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TR: Alive in a Bitter Sea (Katoomba Cliifs) 11-Dec-2016 At 9:25:22 AM Wendy

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I'm generally in the school that thinks headpointing is a wank, but it doesn't sound like Warrick's first ascents are typical of the amount of inspection and practice that goes into making me think that headpointing is a pointless guesture. Sure, going completely ground up is a step further into committing to the unknown, but plenty of routes get a quick glance, clean or the odd bolt put in rapping in to a first ascent. It is still rather different to a really worked headpoint and i would imagine there were plenty of places on the route where he was well into unexplored territory. I'd criticise plenty of other wanky first ascents more.

The Blueys are full of similar walls that are bolted all over, I'm not sure that the world is really missing out that this one isn't. If it wasn't getting any ascents and didn't mean anything to Warrick to have it retroed, i'd say retroing was reasonable, but it does matter to him and it probably will get bugger all future ascents, but that's not the end of the world.

The statements I think are most preposterous on this thread are actually

>If FA's aren't prepared to at least run it out a little in the easier sections then they really should think twice before creating more overbolted overcautious consumer crap.

>the FA simply misses out on the onsight possibility ... sure it's a sacrifice but they take it for the team ...

Take one for the team???? As an excuse for putting up a head point, that is the most ridiculous one i've heard. And just because someone is bolting a route, there is no reason to laud running it out through easier sections. I think if you are going to the bother of bolting a route, it should be bolted to be safe. Just do the bloody job properly. Having said that, I repeated one of my routes (Brown Thumb) the other day and was cursing my bolt placement. I'd placed it on rap from a good clipping stance, but I'd missed that you actually have to do a shitty move with fiddly gear to get to it. I was strong and well in practice with placing Araps fiddly gear at the time so it didn't bother me, but it hasn't made for a particularly safe lead. I certainly don't mind if someone wants to move that bolt down and left, which is really where I should have placed it, before I get around to it.