Bolted Cracks?

Matt Wilson wrote: No no no, you have me all wrong. Look, the fact of the matter is that cams and nuts slowly scar the rock over time, whereas a bolt is small and discrete and the same bolt hole can be used when replacing it, making bolts the more ethical choice for crack climbing.

+1 Totally agree, but the other thing I appreciate about bolted cracks like the photos I posted, is that the crack is totally open to climb without interference from the gear as well. You can move naturally and be one with the crack. No gear in the way of your jams, you never step on a cam when climbing past it, and if they are bolted well, the rope stays out of your way and out of the crack while you are climbing.

^^^^
Thanks for confirming that you were trolling.

skiclimber wrote: +1 Totally agree, but the other thing I appreciate about bolted cracks like the photos I posted, is that the crack is totally open to climb without interference from the gear as well. You can move naturally and be one with the crack. No gear in the way of your jams, you never step on a cam when climbing past it, and if they are bolted well, the rope stays out of your way and out of the crack while you are climbing.

Maybe I am just feeding a troll, but think about this: Bolts may be more convenient and easy for you as a leader, but for non-climbers, bolts are ugly and unsightly. If we overuse bolts, we could jeopardize access. Modern camming devices are super safe and easy to use. The arguments for permanently attaching metal to the rock when we could easily use a removable piece of protection are weak.

C. Archibald wrote: Maybe I am just feeding a troll, but think about this: Bolts may be more convenient and easy for you as a leader, but for non-climbers, bolts are ugly and unsightly. If we overuse bolts, we could jeopardize access. Modern camming devices are super safe and easy to use. The arguments for permanently attaching metal to the rock when we could easily use a removable piece of protection are weak.

Chalk is far more ugly then a bolt that 99% of non climbers will not notice when walking by.

Matt just made a really good point, especially for anyone that thinks bolts are visually disruptive but still uses chalk.

Matt is just a troll within a troll.

Not having to place gear changes the whole climb. It changes how hard it is from an physical and an emotional standpoint. The basic difference between Sporto's and Trado's is Sporto's generally have little tolerance for risk but are stronger than snot while Trado's are more into managing the unknowns as well as the just wanting to climb it because it looks cool (ascetics). The Sporto spews about numbers and the Trado's spews about risk.

All I can really guarantee is that if sport climbing did not exist there would be a lot fewer of us out climbing and I would be selfishly psyched about that !
But then no Gyms... not psyhed about that.

I got the spine of a wet noodle.

This is so surreal. . . I'm fully agreeing with everything FatDad is posting.

This is troll-city.
Keep yer bolts away from the cracks.

I'm a genius and I'll take your pussified bet: Man up and don't be a pussy!
There.

Fat Dad wrote:Matt is just a troll within a troll.

Trollception!

Boulder canyon sport park

Brassmonkey wrote:I've heard Eric Horst has bolted some cracks at the NRG but I havent personally come across them. Truth or fiction?

like this one

A bolt near a crack is a bolt that is going to be chopped!

Boulder Canyon has plenty, although no splitters. The Avalon and the Sport Park have the highest concentration that I know of.

The guy in that China crack pic has a bunch of big cams hanging from his harnesss. The bolts must protect the face below. I hope Eric Horst has enough sense not to bolt cracks.

C. Archibald wrote:The guy in that China crack pic has a bunch of big cams hanging from his harnesss. The bolts must protect the face below. I hope Eric Horst has enough sense not to bolt cracks.

Nope. Its bolted the whole way. You can supplement with gear if you want. And, gasp.....it was retrobolted (by the FA)

Mike Marmar wrote: I don't care about the tired argument in this thread, but this is a cool and scary video showing why cams can be a problem in limestone youtube.com/watch?v=MW1teH6…

That cam pulling so easily is scary! Does anyone know what it is about limestone that makes cams pull? (Besides brittle rock) is the rock so smooth that the cam lobes don't bite?

Thanks for any insight!