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| Messages 1 - 17 of total 17 in this topic |
Spider Savage
Mountain climber
The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles
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Topic Author's Original Post - May 25, 2019 - 08:09am PT
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Having done a jillion years top rope climbing at Stoney Point we always had the ethic of preserving the rock and our bodies by top roping everything.
Bolting up the rock when you could easly place removeable pro or simply set an anchor at top and TR it is rather selfish, a form of spray. Kind of like the old white-man ethic of simply shooting every animal that moves.
Risking life and limb to do a 20 ft high ball, geez, I don't know. Maybe I'm just old, but it never appealed to me. I guess it's an accomplishment that gives a body bragging rights, like climbing Everest, but hardly anyone would even understand.
Now I'll give it to you that climbing is best when it's spicy. The routes I've put up all have nice runouts to them.
Funny how the old time attitude is both bolder, and safer.
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skywalker1
Trad climber
co
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May 25, 2019 - 08:58am PT
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Obviously leading is sometimes a requirement but I hear you. Where I grew up there were many climbs that could have been bolted as sport routes. However with a little searching you could usually find an alternative way to the top.
Sometimes we would put bolts up there and sometimes slung a tree. But we left them unbolted and just called them top ropes. I'm glad we did that. I've visited the area several times over the years and it seems to have remained that way despite increased traffic.
S...
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Rudbud
Gym climber
Marathon, FL
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May 25, 2019 - 09:04am PT
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“White-man ethic”
This is original, haven't heard much about of this type of sh#t lately, please tell us more.
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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May 25, 2019 - 09:19am PT
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Adrenaline.
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Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
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May 25, 2019 - 09:40am PT
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Yup & yes, both what is good And what is fun
needs to be apart of what defines climbing rock; for me
both corded & cordless
One is play and super fun
The other is deadly serious
That scratches an itch feeds something deep inside
A ride just doesn't do that
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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May 25, 2019 - 09:48am PT
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Still trying to suss out top-roping the Eiger.
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jeff constine
Trad climber
Ao Namao
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May 25, 2019 - 03:59pm PT
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Sharp end is way more fun.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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May 26, 2019 - 07:56am PT
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because the whole point is to walk up to it and climb it. why bother climbing it if you have to hike to the top to rig a rope first?
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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May 26, 2019 - 08:05am PT
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I like to go places where top ropes are difficult to set up.
Ahhh...to live in LA with Stony Point at my fingertips. Alas....not all dreams can be realized.
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Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
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May 26, 2019 - 08:45am PT
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I like to go places where top ropes are difficult to set up.
Credit: Not DoniniCredit: Not Donini
This summer’s playpen
This summer’s playpen
Ahhh...to live in LA with Stony Point at my fingertips. Alas....not all dreams can be realized.
A long 1 mile walk, downhill
These next 2 pictures are the same rock
1st,The hard sideSadly,Up hill all the way homeLike J Donini's peaks, While on the map, Literally "Great Rocks Place" I've kept the place secret,in its own small wayIt is Spectacular
Thank You Sir!
It was meant In good humor
This Gnome sits on a different hillsideIt has been an honor to have shared these pages with you, Berg Heil!
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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May 26, 2019 - 10:29am PT
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Sweet little area Gnome...but no graffiti!
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10b4me
Social climber
Lida Junction
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May 26, 2019 - 12:06pm PT
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When I started out high ball bouldering was a method of getting my head into leading.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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May 26, 2019 - 08:42pm PT
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Spider, it seems as if we're ignoring your point about altering the rock. Considering that, though, highballing and top-roping should have the same leave-no-trace effect.
But I haven't figured out a substitute for the adrenaline rush from leading.
John
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Spider Savage
Mountain climber
The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles
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Topic Author's Reply - May 28, 2019 - 10:55am PT
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When new sport or bolted routes are put up, we just trust that first ascentionists have the environment in mind.
At the opposite end of the spectrum we have, hypothetically, someone with no education except maybe a little knowledge of construction and the tools and slams a bolt lader up the middle of Beethovin's wall without any regard to local history or ethics.
There are two stems to this thread. On the other stem is the serious injury one risks and too often recieves from high-balling. I had a $25,000 ankle injury which has had me limping these last 33 years. And I have helped rescue some even worse ankle smash-ups. Both on pads.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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May 28, 2019 - 11:51am PT
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Because the bolted routes are so steep that you'd hit the ground if you fell off while top roping, duh.
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Radical Rebirth
Trad climber
Texas
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May 28, 2019 - 12:18pm PT
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Highball for a time felt a natural progression of climbing - instincts, judgement, technique, control, skill and don’t f*#k up. High ball had a zen feel of flow and confidence. Why ? Like anything, because it’s a test, a challenge and it’s fun. I use the same instincts taking care of very sick patients or even raising my kids.
That said, bouldering hurt my fingers and my back. I never fell from high or hurt myself from a single fall. But the repetitive small falls and obsessive hard climbing hurt me in ways roped climbing never did.
I wish I had just stuck with the rope. These climbs be they single pitch, or to summits, or up great lines of rock are, to myself, much more satisfying.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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May 28, 2019 - 12:54pm PT
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Spider...I stopped dificult (for me) bouldering in the early 70’s when I got serious about alpine climbing. If you’re like me and don’t consider the Third Pillar of Dana alpine climbing, you start buying plane tickets to get to the goods.
In 1973 a good friend of mine had bought, along with me, his plane ticket to Patagonia. Despite cautions from me, he couldn’t resist trying a Gill problem in the Jenny Lake Boulders.
After diligent effort he didn’t get quite high enough to finish the problem but he DID get high enough to break his ankle during the resultant fall. Hmmmm...I pondered, if you don’t fall when bouldering people will say you aren’t trying hard enough....and if you do fall you may find yourself in the frustrating position of trying to get your plane ticket refunded.
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| Messages 1 - 17 of total 17 in this topic |
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