www.b3bouldering.com/2013/01/05/blowtorching-wet-boulders/

If you had to, would you?

It seems to me that a blow torch is excessive, but what about those heat guns (that are essentially super powered hair dryers)? Those seem like they might be a good compromise.

Personally though, if I was climbing and the holds were wet, I just wouldn't climb.

Obviously you have never climbed in the snow. Heat gun, totally inadequate. Are there battery powered ones anyway?

Yes! I want to rock climb, and climb as much as possible. If what I want to climb is covered in snow and ice. I WILL shovel it off/out of snow. Melt ice and dry off holds to make it climbable.

It's usually best to send a bro out the day before and start a huge fire under your proj. Only use dead and downed firewood though. LNT BRO!

Using a torch to dry rock will weaken the rock. Depending on the type of rock and how high the heat, it can also provide increased texture for gripping (what we call a 'thermal' texture at work), though most typical propane/mapp gas torches aren't capable of that in granite, not sure about softer stone.

oh boy....here we go...
It seems to me the same argument can (and has)been made of drills. Any yahoo can purchase a Bosch and "put up a route". The stupidity of one affects many thus it is crucial that climbing areas continue to be honored as unique and that one rule cannot always apply to all. This makes it paramount that these climbing resources be
"self-regulated" by the local crew of developers, regulars, and land managers. Climbing management plans can put all this to rest if/as climbers organize to preserve their climbing environments.

Lets call a spade a spade here people. "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction" Say 10 climbers go out and climb the same problem 100 times and on the 101st time they climb it a hold breaks. Was it the fact they climbed it too much? Or maybe they put on weight? Or maybe it's there was always an unseen weakness not visible to the human eye. Either way at some point in time that piece of rock was going to come off, either naturally, or at the hands of man. Is it really such a horrible act to dry off a hold, top out, or climb with a torch? Is it actually making a drastic impact on the rock? Have you seen a climb/boulder ruined by said act? What about drilling and blasting a hole through the side of a mountain to build a tunnel so as to drive through, or destroying a farmland or forest to build ones "dream home". These things seem to me at least to be a bigger impact on environment than drying a hold off.

It is noted in the Rumney guidebook that a hold broke on a boulder problem due to the first ascentionist drying the rock with a torch, which then made the problem a grade harder.

Yes, drying with high heat (flame) *will* weaken the rock, regardless of any natural imperfections that otherwise exist.

noted: Do note take flame to pile of schist.

As someone who works with rocks for a living I can tell you heating them up with a torch will weaken, crack or take off layers changing the texture/features of the stone.

Just because something is heated and then brakes doesn't make heat the culprit, just a suspect.

I think if I feel a particular hold is fragile I wouldn't blow torch it, or if I thought the blow torch would mark the rock I wouldn't do it either but overall I think the risk of blow torching is vastly overstated.

I've personally blow torched the shit out of some top outs and there were no marks, the texture didn't change, and there was nothing to break because it was big rounded top out. This was on rare quartzite however. So, try it out on a piece of the type of rock you are climbing on and see what happens. If it messes it up, don't do it on the climbs but my guess is that nothing will happen.

Tip: Bring a towel to sop up melting ice.

I can't believe I didn't think of this myself..

Anybody ever put shoulder straps on a 5-gallon propane bottle?

I find myself struggling to care that a little fire was applied to a pile of rocks. But then again I find bouldering tedious and I couldn't muster the interest to watch the video.

Why would anyone bother with this?

If it's wet, go do something else; there are so many things to do, so many activities to engage in that are appropriate for any given condition.

If it's wet, climb it wet. Or find something else to do.

There has been at least one climbing area utterly demolished by a wildfire coming into contact with the rock, if not more. Why is ANYONE surprised that extreme heat will weaken rock?

mountainproject.com/v/cochiti-mesa/105891776

Absolutely loving the irony of the hard core Midwestern ethicist using blow torches on rock. LOL!! Are you kidding?


Bolts: definitely not OK.
Pre-hung draws: not OK.
Being a sport climber: not OK


Flamethrowers on the rock: the preferred pastime of many!

this is how its done in CT bro

youtu.be/cnDnkdg7sPA


this same guy on vimeo sculpting, see it at 3:10 and 4:25-