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BOLTED CRACK!!


kevbone

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I think you already said it best Kevbone "hell, its Smith Rock."

 

Heck, I think it looks more like that crack is getting in the way of a nicely bolted route! Damn crack, gettin all up in our shiz.

 

Hahahaha

 

As much as I/you are right about “hell, its Smith rock”, I would hate for one of the premier climbing crags to be know for bolted cracks. Its one thing to have a plethora of bolted climbs, its another to blatantly put bolts in arms reach of obvious cracks. If the crack sucks, how about not putting the climb up at all?

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We could always go fill the crack :)

 

I wouldn't worry about one route like that anyway. Places like the Sinks or Tensleep have it beat hands down with bolted cracks.

 

I was in Tensleep this past year and my wife and I were at one of the crags, excellent climbing by the way. I ended up bringing only draws since I was visiting for a few days and had read it was only sport climbing in the canyon. To my suprise there were a bunch of bolted cracks which I got to lead. Kinda wierd clipping bolts while slamming in nice jamps and finger locks.

 

On a funnier note there was this one bolted crack listed as a "project" so I jumped on it b/c of the bolts and ended up sending the thing. It was definately 11+/12- with an overhanging finish with very poor flairing fingers and jams, but not all that difficult. Later talking to some locals working on it they said it was newly bolted and had yet to see a free send. I didn't have the heart to tell them I flashed it the other day especially when one of the guys was saying it was 5.13, hahaha. I wouldn't feel right anyway saying I got the FA on a bolted crack when clipping the bolts myself :)

 

Either way, it was fun and like I said Smith definately doesn't have to worry about being considered a crack bolted mecca, other places have that claim already.

 

Happy Climbing

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As long as we are talking about bolted cracks:

 

Index WA, I climbed the crack that goes above the huge door in the wall down in the “Country” (I think that’s the name of the area). It goes at 5.7. Anyway, was told by a local to keep going up the bolted climb above it. They stated it goes at 5.10. So off we went. Climbed the next pitch. Thought it was harder than 5.10 (im a wimp). Got to the anchor and there are 3 bolted climbs leading up from there. We took the route to the right. Got up 3 of 4 bolts, came around a corner and walla! A perfect green Camelot size crack running about 30 feet or so, with 5 or 6 bolts running within 6 inches of the crack. The climb was great but a little weird clipping bolts along side such a perfect crack.

 

I surprised the locals didn’t come down hard on the guy who bolted this crack!

 

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There are a couple variations above the tunnel, but Tunnel Vision right above the tunnel is 11a/b depending on the guide. Angora Grotta is 10+/11- RFC crack above that and to the right? I haven't been on it in a very long time... It would be weird if that were the case. Might be time to check it out again.

 

Another bolted crack is "Black Cat Bone" on the Blues Cliff. Used to be this nice 11+ finger crack about yellow TCU size and when they bolted an extension on a roof crack above they bolted the 11+ finger crack as well. Never could figure that one out, and its not new at all, been bolted for years and years but nobody visits the Blues cliff much.

 

Most people are stuck on Godzilla :)

 

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Tunnel Vision is listed in DC's guide as 10D. It definitely felt like 11- to me though. Angora Grotto is the heavily bolted crack Kevbone refers to. I'm not really sure what the logic is that has allowed those bolts to stay. The crack section is definitely great climbing. Seems weird to bolt the crack considering many climbers would bring a couple pieces for the 5.7 approach pitch anyway.

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Ultra-Brutal is the 5.7 approach pitch. Got to see Fred climb that one this last summer :tup: :tup:

 

What about Timber-Jack and Gorilla My Dreams above GNS? Those are both great climbs that I thought was a little ridiculous to bolt. Given that there's only the one on Timber-Jack, it's still right next to the #5 camalot crack to the right. :noway:

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Gorrila my dreams would require a large number of #5 and #6 cams to try an lead it without the bolts. That one was bolted due to the large size of the crack. That is a fairly standard practice at many climbing areas...

 

Do you think this would fly in Yosemite? I dont. Its not common practice there.

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There is no one set of universal ethics. There is what is accepted at a particular area. For better or for worse. Places like Jtree and Yosemite have old school ethics that is for sure. At the opposite end of the spectrum is places like Smith rock or Rifle. Most other climbing areas fall in between. Although I think that Index is more on the old school side, there are still some new wave ethics there as well.

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Definitely not common practice in the Valley, but for the amount of traffic GOMD sees (very little) and the number of 5's 6's and big bro's that people usually pack I don't see the bolts being to out of the ordinary, especially the time period when it was bolted with lack of nice big BD's.

 

In fact I'd consider the climbing more spicy with those crappy bolts, at least with a #6 I could walk it most of the way with me. Whatever tall asshole bolted the first bolt obviously could reach it from the ledge :) I've had that grudge in there for many many years. All my buddies just reach up and clip it, instead I pull twice as many moves before I can reach the dang thing.

 

We worked on cleaning up the 10+ on the far left this past season, still a long way to go, but there's a good OW for you if you don't want something bolted, just bring a brush though. Maybe another couple trips and that one will be clean enough to lead for another year before the forest reclaims it. Can't remember the name but it's left of the 5.8 which is left of GOMD.

 

 

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