Chockstone Forum

      Sponsored By
      ROCK
   HARDWARE

Chockstone Photography

Australian Landscape Prints

Chockstone Forum - Crag & Route Beta

Crag & Route Beta

Area Location Sub Location Crag Links

All ACT (General) (General) (General)

Author

Chopped belay bolts at The Fortress

Capt_mulch

28-Jan-2008
9:17:07 AM

Does anyone know the story behind the chopped belay bolts on the top of The Fortress (ACT)? Not wanting to start a pro/anti bolting flame war, I was just wondering (if they had been chopped on purpose) what the principle was behind the chopping of them. There are plenty of other climbs like this in the ACT that have double belay bolts set up that no-one seems to have a problem with.

There is a big boulder on top of the crag (not the mushroom rock) that you can sling your rope around that you could rap off, but there is big potential for getting your rope stuck around the bottom of the boulder. We simul-rapped off the top in the end.

BTW - does anyone know if the mushroom rock on of top of the crag has been climbed? I thought I read something about a bolt ladder aid climb that had been done previously.

The Fortress

qman

28-Jan-2008
9:24:56 AM

I hate it when people chop perfectly good bolts. particularly belay bolts as they have no impact on the "style" in which a route is climbed.

cruze

28-Jan-2008
9:16:50 PM

From memory, the best descent off the main block at the Fortress (ACT, not the Fortress Vic) is a really cool downclimb/sqeeze through a trench behind the block you rapped off. (BTW there is a bolt ladder up to the top, but as time progresses the aid grade might be going from M1 to about M8 judging by the quality of circa 1980s ACT sunken metal)

The bolts have been chopped for a while.

Sounds like you missed out on the best part of The Fortress Captn. Good excuse for another trip! BTW You should head oevr to Snake Rock and Bandito Wall.

grangrump

29-Jan-2008
11:38:21 AM

The very short bolt ladder (expansion bolts; = only way to the very top) predates 2003 fires: treat with care, the fires were very hot here...

Most of the climbs (Sentry Duty etc) end up on the platform below that capstone boulder. There are a few ways to scramble off the platform, not very easy nor very hard.

Many years ago someone went completely over-the-top bolting on metal steps etc everywhere. I doubt that a simple bolt belay would offend anyone.

But I would recommend the two nearby crack climbs on different boulders more anyway.

Capt_mulch

29-Jan-2008
12:14:00 PM

Thanks for the beta guys. I ended up climbing the chimney (as suggested by Cruze). I'll be back there to do a few more of the other cracks - there are also a few that are not named in the ACT Granite guide. It's a funky little spot with some good variety - the access is also excellent compared to somewhere like Gibraltar Peak. The fire obviously did belt the place - plenty of evidence of onion-skinning of the rock, plus a few bigger pieces have cracked off.

Where does the bolt ladder start on the capstone boulder? I had a quick look but couldn't see anything obvious.

cruze

29-Jan-2008
12:46:11 PM

From memory the bolt ladder is on the left side of your photo. I am surprised you missed it?!

grangrump

29-Jan-2008
1:21:15 PM

Yep. Aid jaunt was on the left in photo. A couple of hangerless dyna bolts?? Maybe step off one of the boulderettes on the platform to start?
There's a sense of achievement in getting to the summit, but nothing else wrt the climbing!

There are 7 messages in this topic.