Only in the Potrero could I get away with this...

EricSchmidt wrote:I can see the issue if the thing rusts and creates a 10 foot long rust streak... But other than that you whiners need to shut the hell up. Who is going to see it other than climbers? And everyone that is up there will take advantage of it and use it. not to mention all the other metal that is already drilled into the rock... Find something better to cry about.

More Macho Madness...

youtube.com/watch?v=53hiHAk…

rging wrote: Do you yell at God when he creates streaks in the rocks?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eujCeBC4Lh0

rging wrote: Do you yell at God when he creates streaks in the rocks?

Good point. I guess chipping is no longer an issue either since rocks eventually fall of... Maybe I could come to Salt Lake and turn The Coffin into a hand crack because eventually God is going to turn it into one as well.... Some peoples stupidity while trying to make a point is amazing!

Ed Wright wrote:Only in the Potrero Chico could I get away with bolting a belay ledge to the top of a route. See it here

I agree with the 'only in' and I'm happy for that fact.

MojoMonkey wrote:Too lazy for this?

those anchors on the chair look like the concrete lag screws they make these days that nobody(climber) has tested yet that I know of. you do need an impact driver to get them in but I've used them in construction work and they are bomber as hell in granite bedrock. I do wonder why they went into the mortar joint instead of the stone and if the old man in the chair was well liked or hated.

Steve Knowlton wrote:How sharp is the edge of that thing? Seems the rap would run right over it...

good post

Found this on another thread. Just thought I'd share.

Hmmmmmm.

Clifton Santiago wrote: More Macho Madness... youtube.com/watch?v=53hiHAk…

Hahahahahahahaha, fucken awesome! Well done.

Since somebody brought it up, we did actually carry a Lazy Boy Recliner all the way up to the East bluffs at Devil's Lake once. Made for the best belay seat ever!

Lazy Boy Recliner at Devil's Lake around '79 or '80.

I have nothing clever to say. I direct flames this disgrace and anyone involved.

Every place has got its style, and I'll let the locals decide what style that is, but I gotta say - that belay ledge is really living up to Mexico's famous hospitality!

grog m wrote:Looks good Ed. All these haters are spraying about rust problems, where rust (iron) is inherently in the rock as it is. Anyways, we all know everyone on this thread would stand on that shelf and love every second of it.

All these haters spraying about graffiti problems, where paint is on the walls as it is.
Don't take me seriously.

I've enjoyed reading the comments on my post. As I expected, those who have climbed in the Potrero are OK with the ledge while most of the naysayers have never been here. Supertaco and mp generated the liveliest debate while almost nobody on rc.com bothered to comment.

Some legitimate issues were brought up so I'll reply.

1. I was born and raised in Mexico, am a full citizen of the country and have lived in the Potrero for more than 20 years so I believe I qualify as a true local.

2. The ledge is not just a chunk of off-the-shelf angle-iron. I had it custom made to be barely big enough for two people to stand on for a short time, taking into consideration the angle of the wall. I also made absolutely sure that all edges and corners were well rounded and burr-free to prevent any rope damage.

3. None of the vegetation that we remove to create our routes is in any way endangered. On the contrary, all this stuff used to be harvested for various uses, a whole industry that died out with the advent of synthetics. It is now growing rampant over thousands of square miles in northern Mexico. The amount we remove is like a drop in the ocean.

4. Safety issues in the Potrero. This morning I drove a group of climbers (who had been here for 2 months and had a fabulous time) to the airport at 2:30am with no worries. Would I drive around inside the city of Monterrey at that hour? No, not unless it were a life-and-death scenario such as taking someone to the hospital.

One more thing: had you bolted the metal on upside-down relative to how it is now, you would have increased the usable surface area to stand on.

John D wrote:seems like a poor solution for a poorly planned belay, but to each his own

+100

i'm glad this wouldn't be tolerated in the areas i climb at. there's a clear line between fixed protection and fixed luxury items. this sets a crappy precedent

Ed Wright wrote: As I expected, those who have climbed in the Potrero are OK with the ledge while most of the naysayers have never been here.

If you're going to start bolting big pieces of angle iron to the cliff, why stop there? Do it right and make a 2' x 3' platform with safety railing, drink holders and some of those telescopes that they have at the Grand Canyon overlooks.

If you're counting votes - put me down for lame. And no, I have not climbed there.

These haters are funny.

So many haters chill out he's just making a point that potrero is one of the only places were the 3 r system applies. No rules regulations or rangers. Here's my advice don't come down we don't need any of your negative vibes down here anyways. Enjoy the office life you weekend warriors. Sent from la Posada in El potrero on a beautiful spring day.

Glenn Schuler wrote: If you're going to start bolting big pieces of angle iron to the cliff, why stop there? Do it right and make a 2' x 3' platform with safety railing, drink holders and some of those telescopes that they have at the Grand Canyon overlooks. If you're counting votes - put me down for lame. And no, I have not climbed there.

If you make it look safe then you have to bolt a signable waiver to the belay to make sure people understand that it is not up to code ;)