Chockstone Forum

      Sponsored By
      ROCK
   HARDWARE

Chockstone Photography

Australian Landscape Prints

Chockstone Forum - Accidents & Injuries

Report Accidents and Injuries

Topic Date User

Over Bolting 9-Jun-2009 At 8:52:05 PM mtn_man_dan

Message

Hey guys,

I thought might just weigh in on the bolting debate with perhaps a bit of a different angle.... I'm neither really for or against bolting, I climb both sport and trad (and mountaineer also), and have had equally great fun on both sport and trad. I have often wondered though what all the hullaballoo is about bolting. I have heard people say that is an eyesore, it's not natural etc... but we don't mind so much when the mining companies destroy heaps of land for ores, or we cut down areas of rain forests the size of small countries. My point here is that I think putting some bolts in a rock isn’t exactly an environmental catastrophe. There are bigger issues out there than some bolts in rocks.

If it prevents more deaths and climbing accidents then I'm all for it. I'm just waiting for the day when half of the climbing areas around the place are off bounds because of accidents - and there are only going to be more and more of them given the number of people climbing now days.

I remember climbing in NZ last Jan when there was an accident at the summit rocks on Mt Cook (which can be a fairly hairy spot depending on conditions). There has been an argument around for a while that this area should be bolted, but it’s not allowed. Not sure why as bolts around 3000m above the tourist area should be pretty difficult to see; then again the sun could reflect off them I guess ;) A case of anti-bolting gone mad IMHO.

Don’t get me wrong though, I would hate to see a myriad of bolts in traditionally trad areas (excuse the pun). But occasionally, after placing that physiological bit of gear, I have caught myself thinking "man I wish there was a bolt there". All I’m saying is I don’t think putting some bolts in rocks is the biggest problem the world is facing right now. Just thought I’d share my thoughts on the issue, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.