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Super Slab Bolted???


jlag

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Just wondering if anyone knows who decided to put up a bolted route RIGHT next to Super Slab at Smith. It saddens me to see a line of bolts within reach of the starting crack of a pretty classic climb that was put up sans bolts over 30 years ago.

 

The first 2 bolts are literally 8ft left and then they begin to veer left a bit going into some junky rock. The route looks about 5.5ish and i'm not sure if it goes to the same anchors as pitch 1. Seems like a bad idea to add more folks to that belay/rap anchor up there, especially since it shares with parties coming down. I have not climbed the route so i'm not sure about anchors. Not trying to start a shit storm here, just curious if the bolter would step up and offer some insight into the squeeze job literally on top of a moderate trad classic.

 

JL

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Just wondering if anyone knows who decided to put up a bolted route RIGHT next to Super Slab at Smith. It saddens me to see a line of bolts within reach of the starting crack of a pretty classic climb that was put up sans bolts over 30 years ago.

 

The first 2 bolts are literally 8ft left and then they begin to veer left a bit going into some junky rock. The route looks about 5.5ish and i'm not sure if it goes to the same anchors as pitch 1. Seems like a bad idea to add more folks to that belay/rap anchor up there, especially since it shares with parties coming down. I have not climbed the route so i'm not sure about anchors. Not trying to start a shit storm here, just curious if the bolter would step up and offer some insight into the squeeze job literally on top of a moderate trad classic.

 

JL

 

I'm a bit confused by this, 8 feet left is not "within reach" for any human being I know of, and there are routes at Smith (and elsewhere) where the bolt lines are not much further apart than that, if at all. I think the question that has to be asked is "If you follow the line of Super Slab, can you reach the bolts without having to do something contrived or go way off-route?". If the answer is yes then maybe they should be removed. If the answer is no then I don't see the harm. It's not like Super Slab is some ultra-bold chop route like they have in Britain, where a line of somewhat accessible bolts would severely change the psychological factor. I can't imagine anyone climbing it would bother with the bolts unless they are right there at less than arm's reach from the route.

Edited by Julian
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for a guy who doesn't want to start a shit storm, jlag, your post sounds an awful lot like a guy who wants to start a shit storm. the fact that there is a bolted route 8ft away from super slab is not the same thing as "super slab bolted?"

 

by the way, many climbs share anchor stations. it isn't an unusual feature at many crags. it's no big deal, so don't get your panties in a twist over it.

 

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No jefe, It is a big deal to some of us when dbags retrobolt classic EASY trad lines. Not sure if this constitutes a squeeze job as they were not there a couple months ago and I haven't seen it. Just because you don't seem to give a shit if every single chunk of stone in Oregon gets bolts doesn't mean the rest of the climbing community feels the same way about it. Your "It's no big deal" attitude is bullshit.

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Here, judge for yourselves. We were just over there and TR'd that line after messing around on SS. I grabbed a pic from Summitpost and added my best recollection as to where the bolts are. Those who have been there can guess at the scale, but I would have said that the first bolt is more like 12-15 feet from the crack, and they probably stay at least that far away until maybe the last couple at the top. Regardless of exactly how far away they are, no one climbing Super Slab could possibly use them or would even think about it, and many parties climbing SS won’t even notice them.

 

That’s not to say it’s unfair to call this a contrived and uninteresting squeeze job, but those bolts are not nearly close enough to Super Slab to talk about a crack being bolted. The line of bolts to the right of Lion’s Jaw Chimney might be a good parallel. A bit close maybe, but hardly affects the nature of the trad line.

 

Super_Slab_bolts.JPG

 

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Fair enough. Don't remember those being there but they are far enough away that I probably didn't notice them or pay any attention. Might have been there for years for all I know.

 

If that is indeed where they are then I would find it hard to say that someone has retro bolted SS. Are these the bolts that the OP is talking about?

 

 

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I really didn't mean to start a shit storm, just wanted honest opinions, and i appreciate them.

 

Just figured the climbing community should know what is going on out there, sorry if i offended. I guess call me old school, just seems like a really contrived route right next to a trad classic. Why add more folks to an already super crowded route is my question. I was hoping the bolter could answer, that's all. You are correct, it is not as bad as the route next to Lion's Jaw, but doesn't make it necessary to do so IMO. Most folks around here do not like that route, and would love for it to be yanked. But nobody wants to piss off the owner of Metolius, he put's up a route every year for his b-day and that was one of them.

 

The new bolted route next to SS has not been there long, maybe a month or so. You could't miss the bolts if you climbed SS, but you wouldn't clip them.

 

I think i might be able to get a new route in between BBQ the Pope and Testament Crack, just got to work out the moves.

 

JL

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Okay... Well since I'm probably the only one thats climbed the route, I'll voice my opinion. Its not that good, and its not horrible either, maybe about 5.7. It was put up by the same climbers who bolted a lot of other new routes on the Red Wall. The only real good thing about it is now you can climb that wall as a 5.7 sport climb using "A Stroke of Brilliance" as the third pitch. You still need a couple of peices for the belay at the end of the second pitch though. Slightly contrived, maybe? Another fine beginner pitch, sure. I anit going to chop it and I aint going to brag about it.

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It's not like Super Slab is some ultra-bold chop route like they have in Britain, where a line of somewhat accessible bolts would severely change the psychological factor.

 

Not that this point has much to do with the topic of conversation, but it isn't for you, Julian, to decide what is considered ultra-bold for other climbers. I've seen many people busting an Elvis shimmy on routes I could climb in sneakers, while chewing gum, and waxing bullshit (and conversely I've been desperate on routes that friend of mine hike). You put a bolt anywhere near a crack and a climber a little gripped is likely to clip it. Take the bolt at the top of Solar for example...yeah, I've clipped it. The addition of bolts on any route certainly changes the psychological factor. To claim otherwise is asinine....

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No jefe, It is a big deal to some of us when dbags retrobolt classic EASY trad lines. Not sure if this constitutes a squeeze job as they were not there a couple months ago and I haven't seen it. Just because you don't seem to give a shit if every single chunk of stone in Oregon gets bolts doesn't mean the rest of the climbing community feels the same way about it. Your "It's no big deal" attitude is bullshit.

 

looks like jlag isn't the only one with his panties in a twist.

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looks like jlag isn't the only one with his panties in a twist.

I didn't think JL had his panties in a twist as much as he asking for info. He said he didn't want a shit storm, so maybe we can all play nice. For myself, I wasn't going to post as I hadn't seen the line, but figured that Smith has it's own little gig going. I would suspect that Danny and Steve wouldn't give a rats a** about it if they were to wander by.

 

I think i might be able to get a new route in between BBQ the Pope and Testament Crack, just got to work out the moves
:shock: LOL... :lmao: I did New Testament a month or so ago, folks wandered over asked if it was OK as I was starting to rack for it and I told them it's fine we can share - blah blah, but to go ahead. so he got a couple bolts up BBQ before I left the dirt...we literally had a traffic jam near the top and were eyeball to eyeball, he graciously insisted I go first as I had gotten to the base first and he'd been dogging his way up and wanted to hang and shake out anyway, but a fall from the crux of Testament as it then angled to the right and exactly over the top of this guy would have had been onto this fellas lap and not a good thing.

 

This looks further apart. It would be nice if it had it's own rappel station where you could get down with a single rope though.

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looks like jlag isn't the only one with his panties in a twist.

I didn't think JL had his panties in a twist as much as he asking for info. He said he didn't want a shit storm, so maybe we can all play nice. For myself, I wasn't going to post as I hadn't seen the line, but figured that Smith has it's own little gig going. I would suspect that Danny and Steve wouldn't give a rats a** about it if they were to wander by.

 

I think i might be able to get a new route in between BBQ the Pope and Testament Crack, just got to work out the moves
:shock: LOL... :lmao: I did New Testament a month or so ago, folks wandered over asked if it was OK as I was starting to rack for it and I told them it's fine we can share - blah blah, but to go ahead. so he got a couple bolts up BBQ before I left the dirt...we literally had a traffic jam near the top and were eyeball to eyeball, he graciously insisted I go first as I had gotten to the base first and he'd been dogging his way up and wanted to hang and shake out anyway, but a fall from the crux of Testament as it then angled to the right and exactly over the top of this guy would have had been onto this fellas lap and not a good thing.

 

This looks further apart. It would be nice if it had it's own rappel station where you could get down with a single rope though.

 

unsurprisingly, billcoe has missed the point once again.

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not the only solution, ivan. another possibility would be to encourage jlag to check the guidebook before he runs through this theater of the absurd shouting "fire".

 

the search for retrobolting dbags will just have to continue. false alarm this time.

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i was at the first belay anchors on the slab when some 70+ yr. old lady came tramping up the "new bolted line". as i recall we did not share anchors. she seemed to think the line was mediocre but enjoyed the view. i enjoyed her company. i hope i am alive as she is at her age (then again maybe she was just a 50 something with a lot of sunny climbing days under her belt).

 

alas something to play around on while the masses file through the 'slab and moscow (both are worth the wait).

 

everyone relax. it's smith for crying out loud.

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not the only solution, ivan. another possibility would be to encourage jlag to check the guidebook before he runs through this theater of the absurd shouting "fire".

 

the search for retrobolting dbags will just have to continue. false alarm this time.

 

Ummmm. I did check the guidebook, did you? Obviously not as the route is not in there. Thanks for all you've done for this thread, much appreciated. In my opinion the route is too close to a classic and offers little. Was just curious as the rationale behind squeezing a lackluster bolted line in. Let's just let it alone.

 

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"it's just a metaphor for people in general I guess."

 

There's nothing more tiresome and hyperbolic than "bolted routes equate to the fall of western civilization" type comments. But I guess the Disciples Of Dawg need to sound off whenever a Bosch gets turned on.

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