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Several Boulder Canyon tyrols cut down

Original Post
Rich Farnham · · Nederland, CO · Joined Aug 2002 · Points: 297

I really wish I knew who was doing this and why...

Driving the canyon this weekend I noticed that the Cob Rock tyrol and the Bell Buttress tyrol were both cut down. Perhaps others were cut down as well. Tonnere and Sherwood are still up. I couldn't see the others from the car.

The Bell Buttress one is annoying because it had a new rope this year, but at least the bolts still appeared to be in place (from a quick glance as I drove by). But the Cob Rock tyrol is a little more expensive. There's a bunch of webbing and screw links in that one since it's trees on both sides. That's $20-30 each time, not to mention the rope...

Before anyone suggests it, the Boulder Climbers Coalition can't kick in for the tyrols. Their relationship with the land managers is much more important, and the tyrols are a bit of a grey area that they need to avoid.

So, we'll need to just keep doing this as individuals. I've spent a bunch of money the last few years upgrading these things, and others did it before me. Maybe next spring I'll set up a few evenings where I teach people how to set them up so we can spread the load out a bit, and people can donate gear (ropes, webbing, screw links, etc.).

Would people come out for that? Or donate some gear?

marty funkhouser · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2007 · Points: 20

Steel cable is tougher to cut down and will last much longer than rope.

Tim Stich · · Colorado Springs, Colorado · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 1,520

Thanks for the heads up. We were going to climb at Cobb Rock tomorrow and now I don't know if we will.

Update: The water is so low you can walk across easily. I did so barefoot near where the old tyrolean was.

Cary Gaynor · · Longmont, CO · Joined Jul 2014 · Points: 15

Too bad to hear about the ropes cut down
Boulder creek is very low this time of yr. it's easy to wade over to Cobb rock right now.

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

You might talk with the land managers. If they know there is tyrollean set up they may be required to remove it. That is because if they know about it they assume a liability. We used to have one in BCC and when someone died on it (fell off an drowned) the FS became aware of it and it was gone in a matter of days. When one reappeared it was taken down within a couple of weeks. Since then no new tyrolleans but at the same time a trail was built to remove the need.

Adrian Hill · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2002 · Points: 15

Rich,

Thanks for all your work on the tyroleans. Boulder Canyon would be
used a lot less without them.

As to your questions: Yes, I would come out some evenings to help.
Yes, I'd be happy to donate some gear. I'm sure there will be no
problem getting people to help.

Adrian

SteveZ · · Excelsior, MN · Joined Sep 2007 · Points: 431

I can donate old ropes, quick links and such. Won't be able to help time wise (just had a kid) but let me know if you're wanting materials.

Eliot Augusto · · Lafayette, CO · Joined Dec 2013 · Points: 60

I can help with time, I've been wanting learn tyroleans and I missed out on learning this spring.

GLD · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2012 · Points: 83

I can donate some old static rope if you like. 8.3 mm canyon rope. PM me if you want it. I also have green-grey webbing if you would like some.

I was able to boulder hop across to cob rock on Saturday without getting wet. Coming back I wanted to go through the creek and I found a crossing only mid-calf deep.

Ben Walburn · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2007 · Points: 680

The River is low right now and will be until spring. I went to both Bell Buttress and Cob on Saturday and you can easily walk across the rocks to Cob and the Logs to Bell.

I would be interested in learning how you set those Tyrol's up. Keep my name in mind if you decide to set something up.

Cheers

goatboy · · Nederland, CO · Joined Jan 2008 · Points: 30
Rich Farnham wrote:I really wish I knew who was doing this and why...
Probably the FS since they consider it abandoned trash after left for 24 hours. I talked to a ranger a few years ago about it and he said they use to turn a blind eye when it was only a couple of tyrols at the dangerous spots but now tyrol's have become widespread they will be cutting ropes and removing gear in the fall when the creek is easy to cross.
goatboy · · Nederland, CO · Joined Jan 2008 · Points: 30
marty funkhouser wrote:Steel cable is tougher to cut down and will last much longer than rope.
That would be a bad idea and only piss off the rangers.
Rich Farnham · · Nederland, CO · Joined Aug 2002 · Points: 297
goatboy wrote: Probably the FS since they consider it abandoned trash after left for 24 hours. I talked to a ranger a few years ago about it and he said they use to turn a blind eye when it was only a couple of tyrols at the dangerous spots but now tyrol's have become widespread they will be cutting ropes and removing gear in the fall when the creek is easy to cross.
That's interesting! I'd always heard the first part. I've never heard that the policy had changed. Maybe we can get them to notify us before they cut it down, so we can salvage as much of the hardware as possible. That would mean less work for them since they wouldn't have to haul off all of the garbage.
Cor · · Sandbagging since 1989 · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 1,445

IF it is true that the FS is cutting them down/removing gear…
That is pretty sad! I will hate to see when someone is injured, and
the rescuers have trouble accessing the climbers because of such.

I also assume that the land on the road side is CDOT, and then the other side is FS owned?

PS: I can also help if I am around..

ChefMattThaner · · Lakewood, co · Joined May 2013 · Points: 246

Just got off the phone with Michael Anderson, at the Boulder County Forest service. He said the Forest service does not have an official policy on Tyrols in Boulder canyon and has not removed nor will be removing any tyrols any time soon. He said they know where they all are but do not have a stance on them. He hinted that CDOT would be the most interested party in removing of these tyrols.

ChefMattThaner · · Lakewood, co · Joined May 2013 · Points: 246

Talked to the regional direct maintenance contact at Boulder CDOT Maureen Day and she said that she will have ehr supervisor contact me but as long as it does not interfere or go over the actual road itself she does not think CDOT would ever do anything about it. She has not heard of anything at her local office and thsoe would be the people at CDOT maintaining the highway through the canyon. She insists it must be Boulder County, but said her supervisors will contact me tomorrow with their official policy regarding Tyrols through boulder canyon.

Andrew Stegs · · Broomfield, CO · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 0

I would love to donate time and/or gear to their reconstruction. Thanks.

goatboy · · Nederland, CO · Joined Jan 2008 · Points: 30
ChefMattThaner wrote:Just got off the phone with Michael Anderson, at the Boulder County Forest service. He said the Forest service does not have an official policy on Tyrols in Boulder canyon and has not removed nor will be removing any tyrols any time soon. He said they know where they all are but do not have a stance on them. He hinted that CDOT would be the most interested party in removing of these tyrols.
Well that's good to know. Maybe the ranger was taking it on himself but he made it sound like it was FS policy.
Scott McMahon · · Boulder, CO · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 1,425
Cor wrote:IF it is true that the FS is cutting them down/removing gear… That is pretty sad! I will hate to see when someone is injured, and the rescuers have trouble accessing the climbers because of such.
It is pretty sad as climbers are pretty much the top user group in the canyon besides fly fisherman.

There is the one trail to MTB, but other than that the canyon is too steep for much else besides swimming and looking around.
Tony B · · Around Boulder, CO · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 24,705
Scott McMahon wrote: It is pretty sad as climbers are pretty much the top user group in the canyon besides fly fisherman.
Actually, the climbers are the top using including fly fishermen. A use survey was done...
Jon H · · PC, UT · Joined Nov 2009 · Points: 118

I have 10mm static line, several heavy duty quick links, and time to donate. Please contact me when you are thinking of going out to re-rig them.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Colorado
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