, overall, rightly discouraging to would-be bolters, but it's all,
necessarily, merely suggestions.

Based on (innumerable) previous posts, and especially Glenn's concise and logical post, this newbie
concludes

(this whole thread is a load of bullshit, please stop arguing you're making me sad, it's too late now,
anyone interested in this thread needs to harden up....)

- you shouldn't put bolts on climbs at the Arapiles
- *unless* you're a 'local'
- *and* you've had 'lots' of experience there
- *and* you've discussed it with the FA
- *and* it's 'carefully considered'
- *and* there are potential 'safety concerns' or bolting may make the route worthy of inclusion in a
guidebook

I don't find the above very satisfying, because the Mount is such a special place and I'd like it to stay
that way. I'm worried that without clearly defined rules, over time, it's going to become worse and
worse.

Why isn't there a committee that you need to contact if you want to make a change to the Arapiles?
It definitely wouldn't be the VCC. It'd be a small group of volunteers in Natimuk. If you wanted to put
a bolt in (etc.) you'd have to talk to the committee. If you didn't, your bolts would be ripped out.

Small, local committees for local issues can work extremely well. They're functional, and efficient.

I wouldn't advocate this for other crags - but the Arapiles is special. It's a treasure, in a global sense,
and I want my son, and his children, to experience it in the same way I have.