sick

On Jun 8, 2004, at 11:47 PM, Brian wrote:

> — In Yahoo Canyons Group, “Emily Bement”

>> Then someone saws the hanger so they’ll break under body weight. >

> Dude… just the thought of that makes me sick… I hope that no >> one here would do that, that goes against everything that makes us >> human.

Actually happened on a climbing route in Eldorado Canyon, CO.

Paris Girl? Boulderites, is that the route? > Yes. (Wow … how did you know that?!)

During the famous Bolt Wars of the 80’s, Boulder was a hold-out of the purists, climbers who were willing to either run out a sketchy pitch 30′ to the next tiny wired stopper, or leave the route alone. Elsewhere (particularly Europe), people were not leaving the marginal routes alone, but were pushing new standards by protecting their leads with bolts, often placed in the new style by rapping down from above rather than from on lead. Hmmm. Tough dilemma and tough questions; hard routes and even harder people.

Some fist-fights even broke out, and Boulder hung on to the end. Which was about when Christian rap-bolted Paris Girl in ’86 (I think). This was controversial, but it wasn’t a good poster child for uncontrolled bolting, because Paris Girl was and remains a serious climb. The first bolt is about 20′ off the deck, and there’s no way you or I would make it up that 20′ without our shoes filling with sweat, our hair turning grey, and our insurance policy paid in full. Heck, on my best day I couldn’t second that pitch regardless.

Paris Girl was chopped at least once, and replaced each time. Needless to say, all this fuss scarred the rock far more than if it had been left alone. Then a truce was established to the Bolt Wars, with the terms being different in different parts of the country. Here in the People’s Republic of Boulder, no new bolts can be placed on State Park land (Eldo) or City Open Space and Mountain Parks (Flatirons) without prior approval of “Fixed Hardware Review Committees”, which are thankfully, made up of peers not beaurocrats (mostly). To remove a bolt of course, would be ridiculous; great climbers let people like me have our protection, and go to some other place to test their own higher limits (or like Derek Hershey, forgo the rope entirely). Replacing existing manky bolts with good ones is the work of saints, better people than me for sure, as the point is not to needlessly risk one’s life at an anchor but to climb the rock safely. Note that these are all trade routes, so the ethic could change if one moved into the backcountry.

Some places are obscene bolt gardens (Boulder Canyon), and in some places the legacy of Layton Kor lives on (Eldo), but the Bolt Wars mostly ended, and climbers are happily climbing (lots of them).

A skirmish flared up in Boulder Canyon in the last 5 years, and some yahoo, who apparently saw Paris Girl as being a symbol even though it is established and respected, sawed the bottom of the lower hanger, as described by the other author above. Very bad. This was discovered before any accident, the State Park considered but didn’t pursue a criminal investigation, and this is now only a strange reminder of warped thinking.

Since canyoneering is like the younger brother of climbing, with great similarities as well as significant dissimilarities, there’s lots to be learned by studying the evolution of climbing culture and techniques.

I hope we do.

Take Care,

Buzz