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Crag & Route Beta

Area	Location	Sub Location	Crag	Links
All NSW	(General)	(General)	(General)

Topic Date User

Rings on 8-Aug-2012 At 10:31:04 AM davidn

Message

Simey - what if you have to rap it to clean it? That said, I pretty much agree with your underlying sentiment, though I think even ground up bolting done in a dangerous way is pretty lazy or egotistical.

'Bold' bolted routes has always seemed like a weird idea, like some have said more a testament to ego than sense. If you want to climb 8 metres at your limit with a chance of broken ankles or head, go bouldering? If you don't want to bolt the first 8 metres of a trad line because it doesn't take gear, that's a different thing again (ala grit).

Having X bolts in a climb but choosing to make the lower part of a route dicey is just ... slightly psychotic, to be honest. Like admitting you need the poop stick to play pool but breaking it in half so people don't think you're so soft that you need to use the whole thing.

However, the 'just don't clip em' argument also doesn't wash. Even a free soloist on a sport route has bolt hangers to grab, which changes the experience compared to naked rock.