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General Climbing Discussion

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Rebolting Nowra 22-Jun-2012 At 10:58:07 AM ARidgley

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I'm not trying to tell you what you can and can't do at Nowra. It is not an area that I am passionate about and I would never claim any right to set the ethic. I also think those that are putting in the very hard yards and replacing dangerous bolts deserve praise. We do have the right to expect that a bolt is safe once we've clipped it. We are indebted to those that provide this service.

My arguments were not about Nowra. Nor was I trying to compare the ethic of Nowra to that of Arapiles. I was merely saying the arguments didn't hold. There seems to be two points here:

(1) Climbing at crag A is meant to be safe.
(2) We can make climbing safe by correct bolting.

Point 1 is subjective. Some people (typically those that have succeeded on a bold lead) don't want the safety to be increased. Others that want the tick but not enough to get hurt over it, want it to be safe. We typically give the call to the first ascentionist and that's fair enough. But all those other people that have climbed it when it's 'unsafe' have invesment in it too. Being safer does not make a climb better in the eyes of all people, even at a 'safe, crag.

The second point is not subjective. We can't make climbing safe, regardless of the number and placement of bolts. There is in fact a danger that increasing the number of bolts could making a climb harder, or provide a false sense of security. A high first bolt makes you contemplate. A lower one may not improve the safety if you fall making the second clip, but it sure looks safer. My personal opnion is that if Nowra is considered a safe climbing area then that makes it inherently more dangerous.

As I said, I have no issue with what you guys are doing at Nowra. I admire your dedication. My arguments here are purely philosophical. They are not aimed at criticising what you are doing. I'm sure you will accept that other's, that are passionate about those climbs, have the right to.