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Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

 Page 2 of 2. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 40
Author
Bolting Bluestone/basalt
widewetandslippery
12-May-2012
3:10:26 PM
7m and a rope?
dalai
12-May-2012
6:14:07 PM
On 12/05/2012 nmonteith wrote:
>On 12/05/2012 pmonks wrote:
>>Where does all this bluestone come from? Have any of you brains trust
>>Victarcticans thought of finding the source and climbing it in its natural
>>state??
>>
>>Even a quarry would probably be better than climbing on skanky, bird
>crap
>>encrusted bridges!
>
>Most Bluestone comes from flat lava beds. The only climbing on bluestone
>like rock in Victoria is probably Lodden River Falls, which is mostly a
>tottering pile of loose blocks stacked on top of each other.

Routes - Loddon river, Turpin falls, Kynton quarry.

Bouldering there are quite a few natural edges - JC, Coops and other smaller spots like mentioned by shortman recently plus a couple of local quarries.

skegly
12-May-2012
7:22:40 PM
On 12/05/2012 nmonteith wrote:
>On 12/05/2012 pmonks wrote:
>>Where does all this bluestone come from? Have any of you brains trust
>>Victarcticans thought of finding the source and climbing it in its natural
>>state??
>>
>>Even a quarry would probably be better than climbing on skanky, bird
>crap
>>encrusted bridges!
>
>Most Bluestone comes from flat lava beds. The only climbing on bluestone
>like rock in Victoria is probably Lodden River Falls, which is mostly a
>tottering pile of loose blocks stacked on top of each other.

Not all lava flows are flat. I found some highball that I would rope.

JamesMc
12-May-2012
10:28:09 PM
Grid bolting a bluestone bridge which probably dates from the gold rush sounds to me like asking for trouble.

JamesMc

ChuckNorris
12-May-2012
11:41:31 PM
On 11/05/2012 nmonteith wrote:
>Legal! Some of those structures are well over 150 years old.

A 150 year old bridge in the middle of fking nowhere who gives a shit?

I prefer the spanish model, where for example, there are chipped holds underneath a 2000 year old bridge (puente triana) each chip carefully labelled "I" (izquierda - left) or "D" (derecha - right). The coppers drive by every now and then and tell someone to put a fire out, but mostly they just chat with the kids climbing.


salty crag
13-May-2012
9:26:41 AM
On 12/05/2012 nmonteith wrote:
Most Bluestone comes from flat lava beds. The only climbing on bluestone
like rock in Victoria is probably Lodden River Falls, which is mostly a
tottering pile of loose blocks stacked on top of each other.

We have a huge bluestone quarry down here, the lake in the centre of it is the size of a footy oval. Its ringed by vertical walls that vary from 4 to 20 metres. Looks great from the distance but a total choss pile. The powder monkeys shattered the rock leaving bits that would climb ok surrounded by deadly loose shards and flakes. There is one clean line I'm keen to try (on trad) but the keep out/warning signs say I'll be shot on sight.

A couple of the old bluestone churches in our town hold huge potential!!!! would god mind if I grid bolted his temple.

Cool Hand Lock
13-May-2012
10:28:35 AM
Silly, Christians don't beleive in gravity.
daisyd
13-May-2012
12:04:52 PM
You can be sure that the managing authority (VicTrack, VicRoads or councils) for bridges with bluestone abutments and retaining walls will take a dim view of bolting, particularly grid bolting. These bluestone walls are often listed with Heritage Victoria, from whom approval to any remedial works must be obtained. Re the "naturally" formed crack line, this is likely to indicate that parts of the wall are unsound as something has moved to create the crack. Bridges have regular inspections, and if found, grid bolting may drive counter measures such as removal, temporary fences, enforcement, etc. The money spent (wasted) on those would be better spent on the Western highway upgrade to Arapiles. Stick to using these walls for bouldering without bolting.

Ben_E
13-May-2012
2:40:32 PM
Hard to really comment without knowing anything about the wall in question (how much it is in public sight, how many people will actually ever climb on it etc), but even if grid bolting it doesn't get you in trouble with any of the relevant authorities I'd be asking how justifiable it is.

Don't get me wrong, I can understand wanting to make the most of the climbing resources you have; I climb/boulder on bluestone walls around Melbourne and I've been involved in bolting some fairly modest granite blobs which might not merit bolting if there was longer climbing around.

All the same, it seems likely any bolts you stick in will probably be rusting away there in a few decades time when you and the couple of other people who may climb on this wall have long since lost interest and moved on - seems a shame when most non-climbers don't see fixed hardware as all that aesthetically pleasing.

I can sort of see bomber pro's point (assuming he wasn't just trolling) and in general would argue in favor of public use of public space, which would include being able to climb on stuff (though his Spanish example of labeled chips sounds like a dystopia to me).

If there are already 3 routes to lead and toprope anchors on this wall it sounds like it's got all the modifications it really needs.
One Day Hero
13-May-2012
3:35:23 PM
On 13/05/2012 Ben_E wrote:

>Don't get me wrong, I can understand wanting to make the most of the climbing
>resources you have; I climb/boulder on bluestone walls around Melbourne
>and I've been involved in bolting some fairly modest granite blobs which
>might not merit bolting if there was longer climbing around.
>
How many ascents do those 'modest granite blobs' get? If people actually go out there and climb them regularly, then you've probably gotten the poxiness-proximity calculation right. Bolting crappy routes for the first and only ascent, which could have just as easily been toproped, is nothing more than vandalism. The only mitigating argument is that, more often than not, new routers are so out of touch they can't tell the difference between good climbing and utter crap.

If the o.p. is so psyched about climbing and yet so far from proper cliffs that bolting up a retaining wall seems like a good idea..........then it's time to move towns. Seriously, if you're a super keen climber and you're planning to live for a while in a town from whence you can't daytrip good crags, you're doing it wrong!

Ben_E
13-May-2012
8:23:29 PM
>How many ascents do those 'modest granite blobs' get?

We're just writing up the descriptions at the moment. If they see sweet FA in the way of use, then yes, I'd agree that bolting them will have been a mistake. Hopefully that won't be the case, I think there's some decent routes amongst them and it's an area that sees some visits.

I guess I'm hoping that the OP here will make a reasonable judgement call along those lines.

If this wall of his brings together a committed group of local climbers in the summer evenings over the future years as they share picnics, hone their crimping skills, form romances and hatch plans to do Ozy the next spring etc etc, then hey, maybe the bolts are justified. If the only use it sees is by a couple of individuals a few times and the bolts gets people's backs up, then probably not.

Groveller
13-May-2012
9:26:36 PM
Hi Cool, at least I can spell believe.
One Day Hero
14-May-2012
12:53:37 AM
On 13/05/2012 Rastus wrote:
>Hi Cool, at least I can spell believe.


Yeah, but can you spell 'irrational faith in a worn out Jewish fairytale'?

Groveller
14-May-2012
11:36:51 AM
Hi ODH, I don't want to hijack Pat Bs discussion. However most faith systems are irrational,
except for faith in 3 anchors. Can't say as much for the belayer though.,
stonetroll
14-May-2012
8:15:51 PM
On 12/05/2012 widewetandslippery wrote:
>7m and a rope?

Yeh man ! will also need a bivy , haul bag and poo tube.
White Trash
14-May-2012
8:25:23 PM
On 14/05/2012 stonetroll wrote:
>On 12/05/2012 widewetandslippery wrote:
>>7m and a rope?
>
>Yeh man ! will also need a bivy , haul bag and poo tube.

you forgot the slackline.
stonetroll
14-May-2012
8:48:12 PM
On 14/05/2012 White Trash wrote:
>On 14/05/2012 stonetroll wrote:
>>On 12/05/2012 widewetandslippery wrote:
>>>7m and a rope?
>>
>>Yeh man ! will also need a bivy , haul bag and poo tube.
>
>you forgot the slackline.

oh yeh . . . and a winged base jump suit .

Pat B
16-May-2012
5:49:08 AM
On 13/05/2012 daisyd wrote:
Re the "naturally" formed crack line, this is likely
>to indicate that parts of the wall are unsound as something has moved to
>create the crack. Bridges have regular inspections, and if found, grid
>bolting may drive counter measures such as removal, temporary fences, enforcement,
>etc. The money spent (wasted) on those would be better spent on the Western
>highway upgrade to Arapiles. Stick to using these walls for bouldering
>without bolting.
If the naturally formed crack was an issue and the managment authority you refer to checks the bridge so regularly then they would have closed/fixed the bridge, as upward of 5000 cars travel over that bridge a day. They also would have removed the four other bolts that have been there now for 15+ years.
Also, while I can afford the $'s to drive to Araps any day of the week, I cannot always afford the time so please don't be so judgemental. We don't all see things from your perspective!!

Pat B
16-May-2012
5:57:06 AM
>If this wall of his brings together a committed group of local climbers
>in the summer evenings over the future years as they share picnics, hone
>their crimping skills, form romances and hatch plans to do Ozy the next
>spring etc etc, then hey, maybe the bolts are justified. If the only use
>it sees is by a couple of individuals a few times and the bolts gets people's
>backs up, then probably not.
Nice sentiment Ben E, and you are on the money as the walls provide our local climbing community with a great Thursday evening venue to train/play/socialize

rodw
16-May-2012
7:19:28 AM
Once your all setup with the bolts, take some piccys and post em so we can have a gander...good luck with it.

 Page 2 of 2. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 40
There are 40 messages in this topic.

 

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