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Ben Lomond Bolts Removed 17-Apr-2007 At 8:57:34 AM oweng

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I would love to see the whole of Ben Lomond stay bolt free. Its a unique trad climbing area. It could be one of the few (maybe the only?) significant climbing areas in the world without a single bolt assisted climb.

If there was a shortage of other cliffs around, it would be a nonsense. But there is no shortage of other cliffs in tassie (and around Launceston) on which to put up bolted routes.

I disagree with the removal of the bolted rap points though. I think there is a strong differentiation between bolts placed to assist climbing up, and bolts placed to assist going down.

The more popular parts of Ben Lomond (like Robins Buttress / Frews Flutes) are only going to see more and more visitors generated by Gerrys awesome Tassie Selected Guide, and by the Ben Lomond guidebook when it comes out. Without rap points this will lead to damage to the descent gully, and the development of messy nests of slings.

So I guess I dont support the chopping of the rap points, but support the reinforcement of the area as a bolt free zone. And I guess I can see that perhaps the chopping of the rap points may have been a necessary "message" to get that point across.