JosephH

A shared concept of "adequacy" is at the heart of the problem and no doubt as the number of people that help define it goes up you can be assured the number of bolts to attain it will rise along with them. "prevailing opinion" - pretty much sums up the future of grid bolting as [generations of] gym climbers righteously demand "adequate" protection (and "safe climbing") while they seek to [assbackwardly] emulate their indoor clipping experience outdoors. Yes - first off I'd say clearly delineating the distinction between sport/bolted FA's and trad/mixed FA's. When putting up a sport/bolted FA then you are making permanent decisions for everyone relative to fixed protection placements. It's inherently a completely different deal than a staight trad FA. Some "consideration" and careful thought should go into a sport/bolted FA as it is such a premeditated affair to begin with. That said, any intelligent and "sporting" climber wouldn't drive the "sport" out of a route simply to bring it down to the lowest common denominator for mass consumption and comfort - that just makes it another outdoor gym route. Too sporty and it's posing, not sporty enough and it's pandering - such is the sporting man's dilemna...

Yet another extremely peculiar and highly socialized statement from my perspective - obviously a sport conversation.

Beacon Rock Update 8/21

=================== Beacon Rock Update... =================== BRSP Ranger John Ernester asked that I pass along that the female black bear with cubs from last year is still about and unfortunately now has an injured paw. If you do see her and her cub please give them wide berth. They often tend to travel from above the highway East of Beacon down across the tracks to a single track along the river and then head West of Beacon and the boat launch. Last fall we saw them cross the tracks repeatedly about a 100 yards East of the SE corner. Again, give them plenty of room and please let them pass quietly, thanks... Joseph Healy Beacon Rock Climber's Association

"Making a route safe the masses will most likely be trying, should be a concern of the FA." Again, I couldn't possibly disagree more. As far as I'm concerned a person putting up an FA should just be completely obsessed with a potential route and do as it comes to him or her for their own sake. "Community Service" and "Development" in the context of FA's are just grotesque and concepts escaped from the confines of gym coursesetting.

A simple dye test would have solved the science long ago but the Park has steadfastly refused to allow one. Guilt is another thing entirely...

"then its your responsibility to make it safe..." Not sure if I could disagree more completely...

Found a cam and a large nut out at Beacon - describe and they are yours again...

Looks like Metolius did it right years ago and continues doing it right today by comparison...

Schapp, Thanks for the info. Just curious if someone knew what they were doing and if the routes are protectable with gear... Joseph

"...and I want to add another bolt/piton/fixed gear." 1) Question your motives... 2) Go to step #1.

"Safe bolting on 5.10-5.11 routes under the arch created some incredible lines." What exactly does "safe bolting" mean to you...?

Tex, We're missing you guys as well - come for a visit sometime...!

=================== Beacon Rock Update... =================== Oh, a quick note - the rap rings and webbing are not on the anchor at the top of P2 on Young Warriors for a couple of days. If you need to rap at that point just thread your rope through the beefy Metolius rap anchors as that's what they are designed for... Joseph Healy Beacon Rock Climber's Association [8/20 - This anchor has been restored...]

Here: Beacon Rock 8/3 Update

=================== Beacon Rock Update... =================== Free Parking Area - once again, please do not park parallel to the road in the free parking area East of the main lot, park diagonally facing the SE - thanks... A Little Consideration - leaving unleashed dogs at the base of multi-pitch routes and covering the entire area at the base with your gear is a complete drag for folks coming up after you who don't know your animals and need some room to "suit up" as well. So a little consideration please, leash your dogs at all times if you must bring them out, pack out their waste, and don't monopolize the entire base of multi-pitch climbs. Young Warriors - the block you step around at the start of the second pitch is big, not solid, and is what's left after trundling its righthand twin last fall. It isn't loose as in 'moves when you touch it' loose, but it is perceptibly "loose" and should not be pulled on any more than absolutely necessary - particularly not out away from the cliff as you step around it. We all need to monitor the status of this rock closely and if it comes to it we'll have to coordinate removing it with the park staff. This is somewhat problematic as it is possible it is chocking the rather larger rock above it. Time will tell - be careful around it and let myself, Jim Opdyke, Bill Coe, Kevin Evansen, or one of the Park Rangers know if it ever does move significantly on you. Grassy Ledges Rocks - while we did do a significant amount of high priority, pre-opening trundling/cleaning, there is still a large amount of loose rock up on Grassy Ledges, some of it fairly big. Cleaning it will be the focus of next year's pre-opening work session, but until then - please, everyone be extremely careful making your way across the Grassy Ledges (p3 of SE Face), especially watch your rope!!! Main SE Descent Rappels - we are still logging lots of incidents of smaller rock coming down during some climber's raps, so again please be especially careful of your feet and rope movements on the uppermost two rap stations. And as always it's a good idea to where a helmet at the start of the SE Face, Little Wing, etc. if it is a busy day out there. SE Face Tree - the big landmark tree on the corner ledge above the slab has been taking a beating for years now as both a belay station and as a rap anchor. Please do not ever rap directly off the tree; one, it's a "bad rap" in general and a lousy way down; two, you are far better off continuing on up to the main Grassy Ledges rap or downclimb 12 feet and then traverse right 12 feet to the p2 anchors on Young Warriors rapping from there. In fact, if you are planning on only doing the first to pitches of the SE Face, then don't go up to the tree ledge and instead, on topping out from the slab, simply continue straight ahead to that p2 Young Warrior anchor right in front of you. At some point we'll be organizing a work crew to haul enough soil/gravel to re-bury the main root structure; how we end up dealing with rapping damage to the tree itself will depend on how it fairs this year. In general we'd ask that you simply not use the tree at all and build belay anchors on the ledge instead - however, if you must, then please use webbing or your rope and not thin cord[elettes] as they damage the tree more. This will likely be another long term monitoring situation out there so please pass this on to folks you know and let see if we can't all work to insure this Beacon landmark is around for a long, long time to come. Anchor Replacement Project - We've been out doing more work this past week including finally getting up to replace the top rap station for the standard SE Face/Grassy Legdes descent route. Along the way the anchors on the first two pitches of Young Warriors were replaced, all four bolts turned out to be spinners so it was about time for an upgrade. Ground Zero Rap Anchor - it is currently gone and we will finish replacing it asap; darkness and reason intervened in the middle of the operation. The original anchors are still up and to the right and remain serviceable until we can get back to it; either that or simply walk 60 feet to the right and use the main SE rap. Peregrines - they have been really active and you'll see signs of their predation all over the South face in the form of large swaths of feathers where they've fed and possibly bodiless wing pairs around the base below. And if you get out much you don't really have to be all that lucky to see them. Their cries, tucked dives, and close flybys are pretty spectacular. That's it for this update - have fun, play safe... Joseph Healy Beacon Rock Climber's Association

Anyone interested in a day of fairly hard work in the A.M....

I've always thought studing chalk in gyms would be a perfect Masters or Phd project for some budding pulmonary specialist...

Hi, We've had two busy weekends out at Beacon since the opening and wanted to post a couple of points. 1) The free parking pullout to the east of the main [pay] parking lot has limited space, if you are the first ones out there on a weekend please do not park parallel to the road - park diagonally facing Southeast to make the most of the space. 2) The anchors with light gray slings are brand new with two independent 1" webbing slings slung in a figure 8 with two 50kn stainless rings through the X in the figure 8; this configuration allows them to equalize across both anchors and automatically adjust to rapping in any direction. They need no additional slings and cordage - and in fact, adding slings will just screw up the mechanism. Please do not add any slings or cords to the new anchors as it's a hassle to go remove them. If you have any questions about the anchors or see anchors you feel have a problem email to Beacon.Rock@AvaSys.com 3) The cracks around the belay stations aren't ashtrays, please don't fill them with your butts (to who ever was on Young Warriors Sunday at the top of the second pitch...). 4) Jim Opdyke has restored the lost arrow piton that was traditionally near the top of the first pitch of the Southeast Corner if anyone wonders where it came from... 5) There are lots of ledges and rap stations with smallish gravel at Beacon - especially so on routes all across the entire Souteast Corner and faces - please be cognizant of the movements of your feet and rope across such spots as it can really rain down on folks at the base. Even small stones can do damage so bring a helmet - particularly on weekends for sure or anytime you're venturing off the beaten track... Thanks all... Joseph Healy Beacon Rock Climber's Association.

Well, mine was a wooden handled Chouinard ice hammer, I was on a 1200ft ice fall, I was wearing jeans and a bunch of wool, there was cold water running down my wrists, and my belayer kept yelling "GET BACK ON THE ICE...!" - I wasn't really thinking about either as I was too busy trying to keep water from running down my leg...

Well Geek, it isn't so much an environmental/health/aesthetic impact I'm concerned about, though they are legitimate complaints (healthwise more so in gyms), no my problem with it is I'm simply trying to climb a line and when it's been drenched on dark gray rock it takes on a real climb-by-the-dot / breadcrumb appearance that gets hard to ignore. Now I can ignore it but it really degrades the experience as I'm not really into the Lemmings school of climbing movement. I really don't need or want to see where/how where other folks climb and I really don't like that shit all over holds that don't need it. This is a matter of conditioning, mostly from gyms and bouldering where you can make a case that after so many greasy paws have slimed off some small sloper you actually need the aid. But, again, on the rock out at Beacon 90% of the holds need chalk about 5% of the time. Somehow folks have gotten so psychologically addicted to chalk that they can't get up a gritty 5.7 without it. It's used to wild excess, and if a little consideration for others; the ability to discriminate between a gym, Smith, and Beacon; and a thoughtful and judicious use of the stuff is beyond the capability of today's climbers then the situation has gotten pretty damn sad. [Note: I should have qualified "drenched" and "slathered" in the first post - by that I mean basically a very few people managed to deposit so much chalk on most of the holds they used that partial and whole hand prints were completely opaque with excess mounds of chalk compressed all over the print - I've been sweating rivers in the Valley on offwidths wishing I could get that much chalk out of the bag, but never figured out how one would short of cupping a handful out. Again, I'm not complaining about normal, judicious chalk use here...]

Well, that's the difference, I don't think it's trivial - if you and others do than I suppose it shouldn't really be a problem for you to cut back or leaving it at home when it it isn't necessary. Or, just maybe Dr.,it really isn't trivial and you can't climb, flash, or be amazing without it on a cool, gritty, 5.9? Only you know for sure. I'm simply asking folks to think for moment whether they really need it on a give day, rock, or move before drenching a route in chalk...

Chalk is like 90% mental and actually required out at a place like Beacon about 10% of the time on 5% of the holds....

When I'm on the end of a rope for almost anytime at all I invert and spend half or more of my time inverted. I tend to pass out easily and this prevents it.

The very large, loose block in the description of pitch 2 above was cleaned off the route late last fall. You should belay pitch 2 from about 10 feet directly left of the pitch one anchor. Pitch 3 ends at nice grassy alcove below and left of a large crescent feature that looks like it could be the next pitch - if you get to the base of a large crescent feature, don't go up it the anchors and the continuation of the route are right in front of you on the ledge you are standing on. You'll know you've arrived as there will be an old rectangular hanger right in front of your face on the east end of the ledge as you come up to it.