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THE AUSTRALIAN RE, RETRO-BOLTING OPEN FORUM 12-Apr-2004 At 6:56:47 PM hex-TROLL

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Lawn-ceston climbers , sluggin' it out , in 2000 , in regards to some local ' raping&retro-bolting ' , have a very transfer-able case to fit Bonzo , perhaps... :

' ... what is the preferred state of affairs here ? Would it have been better for the climb to remain un-bolted and climbed only by those prepared to solo and risk serious injury should they miss a move ? Or is it better now that many climbers can climb this wonderful route ? So I repeat , IT'S NOT THE CLIMB THAT NEEDS THE BOLTS , IT'S THE CLIMBER , but without climbers climbing it , does the climb continue to exist or serve any purpose other than to act as a trophy for the first ascentionist ? At what point must the style of the first ascent give way to common-sense and consensus of the majority of local climbers ? '

Hopefully '...the majority of local climbers...' is constituted by a broard-sprectrum of climbing-styles-representation --- rather than just bolt-dependent bozos.

' Waddy ' Coles Bay roots, High-Anxiety(21) & Incipience(22), should definitely (or 'defiantly' as Neil would say) remain bolt-free --- Incipience is now part of the National-climbing-psych and DOES get quite a few repeat ascents ; High-Anxiety probably awaits a 2nd ascent--- take ya ' sticky ' boots for this one--- the crux is the last move before the belay, 40+ anxious metres out from the previous belay .Very 'character-building' for some ;' just another day at the crags' for others ( '...what one climber finds impossible , another climber finds easy[mentally?]...) ...

(Adding to the '...bollocks ') Luv, HEX.