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General Climbing Discussion

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Fixed gear guidelines in the Grampians 12-May-2018 At 11:22:06 AM Goshen

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>Perhaps someone could list the affected crags ? I have no contour map
>of the area but know that the summit of Rosea is 1,000m so well and truly
>in this list.

I thought the same thing (namely that those bolting are not going to be consulting topographical maps when searching for areas to climb; but google maps as it turns out shows contour lines if you select 'Terrain' on the menu.

500m is a reasonable arbitrary but not sure the fundamental idea is workable. There are obviously many crags that are well below that which should remain mixed, and not turned into clip-ups.... There are also crags above this where climbs are being done that require bolts, and I'd be loath not to do them.

To what I have observed; the majority of areas each develop an 'ethic' based on the main set of people who developed it in the first place (with, perhaps the exception of Dreamtime).

EG
- Clean Cut is a sport cliff, with sport climbs
- The Lost world is mixed.
- Tiapan is mixed.
- Rosea is pretty much trad, and likely to remain so.
- Van Demon's is Sport...
- Summerday is Trad...
yadda yadda.

If someone develops an area totally new, it appears to me that they (to a large extent) get to dictate the style that the cliff is developed in.

If there is a cliff with an ESTABLISHED style, where climbers choose to put up climbs that vary from that style; they are liable to get their bolts chopped.

The real issue is seems is indeed the 'slippery slope' effect, but it effects different crags very differently; and a blanket approach to bolting or not bolting will never work in a place as diverse as the Gramps. With a few exceptions, a lot of the new development and re-bolting that I've seen is actually very sensible.