Unsettling graffiti rennaisance

[maxhasson]

Punk kids around the country have pissed off climbers for years with their use of spray paint, usually combined with the effects of alcohol and/or smack.

 

Leavenworth has done pretty well in this respect, with the offensive exception of the "hate boulder" near the Swiftwater parking lot.

 

Yesterday I had just arrived at the beach boulders up Tumwater Canyon and found the first boulder covered in silver tags. A small rock in front of it was also defaced in similar fashion.

 

 

 

I guess my reasons for posting this information are

a) To get other people pissed off

b) To ask about environmentally sensitive methods of paint removal

 

Sorry to be the bringer of bad news. If only I knew who did it, maybe we could get a posse to go kick their punk asses...

[ivan]

the walls of pompeii are covered in 2000 year old graffiti

 

maybe you can just roll the boulder over?

[G-spotter]

I Am Neat and Cool - GR

[Argus]

And then there's shit like this:

 

http://www.mountainproject.com/v/utah/zion_national_park/the_organ/106245710

 

[ZONK]

What about the Arrows on the trail out there ? WTF is up with that ? seen those a couple of weekends ago and just shook my head thinking what a bunch of dump fucks.

[DirtyHarry]

That's fucked up. Pressure washer?

[John Frieh]

I dont mean to be a dick but notice in the first pic you almost cant tell the difference between the graffiti and the chalked up climbing holds.

 

Graffiti sucks... but so does caked on chalk and tick marks.

 

 

[DirtyHarry]

Grafitti doesn't come off when it rains. And it doesn't indicate where the handholds are either.

[Blake]

That's really stupid.

 

I completely disagree that spray painting "Balls" or curse words is the same as using chalk on a hold. Sure they are both visible, but one is permanent, generally rude/offensive, and serves no other constructive purpose.

 

 

It's sad how this thread is a microcosm of cc.com though.

Someone actually posts a serious topic and offers to do the community a clean-up service, and they hardly receive any help.

 

In order of severity and potency, I'd try these things:

 

Rubbing Alcohol and Brush

 

3M Adhesive Remover

http://www.shop3m.com/62466749306.html?WT.mc_ev=clickthrough&WT.mc_id=shop3m-AtoZ-General-Purpose-Adhesive-Remover'>http://www.shop3m.com/62466749306.html?WT.mc_ev=clickthrough&WT.mc_id=shop3m-AtoZ-General-Purpose-Adhesive-Remover

 

But I bet this is the way to go...

 

Lift Off - Environmentally friendly graffiti remover

http://www.shop3m.com/62466749306.html?WT.mc_ev=clickthrough&WT.mc_id=shop3m-AtoZ-General-Purpose-Adhesive-Remover

 

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/motsenbocker4

 

[olyclimber]

Showing good stewardship of the resource certainly doesn't hurt in preserving climbing access. I'm pretty sure the Access Fund people will have some idea/resources for how to go about this. It isn't a new problem for sure.

 

 

[DCramer]

On a couple of occasions the WCC (www.washingtonclimbers.org) has been asked by State Parks to help remove graffiti. They supplied a pretty caustic spray. I think it was purchased from a normal hardware store. It wass stinky but did the job...albiet with a lot of elbow grease. One time I had to hang off a rope to do the removal. I brought an old harness along with a beater rope and threw them away right after the job was finished.

 

First try a wire brush and if that alone doesn't work, I wouldn't worry too much about being enviro - you will be spraying directly on the paint itself and not the surrounding area.

 

D

 

[el jefe]

i visited the boulders at swan falls, idaho this spring and most were completely covered in paintball splotches. essentially the place is dead as far as bouldering goes. too bad as some of the blocs looked pretty good.

[el jefe]

I dont mean to be a dick but notice in the first pic you almost cant tell the difference between the graffiti and the chalked up climbing holds.

 

Graffiti sucks... but so does caked on chalk and tick marks.

 

 

you probably don't mean to be a dick, but nevertheless...

[olyclimber]

this was passed along to me....

 

 

http://liftoffinc.com/

 

Either their "#4" or their "PVR" seem like good choices.

[Choada_Boy]

Nowhere near as bad as this:

 

 

He did huck the gnar before he hummed it.

[SemoreJugs]

I once got a hummer by delicate arch. O what a summer that was!

Edited September 9, 2008 by SemoreJugs

[denalidave]

Nowhere near as bad as this:

 

 

He did huck the gnar before he hummed it.

This would be completed nicely with the "look what I get to wake up to" hotty in her undies/mullet dude pic from a few months back. Who's got a copy of that gem?