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Turning bolted lines into trad lines, who does that?

Original Post
Crux Crush · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2013 · Points: 10

Caroline Ciavaldini, that's who.

cruxcrush.com/2013/04/23/ca…

Mike Gray · · Smoke Hole Canyon · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 391

I have, on a couple of my own early efforts.

redlude97 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2010 · Points: 5

Maybe the translation is poor, but is working a project on bolts and getting it dialed and then sending it on gear really trad?

Kevin DeWeese · · @failfalling - Oakland, Ca · Joined Jan 2007 · Points: 981

When you're high above your own pro it is.

Monty · · Golden, CO · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 3,525

Ah yes. The "Green" point.

redlude97 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2010 · Points: 5
kevin deweese wrote:When you're high above your own pro it is.
Hahaha should we really start another what is really trad discussion?
Ian Stewart · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2010 · Points: 155
redlude97 wrote:Maybe the translation is poor, but is working a project on bolts and getting it dialed and then sending it on gear really trad?
Of course it's trad, it's just not as impressive as if she'd grabbed the rack from the start.
redlude97 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2010 · Points: 5
Ian Stewart wrote: Of course it's trad, it's just not as impressive as if she'd grabbed the rack from the start.
I'm sure she lowered to the ground and pulled the rope after every fall on her project.
Eric Engberg · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2009 · Points: 0

Ken Nichols

Jon H · · PC, UT · Joined Nov 2009 · Points: 118
CJC wrote: The French, that's who.
How the tables have turned. They used to turn trad routes into bolted routes.
Stonyman Killough · · Alabama · Joined Jan 2008 · Points: 5,785

Can you say "retro"

Allen Sanderson · · On the road to perdition · Joined Jul 2007 · Points: 1,203

BITD when one freed an aid line one would often rename it, ala Astroman. So if one does a bolted line sans bolts do they get to rename it?

FWIW I have probably done a dozen routes sans bolts while placing trad gear.

20 kN · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2009 · Points: 1,346
Monty wrote:Ah yes. The "Green" point.
I always thought that was a silly and misused term. In modern culture the word "green" is used to describe an object or practice that is economically friendly and aims to minimize adverse impact on the ecosystem. Climbing a sport route on gear, by no stretch of the imagination, accomplishes a reduced impact on the environment. I suspect the term was incorrectly coined by climbing magazine editors in an effort to generate increased discussion.
camhead · · Vandalia, Appalachia · Joined Jun 2006 · Points: 1,240
20 kN wrote: I always thought that was a silly and misused term. In modern culture the word "green" is used to describe an object or practice that is economically friendly and aims to minimize adverse impact on the ecosystem. Climbing a sport route on gear, by no stretch of the imagination, accomplishes a reduced impact on the environment. I suspect the term was incorrectly coined by climbing magazine editors in an effort to generate increased discussion.
Word.

Climbing bolted routes on gear is cool, and great style (not as great of style as a ground up fa, but still pretty rad). But it is not traditional, and has nothing to do with low-impact environmental consciousness. I wish that stupid "greenpoint" term would just die.
Ian Cavanaugh · · Ketchum, ID · Joined Sep 2010 · Points: 620

The term "green" point is incorrectly used and has been since Climbing or whoever published it first. For a proper "green" point, one must first smoke a fat bowl and then send the route.

Tom-onator · · trollfreesociety · Joined Feb 2010 · Points: 790
Ian Cavanaugh wrote:For a proper "green" point, one must first smoke a fat bowl and then send the route.
~ While wearing hemp clothing, using a hemp cord, thumping Bob Marley's "Legalize It" on the crag blaster, and ONLY while the belayer chows on double-stuff Oreo's.
Oh, and said stoners pushed their Prius to the cliffs while wearing recycled flip flops.
That would definitely be a Greenpoint.
Manny Rangel · · PAYSON · Joined Jan 2006 · Points: 4,789

In Sedona we have a few lines with bolts near thin cracks/seams. One of these is a stellar mixed route that was lead only with gear, skipping bolts, with no falls. The leader had previously climbed it with the bolts.

Another good climber tried to onsight the crux pitch with gear only, fell and ripped seveal pieces falling beyond his belayer headfirst. He was fine, the rock was damaged. His response: "After this experience, I understand why the bolts were placed. The rock is quite soft, and even equalized placements blow out on finger-sized pieces. For the sake of preserving this beautiful route for people to climb for decades, I think leading it on gear is perhaps an irresponsible choice. I will be returning to redpoint the pitch, but will be clipping the bolts next time. It isn't worth marring the route, especially for onsight attempts, which have a good chance to leading to more falls.

Ed Wright · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2006 · Points: 285

Sonny Trotter

I think what Caroline did would be considered a headpoint.

Tom-onator · · trollfreesociety · Joined Feb 2010 · Points: 790
CJC wrote:Peter Tosh wrote 'Legalize It'
Correct.
I meant Bob Marley's October 1975 National Stadium, Kingston Jamaica Live version with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer.
It's a full 7 min. long song (2mins more hang time than Tosh's standard cut).
:-p
Aaron Lefland · · Hamden, CT · Joined Feb 2010 · Points: 25

I think it's pretty inspirational when bolts are skipped and the route is done in the traditional manner. Here is one of my favorites:

Didier Berthod on "Greenspit"

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Trad Climbing
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