First Ascent Tactics

What types of techniques or tips can you offer for establishing new crags and routes? Do you stash gear near the crag? How so? What do you clean the route with? How do you mitigate rock fall? How do you prepare for bailing routes that can potentially be too hard? do you cut trails with a hand saw or leave them overgrown? What is your experience in this realm of climbing? I am trying to develop an area and would like your input. Thanks!

Siege Tactics

Only developed a bouldering crag. Check out underworld crag it's on the site. But loose rock we just climbed and sometimes it fell off. Smaller stuff we knew was loose we just pulled of. The rest idk about

I always try to keep the impact to a minimum (i.e. trail, bolts, etc.) and try to maintain the local ethics. Doing new routes brings together ALL of your skills as a climber. It is beneficial, if not critical, to be proficient in aid climbing. All of the questions you asked will have somewhat different answers too depending on whether you will be going top-down or ground-up. Really, people have their own systems and tactics, but when it comes down to it you are just climbing. It is climbing without knowledge of any of the normal talismans that protect you from the unknown. Go explore the unknown and discover.

"Developing" an area implies that you already have FA'ed a few quality lines and have determined that the area merits enhancements to support increased traffic. OTOH if you've TR'ed a few lines and they're mostly choss, do not consider trail building, terracing etc. Keep your impact to a minimum until you've made this determination; lots of backcountry crags don't deserve "development". In extreme cases this means pulling your bolts (patching the holes) and leaving no trace of your visits.

Bruce, ask around Tahoe ...maybe in the climbing shops...for someone doing new routes. Contact the local guidebook author
Go hang with developers as a sub-man to get some hands on experience.

Then strike out on your own. Having a motivated partner with similar ethics and good vision to pick lines is hard to find.

I'd agree with tbol. Keep your trail and cleaning impact minimum unless there is reason to have it otherwise. Ask climbers to honestly evaluate your new routes. Feedback is important when starting out and all during the new routing experience. You'll need some understanding friends for that one.

Stuff which will get you flamed is bolting adjacent to (meaning say within 10 ft depending on the area) or crossing established lines without some overriding aesthetic reason. Placing shitty hardware. Up in Tahoe (or anywhere), don't combine stainless hangers with plated bolts. Rapping in bolts without climbing the route first. Placing bolts where a fall would result in hitting the ground or hitting a ledge or feature. .

Some of the answers to your questions depend on the type of rock you are dealing with and the surrounding vegetation.

Yes, I stash gear near the project so I don't have to carry it back and forth every day. Hide it well out of sight.

I use everything from a crow bar to gardening tools, pruning saws, files, soft brushes, wire brushes, modified leaf blower etc.

I do not mitigate rock fall. If it's loose, it goes. Make absolutely certain that there is no one in the danger zone.

If the route looks like it's going to be too hard for you to free climb you should enlist a stronger/better partner or abandon the route and clean up the mess you've made.

You want to make a good, clean trail and landscape the staging area, but be very conscious of local regulations and endangered species.

Respect the local ethics and leave a good, clean route for others to enjoy.

I love this article:

splitterchoss.com/2013/02/2…

Gets me everytime....hahaha... so classic.