New bolted 5.13b route on Castleton Tower.

Search
Go

Discussion Topic

Return to Forum List
This thread has been locked
Messages 1 - 20 of total 182 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
Fluoride

Trad climber
West Los Angeles, CA
Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 24, 2012 - 10:25pm PT
http://www.climbing.com/news/wild-new-5-13-on-utahs-castleton-tower/

30 new bolts on the tower for them to send this. Great effort but not sure how I feel about all those bolts on a route only a small handful of people will ever be able to do just next to the classic North Chimney.

Thoughts?
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Oct 24, 2012 - 10:33pm PT
Bolted routes should be reserved for places where gear routes can't be established. I've done six routes on Castleton and there are many more...the last thing the tower needs is a bolt line. Lot's of virgin rock in the area, take your f*#king drill somewhere else.
Fluoride

Trad climber
West Los Angeles, CA
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 24, 2012 - 10:36pm PT
Thanks Jim. You echoed my thoughts about this. Just seems wrong to do a massively bolted route on such a classic.
goatboy smellz

climber
Nederland-GulfBreeze
Oct 24, 2012 - 10:48pm PT


donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Oct 24, 2012 - 10:51pm PT
It's Donini....certainly where the bolts are you can't use conventional gear We aren't talking about a swath of wingate sandstone, we are talking about an iconic tower with a plethora of established CLASSIC routes. Leave it be.


edit: It's a free world and bolting on BLM land is permitted, I'm only giving my personal opinion and will say no more on the subject.
The Larry

climber
Moab, UT
Oct 24, 2012 - 10:51pm PT
Sounds pretty cool to me. Nice job Chris and Sam.
Byran

climber
Yosemite Valley, CA
Oct 24, 2012 - 10:56pm PT
It's awfully hard to say without seeing it up close, isn't it?. I like aretes almost as much as I like cracks, though unfortunately the former doesn't usually protect with natural gear as well as the latter. It certainly looks like a great line up a stellar arete. If the climbing is natural and there's some obvious features out there then it could very well be a modern classic worth sinking 30 bolts for.
Fluoride

Trad climber
West Los Angeles, CA
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 24, 2012 - 11:04pm PT
Byran, a modern classic that goes at 5.13b clip ups isn't going to be climbed by anything but a very small handful of people. Scott Cosgrove has 5.13 face routes in J-Tree that haven't seen repeats. And they're not 4 pitches of climbing. Just one pitch and they still don't get done.

A modern classic is something that people will actually get on and climb. If this was in the 11's or low 12's I think it could have a chance. But not at 13b.

A nice feather in the cap for the FA'ists, but I bet this thing sees less than 5 repeats in the next 5-10 years at best. But the 30 bolts will always be there.
The Larry

climber
Moab, UT
Oct 24, 2012 - 11:11pm PT
Hard sayin, not knowin.

Hi Beth! :-)
Johnny K.

climber
Oct 24, 2012 - 11:20pm PT
Crux pitch is 35 meters with 16 bolts,a bolt placed roughly every 7 feet...
sac

Trad climber
Sun Coast B.C.
Oct 24, 2012 - 11:20pm PT
Having climbed this proud tower, I have to say...
Seems not the place for so much hardware, imo.
Yet, surely the line will speak for itself.
Some lines just say do it, eh.
johnkelley

climber
Anchorage Alaska
Oct 24, 2012 - 11:27pm PT
A rap bolted line on Castleton Tower is sad. What happened to respecting the local ethics? A sport climb on a tower with a long history of traditional climbing sucks.

Put up, down I should say, by the same guy who did that pathetic thing Yodle This in the Tetons. The only top down line in the entire range. Why do we need so many bolts these days? The current trend of bolting everything is gonna come back to bite us one day.

Guess it's another disgrace he's bolted but can't climb.
Fluoride

Trad climber
West Los Angeles, CA
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 24, 2012 - 11:47pm PT
Johnny K, EXACTLY! A sport pitch on Castelton no matter how hard it is just seems wrong.

ps - Hi Larry! So the sushi you and Jay had was good?
karodrinker

Trad climber
San Jose, CA
Oct 24, 2012 - 11:55pm PT
Looks freaking awesome actually, I'll bet it gets done a lot. You old farts underestimate how many people climb 13b.
Fluoride

Trad climber
West Los Angeles, CA
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 24, 2012 - 11:59pm PT
Karo....5.13b desert sandstone tower climbing that it took this guy a couple of years and several partners to establish?

Don't think so.
The Larry

climber
Moab, UT
Oct 25, 2012 - 12:00am PT
Yes Beth. Those guys make a mean roll.
Have you not been there?
Fluoride

Trad climber
West Los Angeles, CA
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 25, 2012 - 12:03am PT
Nope Larry. I'm vegetarian and veggie sushi is basically avacado and fake crab wrapped in rice. Not my thing.

But good to know...Steve loves sushi. Good to know they can kill it rolling in Moab.
Rudbud

Gym climber
CA
Oct 25, 2012 - 12:03am PT
Nice Job Chris and Sam! To bad its not 5.10 then every body would be stocked.
Let the hate commence.
andy@climbingmoab

Big Wall climber
Salt Lake City, UT
Oct 25, 2012 - 12:04am PT
I think if anyone has earned the right to put in bolts on a tower, it is Sam Lightner - aside from the numerous bold and high quality new lines he has put in, I appreciate the huge amount of work he has done replacing crap gear with the ASCA and volunteering so much time and effort to the Friends of Indian Creek. Kalous isn't exactly a slouch either.

Looking down on a 4 pitch 5.13 free route that doesn't sound like a sport climb on a tower in a desert filled with bolt ladders also seems misguided. It isn't exactly like 5.13 routes don't get traffic in the desert - 5.13 cracks in Indian Creek gets lots of traffic, as do lines in Mill Creek, on the Priest, and elsewhere in the desert.

Good job Sam and Chris.
jsj

climber
Oct 25, 2012 - 12:11am PT
According to reports the climb requires at least a single set of cams from fingers all the way up to a #5. Also, it has "obligatory 5.12" - in other words, you can't A-O it. And yet the easiest pitch on it is still... 5.12.

Sounds pretty tRAD to me.
Messages 1 - 20 of total 182 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
Return to Forum List
 
Our Guidebooks
spacerCheck 'em out!
SuperTopo Guidebooks

guidebook icon
Try a free sample topo!

 
SuperTopo on the Web

Recent Route Beta