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Sonnie Trotter Goes Down on Tasmania 25-Feb-2016 At 4:16:43 PM shortman

Message

On 25/02/2016 Tastrad wrote:
>Doing new routes has got everything to do with it..
>The first ascensionist has to have the vision to conceive the route, the
>faith in his/her ability to climb it, clean the route (sometimes for days),
>bolt the route if necessary (and the expense of bolts) and the filthy,
>strenuous work it is; project the route, sometimes in remote areas, until
>eventual success.
>It is a continual quest for discovery and adventure...way more motivating
>for me than repeating existing climbs.
>

So how does this make the route not there before?

>Why is it that a low percentage of climbers have ever done a new route?

Fear? Laziness?

>Is it because they lack vision, too much hard work, no unclimbed rock?

You tell me.

>One year I put up 80 new climbs in the South Esk..

I'm so not worthy of this conversation.

>"but are they routes
>of quality" a cynic asked me. That question is nonsensical to a new router..every
>new route must have had some redeeming quality...

Like existing before you came along?

>....for the first ascensionist
>to rope up beneath it..even if the motive is as base as thoroughness of
>development of your local crag..every offwidth and line must be climbed
>in the name of thoroughness of discovery.
>
>I go new routing every weekend..have done for over 30 years..and when
>it comes to claiming a FFA, it makes sense to have a lowest common denominator..not
>an ethical highpoint, otherwise half the climbs wouldn't exist..and its
>silly to have different rules for sport and trad..throw all ethics of style
>out the window for sport routes, but insist on purity for trad.
>I think there's one rule..get the FFA by free climbing it with no hangs
>on gear in the best style you can manage..redpointed, pinkpointed, brown
>pointed, dick pointed whatever..and improve on the style later on if you
>want to.

So does that mean my awesome grade 9's and trundling a few rocks, brushing a few faces, and jemmying a few flakes disqualifies me from having an opinion?