Smith Rock Bolt Replacment (and a little rant)

[Lovetoclimb]

I'm getting ready to do a big batch of bolt replacement from April 7-20. I have a pretty good idea of some routes that I want to work on but if people have stuff that they are seeing that needs work, please post it here, send me a pm, or send me an email. This work is supported through the American Safe Climbing Association and also now through Climbing Magazine and The North Face's Anchor Replacment Initiative who is also sending us a bunch of hardware to use for replacment at Smith. Please support the companies that support the ARI and for those of you with jobs who need tax deductions please make donations to the American Safe Climbing Association.

 

Some things that help me when it comes time to do replacment is having people who are willing to climb and fix lines on routes that need replacement. When I'm in bolt replacement mode, all I want to do is jug up and work. I don't want to have to carry a lead rope, rock shoes and quickdraws and all of that nonsense. Especially when I'm carrying a huge pack of tools, bolts, and glue.

 

Also, please stay off routes that have just had replacment work done because I will be using glue in bolts that need time to set. (Usually only a few hours depending on temperature.)

 

One last thing. Please think about how much bolts and bolt maintenance make Smith the fun place that it is for all of us and don't just take it for granted. Our crag like so many all over this country is covered with crap bolts because climbers are too cheap to place good hardware, they don't hold themselves to a high standard when it comes to the bolts that they place or the placments that they are making, and if they make a mistake, they don't go back and fix it.

 

A number of the routes that have gone up in the last ten years have been very poorly bolted. They have bolts in bad places, lead bolts and belays that are already loose, and inadequete hardware was used either when it comes to bolt size, bolt type, or anchor setups. Who's responsibility are these "gifts" to the climbing community? Personally I have a hard time going out and doing replacment on these new routes. I take pride in the work that I do whether it is at my job, putting up a new route, or doing bolt replacment. I take it very seriously and I wish other people would as well. It certainly isn't something to take lightly.

 

If you have put up a route and it needs maintenance, please make sure that it gets done. If you don't have the experience to do as good of a job as you would like, please feel free to contact me and I can assist you or point you in the direction of someone who can. As someone who has put up over 100 routes at Smith I know some of my routes need maintenance and I will be doing some of that in the next few weeks with my own hardware not ASCA or ARI stuff. One of them has two bolts that need to be moved because they are in bad spots. Another needs a separate rappel anchor added because of the amount of traffic it receives. Both of those projects will take up a big chunk of a day, but I think since those are my routes, that I should take care of those issues.

 

Thanks and I'll see you out at the crag.