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34? 12-Mar-2004 At 12:29:48 PM Onsight

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OK, obviously FACTS are what’s needed then. First of all I’ve got to say that I am already sick to death of this issue. Sure, I can “chip in” to help ensure people get their information straight, but is not my job to (further) waste my time clearing this up.

One of the things that annoys me most about this whole thing, is that as soon as the topic is raised then the whole of Blue Mtns climbing is suddenly tarred by the same brush. Please understand that this is pretty much an isolated incident we’re talking about. And the vast majority of all the climbers I’ve spoken to about this up here are outraged and/or dismayed by what has happened. This discussion (about the “34?”) isn’t really about cleaning off of loose holds, or reinforcing holds, we are talking very specifically about chipping off holds to enforce sequences. I still think Joes first two questions are the most interesting and pertinent, and they still haven’t been fully answered:
1) Did it happen?
2) What happens when you raise a route to your ability? Which I guess also means; what are the implications?

1) Did it happen?
YES.
That Ben climbed the route, that the route is extremely hard, and that the ascent was a fantastic achievement, I believe, are facts.

The following I also believe to be facts (based on several first-hand eye-witness accounts from climbers at the crag, and also confirmed by Ben’s belayer, and two other climbers who had been attempting the route, and also having seen the holds up close myself — so you see, I’ve got pretty good reason to believe this also to be fact):

What apparently happened is this. Some weeks after said ascent Ben returned to the route and SMASHED OFF two holds from the crux with a hammer. One of these is a footer (apparently this was a largish piece of rock however this is of lesser significance to this discussion, and its scar may or may not be visible from the ground - as I referred to elsewhere). The other hold, a very small edge, is VERY SIGNIFICANT to this discussion (and to those few climbers who had also being attempting the route using it).

As Phil_Nev said, this hold was found and incorporated into Lee’s (and Garth’s) sequences. And I’ve been (reliably) told that using this hold would have very likely lead to the route being downgraded.

Have you all got this? Do you understand the significance of this? We are talking about a tiny-weenie piece of rock, BUT we are also talking about a new grade being claimed for the sport. I don’t wish to insult anyone, but no-one really cares much about whether a route is 23 or 24, but add 10 grades and it becomes a whole lot more significant.

And that is why I think Joe’s question re implications is so interesting.

Continued…