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Chockstone Forum - Crag & Route Beta

Crag & Route Beta

Area	Location	Sub Location	Crag	Links
VIC Southwest	(General)	(General)	(General)

Topic Date User

Anyone been to Lal Lal area (sipofene)? 14-Oct-2024 At 1:28:49 PM IdratherbeclimbingM9

Message

On 12-Oct-2024 BA wrote:
>The idea was to publish all known info about an area. (snip)
>
>I am also of the opinion that if it is not in a guidebook then people
>will continue to "rediscover" these areas and write them up, so I published
>everything to avoid that situation arising.
>(snip)

You raise a good point BA.
Years ago (early 80’s), I noticed this phenomenon arise dramatically (for me anyway), on a (then) local cliff overlooking the Shoalhaven / Bungonia area, south of Tallong.
I reconnoitred said cliff and then with the mob I was with established a number of trad climbs. Not long afterwards I found out that half of our new lines were already established, named and graded(!), so we amended our ‘new’ guide accordingly to give credit where it was due.
Time elapsed and about 20 years later I noticed on a subsequent visit that most of our trad routes were bolted! - along with other bolted face routes newly made between them.
I looked on The Crag and the originals were all written up in renamed and regraded style with vastly different establishment dates etc!
As I was no longer local and regarded most of the climbing there as okay but not great, mostly due the short stature of the cliff, I couldn’t be bothered arguing about it with the ‘third’ discovery mob so the inequity remains, though what saddened me most was the retrobolting of the established trad lines.
I learnt my lesson then that if it matters to you as a first ascentionist then write it up, but even then don’t expect it to last!

I now am noticing the same thing happening again, this time in my new local area with a new generation of climbers who have largely replaced the group that was here when I arrived and were actively putting up new routes 25 years ago …

I applaud the spirit of discovery, but have become a cantankerous old fart and hereby give warning that if any trad climbs I’ve established get retrobolted, and I am still able, then they will be chopped as I still believe in the concept of adventure.