Martin, I don't want to get carried away here! It just seems to me that considering how bloody much of an eyesore the whole cave is anyway, with every damn hold splattered in chalk, that saying one fixed sling is visually intrusive is missing the point, the point being that the whole cave is visually intrusive. I could insert photos to drive the point home, but I'm sure we all know where we're talking about here...
Now I use chalk, so I'm no bloody purist. It would be hypocritical of me to take the moral highground here. I can't climb the routes in the Gallery yet - wish I could! Im working on it!
But I would have thought that even the most core climber - on mature reflection - would have to admit that the place is a mess. Now you're quite right, you didn't say you condoned the use of chalk. So I'm sorry if that is how you're taking it. Please accept my apologies. But given the obvious appearance of this cave - which I'm sure you're aware of - then anyone could point out the obvious...namely that YES i agree, the sling is an eyesore, but then so is the whole bloody cave.
Compared to how THE CAVE looks currently - and isn't that how this whole thread started? it just emphasises the importance of keeping the Red Cave trad. HB has set the standard, so let's stick to it. It's too late for The Gallery - keep this as a sport wall and restrict our abuse to this piece of rock, but let's not spread it to the Red Cave as well. If we want to put new routes up there, make them core trad routes. If you can't do it trad, well...I'm pretty certain Parks Victoria would not be too keen to see the Red Cave turn out looking like The Gallery.
Waddaya reckon? Can we accept that I didn't mean to infer you condoned the use (abuse) of chalk but agree that the whole cave is a bloody eyesore?
I'll tell you what, if you do, and we can work it with the VCC Acess crew, I'll agree to spend a couple of days with whoever trying to clean the built up chalk and tick marks off the rock. Are you up for it?
Cheers,
Ando |