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Crag & Route Beta

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VIC Arapiles	The Northern Group	(General)	Echo Crag	[ Arapiles Guide \| Arapiles Images ]

Topic Date User

Eco Crag, Touch-Type? 26-Mar-2009 At 1:05:34 PM robertsonja

Message

On 24/03/2009 simey wrote:
>On 24/03/2009 robertsonja wrote:
>>I wish we were just debating our opinions but unfortunately the rock
>has already been chipped and drilled. I wasn’t looking for sympathy, more
>so I was asking that the first ascentionists remove all of their antiquated
>ironmongery.
>
>I'm afraid all you are going to get is my sympathy. I'm not saying your
>opinion is wrong, but my opinion is that that Touch-Type is worthwhile
>so I won't be rushing up there to remove the bolts.

I wish we were just debating our opinions but.......

>I have a few questions for you though...
>
>You refer to chipping and drilling... what chipping?

First rap station from the ground up, left hand bolt from memory, it looks like there is some chipping or marking of the rock in order to place the bolt.....it looks like a rushed job in order to make the Press!

>You refer to Touchstone as a stella classic line... since when did a long
>traverse to gain a short crackline followed by a second pitch that originally
>traversed to an easy arete, but is now more commonly climbed up the wall,
>become a stella classic line?

I was refering to Touch-Type. Touchstone is (was) a 2 star Trad climb from the early 70's. Touch-Type is the stella classic line, it should be given four stars, two for each bolt. Touch-Type is about to become even more futuristic.

>How do you feel about the rap anchors eliminating the need to rig natural
>belays on the Watchtower Faces, Muldoon, Collision Course, Tannin, Cecilia,
>Squeakeasy, Voodoo, Chinese Algebra, King Rat, Skydiver, to name just a
>few. Or don't they count?

Don't let some previous poor choices set precedent! I don't want to get off topic but your first example - Watchtower Face - we have just one rap decent from the Left right through to the Right Watchtower face, zero on the Pinnacle face...that is alot of mileage. Some rap stations obviously have their place, safety, reduce erosion etc but just for the sake of convenience/easier? So I would suggest that we don't place (or renew) rap stations on an existing climb if at all possible, but seek alternative lines if a consultative consensus is reached.

>Since when did a climb have to be comparable to a route in the Verdon
>Gorge to have rap anchors installed?
Verdon Gorge has different ethics to Arapiles, difference rock (limestone), up to 700m cliffs and where the ethics dictates rap in descents to climb the upper reaches....if we've got to start adding anchors at Arapiles to do a couple of metres of climbing at the grade we should all get off the crack.

>How is Touch-Type contrived when you can't reach into neighbouring climbs
>or use nearby holds to make the climbing easier?

A line doesn't have to interfere with neighbouring climbs to be worthless (well not worth the addition of 2 bolts anyway) and contrived.

>