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Topic Date User

TR - Mt Buffalo Southside Gorge FA 28-Apr-2018 At 8:09:21 PM IdratherbeclimbingM9

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On 27-Apr-2018 bigchris wrote:
>Right, so replace them then? They're 50 years old and not in a good way.
>
>
>And just re-hang the bottle?

I am not one of the first ascentionists so my opinion is less important than theirs and they need to be consulted; however for what it's worth if the belay bolts are unsafe then replacing them like-for-like (especially for location vicinity) with modern grade stainless glue in bolts with fixed hangers would be my preference.

My memory of that climb (I've done it more than once), is that the belay can be backed up with trad gear, and yes, the pitches can be run together with a 60 m rope (as I am doing in the photo above); however I did use the original belay as an interim re-belay point for convenience since I was roped soloing (at the time that photo was taken), and it was handy to suspend the weight of my excess rope off it.

Re the bottle.
It is an intriguing (if not unique) part of the climb.
Here is a link to a thread/post regarding the bottle and the first ascent...
http://www.chockstone.org/Forum/Forum.asp?ForumID=1&Action=Display&MessageID=128497&PagePos=&Sort=

If the original bolt/s are still usable as redundancy backup (??) then I'd leave it still hanging off them...

If the original ascentionists say the bottle should go, then so be it, but I'd be a little sad if that turns out to be the case, as it has now stood the test of time in my opinion...

_{(PS Part of the bottle concerned is visible just right of my right hand in the photo above!)}