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Institutional Racism in American Climbing 3-Apr-2011 At 9:01:08 PM Ben_E

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On 3/04/2011 pmonks wrote:

>So how do you explain climbs like "Solid Gold", which is variously generously
>bolted (start), stupidly bolted (2 bolts 50cm apart at half height, 3m
>metres off route to the right), then run out (crux)? There's no rational
>explanation for that configuration.

How do I explain it? I did say I didn't want to defend the position of every bolt that has ever been placed on lead, didn't I? Anyway, not having climbed it, I'm in no real position to.

That said, this is the internet, where ignorance need be no hinderance to having an opinion. So... looking at the topo (Randy Vogel guide), I can see what you mean about the bolt off to the right (presumably where a "good" bolting stance was?), though what is shown as the 10a crux looks well protected by 2 "close" bolts. But for all I know (and in all probability) you're absolutely right - the bolt positions may be inconvenient at best and downright dangerous at worst. Being a Herb Laeger FA it certainly wouldn't surprise me if it was a committing climb (I once had a passing fancy to make "Head over Heals" my first JTree 5.10 - until I looked up at it from the base and quickly decided to make something else my first 5.10 instead).

However, even if the bolts on Solid Gold are inconveniently/dangerously placed as a result of being put up on lead (and if ground-up ethics have led to generally runout areas like Tuolumne), I still like the Californian ground-up ethic. And that is in spite of me being someone who gets nervous when my last piece of pro gets lower than my knees. Here is my attempt to explain why (not sure it will stand up to any degree to critical analysis, but here goes):

Climbing is a sport, or a game. Sure, many of us are obsessed with it or make it our lives to a greater or lesser extent... but it's still a sport or game. There is no objective worth or objective truths in it, however passionate we are about it.

Like any sport or game, whether that be chess, AFL, ice hockey or competitive cow tipping, it has rules associated with it (i.e., climbing ethics). For all games, these rules are essentially there to make the game more interesting (e.g., to keep the ball in play a greater % of the time).

I think the ground up ethic is a "good" rule for keeping climbing more interesting, especially in low angle climbing areas that lend themselves to it (but hey - rules are made to be broken - I'm OK with that). It makes the process of putting up a climb more committing. It often makes repeating that climb more committing. It probably spreads FAs over a longer time period. It probably makes people think twice about whether a climb is worth bolting. It certainly makes for more interesting climbing history.

It also keeps the "wow" factor alive. I've climbed Lava Falls at the Pinnacles 3 times, and every time (a) pooped my pants and (b) been filled with admiration for whoever had the head and cojones to find the stance and hand drill the bolts. Sure, it would be a safer and more comforting climb if it had bolts put in on rap every 2-3 meters (this would arguably be the "rational configuration" you refer to), but it would be nowhere as memorable. Ditto a climb like Snake Dike. It would be objectively safer with regular bolts, but I found leading it (as a relatively new climber) with heart in mouth and reading up on the story behind the FA much more satisfying.

It's possible that one day I'll get to the base of Solid Gold (or Figures on a Landscape or whatever) and will either look up and hand the sharp end of the rope to someone else, or else bail leaving a chicken biner at the first bolt. If that happens, I'll tip my hat to both the FAist and anyone who has repeated the climb, and then wander off with my tail between my legs to do something tamer like Mental Physics or Dazed and Confused again. With >4000 climbs in JTree that's not the end of the world, and it will still have been a great day climbing.

And there ends my "life is like a box of chocolates" defense of ground-up climbing :-)