Chockstone Forum

      Sponsored By
      ROCK
   HARDWARE

Chockstone Photography

Australian Landscape Prints

Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

Topic Date User

Institutional Racism in American Climbing 4-Apr-2011 At 5:31:50 PM Ben_E

Message

On 4/04/2011 pmonks wrote:

>The Pinnacles is a great example of my point - the rock is significantly
>worse than anything I've climbed on in Australia, yet the bolts there are
>mostly (all?) expansions. I have no problem with the strict ground-up
>ethic at The Pinnacles, but what I do have a problem with is the ASCA or
>whoever replacing the original fixed protection with yet more sh1tty expansions!

You're right, the Pinnacles has plenty of mank... I've always felt OK clipping the more recently bolted/rebolted stuff, but your story below maybe puts my confidence into question.

It would seem others (including Greg Barnes) are at least aware of the issues of expansion bolts vs glue-ins in Pinnacles "rock", see below (old) link from Clint Cummins' site:

http://www.stanford.edu/~clint/pin/boltv301.txt

Why don't you contact Clint Cummins or Bruce Hildenbrand (I think they'll be the most active people rebolting out there) and see what the current thinking is with bolt replacement? They may have some info on what is going in where and why. Of course, you may find yourself down there next weekend with a hand-drill and a glue gun if you do!

>As an aside, "Lava Falls" is high on my tick list - might try to get down
>there later in April if it stays cool enough.

Edit: If you're climbing JTree 5.10s it probably won't slow you down much, but I think it's a fantastic climb. If you're up to it I'd love to hear a trip report from Shake 'n Bake; I was never brave enough to try it, but it looks like it could be fantastic.

>Have you done "Costanoan"?
> I'm climbing with some beginners who've never been outdoors and have my
>eye on that as a first outdoor climb. I figure the low grade will make
>up for the fact that it's multi-pitch.

Costanoan is a great low-grade multi-pitch (check falcon nesting status, though); I think anyone relatively fit and with a few gym climbs under their belt should be fine to get up it without drama. There's a good flat spot with a great view up the top - if you or someone else is happy to climb with a pack take a picnic. Have yourselves a blast!

>To my mind poor / minimal placement of bolts is somewhat
>more acceptable than placing outright bad bolts.

I'd agree with that, and would also argue that whether you are bolting on lead or rap you have a duty to bolt the climb as well as you can for subsequent climbers who may be climbing close to their limit. Obviously the extent you can do that will be more constrained when bolting on lead, as Olbert pointed out.

>Keep in mind that I might be biassed in that the first guy I climbed with
>in the US broke his leg at The Pinnacles when he fell and a (newish) bolt
>pulled...

Well, that certainly adds a concrete element to an abstract discussion! Glad to hear it was "only" a leg. Which climb, by the way?