Needless bolts left on Castleton Tower...

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donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 23, 2015 - 08:08pm PT
The folks that rigged the highline from Castleton Tower to the Rectory five days ago left some large (probably 3/4 in.) bolts behind. Funny thing, a similar high line was rigged in 1999 with no bolts placed.
Some unsuspecting climbers needed a Helicopter rescue on Saturday night because they confused the bolts for rap snchors and were stranded. The argument could be made that they should have known better (the bolts were not equipped for rope retreival) and/or should have been able to self rescue but the point is the bolts should not have been there.
Castleton Tower is the most iconic tower in the Utah desert, let's treat it right. If you place bolts arguably not needed (they didn't need them in 1999) at least clean up your mess. As it stands those bolts are there with no other purpose except, perhaps, to lure inexperienced climbers into potentially dangerous situations.
If your neighbor's dog shits on your lawn you would expect him to clean up the mess.

Ooops....the neighbor, not the dog.
johntp

Trad climber
socal
Nov 23, 2015 - 08:12pm PT
Sounds fugly.
Fritz

Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
Nov 23, 2015 - 08:15pm PT
Donini! I appreciate your concern, and it does seem more than reasonable to clean those bolts & hide the holes.

However, re your last thoughts:

If your neighbor's dog shits on your lawn you would expect him to clean up the mess.


It does appears there are lots of people that think differently about cleaning up their, or their dog's shitt these daze.
couchmaster

climber
Nov 23, 2015 - 08:18pm PT

Right on Jim! I get that no one wants to clip off on Kor's old 1/4" spinners, but we've all seen the shitload of bolts that slackers place to feel secure. Why trash the place though? Hopefully the internet will show others that they can tie their lines off with out bolts, and save the day and the rock for future climbers and slackers.
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
Nov 23, 2015 - 08:24pm PT
Anyone know more about the incident? Who they were?
Pm me
Cragar

climber
MSLA - MT
Nov 23, 2015 - 08:25pm PT
Good post and totally correct. The lifestylers do not seem to have the respect for the space or feel the need to pick up after their perfect selves.

Edit: maybe they plan to remove them when they run out of themselves on Spraybook?
SC seagoat

Trad climber
Santa Cruz, Moab, A sailboat, or some time zone
Nov 23, 2015 - 08:26pm PT

Susan
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 23, 2015 - 08:28pm PT
Evidently the highline set up reulted in a world record by a Theo Sanson from France. Kudos to Theo, an amazing feat, but it seems that worldclass athletes seem to feel that they can use iconic natural features (remember David Lama on Cerro Torre) with little thought about leaving them as they found them.

Is it a sense of entitlement?
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 23, 2015 - 08:50pm PT
The point is bolts left on cuttion edge routes still have some purpose, someone might use them to repeat the route.
The bolts left on Castleton serve no purpose, the slackline has been removed. It took only a few days before unsuspecting (and apparently inexperienced) climbers used them resulting in an expensive nightime rescue.
I'm not trying to contrast high lining and climbing.....I also included the example of David Lama whose film team placed bolts only for the purpose of filming.
Banquo

climber
Amerricka
Nov 23, 2015 - 09:05pm PT
So, the usual big corporate sponsorship redbull bullshit sellout?

Apparently, from their "who we are" webpage, they are range rover:

http://camp4collective.com/who-we-are/

i'm gumby dammit

Sport climber
da ow
Nov 23, 2015 - 09:24pm PT
Maybe just throw some more bolts in lower so you're not rapping to nowhere.
Banquo

climber
Amerricka
Nov 23, 2015 - 09:31pm PT
Does "Camp 4 Collective" smack of cheap capitalization?
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
Nov 23, 2015 - 09:41pm PT
of course
hossjulia

Trad climber
Carson City, NV
Nov 23, 2015 - 09:52pm PT
My very first thought when I saw that slack line and where it was. "I wonder how they rigged that?" Followed by, oh crap, how DID they rig that!? There must be huge stresses involved, perhaps enough to lever off the top of that tower? Obviously not, but it got me thinking. I figured they would have wrapped it up somehow. Like slinging a big horn. Never figured they'd use bolts at all.

Good post.


johntp

Trad climber
socal
Nov 23, 2015 - 09:54pm PT
SC seagoat-

Funny!
Lurkingtard

climber
Nov 23, 2015 - 10:51pm PT
Lol. If you're dumb enough to rap off of new slack anchors then you're f*#king stupid.
Ed Hartouni

Trad climber
Livermore, CA
Nov 23, 2015 - 10:52pm PT
too bad, really, that this had to happen.

It is not uncommon for these sorts of rigging features to be erected for a particular event and left. There are photog bolt stations in Yosemite Valley placed for shoots of high profile climbers, generally festooned with fixed lines which are usually removed after the fact... the bolts remain, to be removed by the locals who object.

In many ways such alterations aren't much of a nuisance, but "off route" bolts can draws unsuspecting climbers'. And those who fall for them are often least capable of dealing with the consequences.

We can probably only have the conviction that we personally would not leave the mess if it were us (or not make a mess in the first place)... the question is why wilderness visitors would just leave the mess there.

When it happens, public shaming isn't a bad way to draw unwanted attention, and it often gets a response from the mess makers, who generally rectifying the problem by cleaning up.

Loud voices from prominent figures chastising the behavior is very helpful, "a teachable moment," requires a teacher.

Hopefully the bolts will be removed, even more, a lesson will be learned by all of us. Refresher courses have their usefulness.

Let's not loose this wilderness we hold so dear to our inconsiderate behavior.
Ezra Ellis

Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
Nov 23, 2015 - 10:59pm PT
Good points all,
As an aside my dog eats its own poop, so some dogs DO clean up,after themselves 😜
Ljohnson

Social climber
The land of ice, snow and rocks
Nov 23, 2015 - 11:10pm PT
Not the first time this has happened out there, nor will it be the last.

About 10 years ago I counted 16 bolts placed at Gemini Bridges for a slackline. Seemed pretty egregious especially when there were plenty of suitable places for nest(s) of clean pro.

Then a few years ago this guy Andy something or other placed a bunch on the Titan to link a slackline to the finger of fate. Had a pretty tense interaction with the guy when my friend confronted him about it at a bar in Vail during the Go-Pro games. To Andy's credit he admitted that his climbing friends told him that nobody would care about extra bolts in the Fishers. After we made it pretty clear that we cared, he apologized and encouraged us to chop them (sadly I haven't been back to the Titan since.)

I understand that slacklines generate a huge amount of force on anchors, (thereby requiring extra beefy anchors) but why is it acceptable to bolt for slacklines when climbing anchors are heavily scrutinized in the same areas?

GDavis

Social climber
SOL CAL
Nov 23, 2015 - 11:17pm PT
To protest said atrocity I vow to stay off instagram for one whole week and will unfollow Camp4 productions and no longer use XA Pro as a filter.
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