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Climbers vandalize Video Bluff!


sketchfest

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I realize that Rocky Butte isn't the best crag around Portland with all the freeway noise and trash, but I have to seriously question the thought process that went into placing the "new" bolt line out at Video Bluff. The bolt ladder you put up is right in between "Eve of destruction" and "live wire", both of which are only four feet apart and can be top roped. "Live wire" is a short .10D with three old manky bolts (a great route)that needed to be replaced, so why didn't you just retro the route? If you didn't want to lead it, you could top rope it. Instead you bolted the face and added absolutely nothing, not even a new line. What you did was wrong, go practice drilling somehwere else! Not to mention the so called improvements you made to the climbers left of "Eve of destruction". You came in and ripped out vegetation and cut down small trees to put up some other obscure line, without the least bit of thought to what little architecture this crag has.

 

I am not on a rant about bolts, I climb trad and clip bolts because I like to climb, but there is no reason to what you did. The bolts are unnecessary, the three old ones are better than the five new ones you put up and need to be removed.

 

I know that bolting is a hot issue around this site, one I have stayed out of. However, bolting just for the sake of bolting is irresponsible. Leave the Bosch at home. You have changed the nature of two climbs without improving either one. Take your bolts out and fill the holes, if you want to bolt so bad, retro the three originals on "Live wire".

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Bolting sure gets people worked up.

 

If you want to argue about bolts fine, but if you can't handle spray then keep your own arguments logical and don't engage in personal attacks.

 

I thought I should bring this up before other people end up all tweaked like Dwayner and Peter Puget.

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TG, I saw two climbers on the route from a distance, and from my angle , could not see that they were climbing on new bolts. I actually thought they were climbing "Live wire". It wasn't until they left that I wandered over to set up and climb the route that I saw the new "handy work" Baisically, I don't know for sure it was these two, so I don't want to accuse these two if they didn't do it.

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I guess one of the issues that piss's me off about this whole thing is that I'm not some burly crank master. I climb mostly between .9 & .10c on a consistant basis. This paticular route was one of the first routes I climbed where I felt like I had pushed my limits, not because of the grade or especially the length, but because it was protected by three old and rusty 1/4" bolts with angle hangers and the crux bolt is ready to pull out. Now these new bolts have not only changed the nature of the rock, but the style of the climb itself and that is something I do not agree with. I've never chopped, nor wanted to,(although thinking about it more and more) I just feel like these recent enhancements were not very well thought out.

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  • 19 years later...
On 6/27/2002 at 7:34 AM, sketchfest said:

I guess one of the issues that piss's me off about this whole thing is that I'm not some burly crank master. I climb mostly between .9 & .10c on a consistant basis. This paticular route was one of the first routes I climbed where I felt like I had pushed my limits, not because of the grade or especially the length, but because it was protected by three old and rusty 1/4" bolts with angle hangers and the crux bolt is ready to pull out. Now these new bolts have not only changed the nature of the rock, but the style of the climb itself and that is something I do not agree with. I've never chopped, nor wanted to,(although thinking about it more and more) I just feel like these recent enhancements were not very well thought out.

Holy blast from the 20 year past ! Was looking for info on a route further down and tripped over this post. I'll confess, Jim Robinson drilled but I supplied the bolts. Jim was all but living out there back then although as I understand he quit climbing @ 15 years back, so as regular as anyone else I suppose. The SS bolts we put in are still there today, thanks for not chopping them Paul.  

 

Man, times been flyin'....

Edited by billcoe
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