To bolt or not to bolt: That is the question

[MADMIKE]

Hola amigos,

I have a question that I am just curious on what everybody else thinks: Would you bolt a crack/seam that protects with sketchy small nuts into a cool, protected sport route?

Salud!

[Saxman]

Unless it is on land you own, no. Sketchy is a relative term.

[dhoyne]

Would you glue holds onto a sport route with a hard crux? Same ethical question.

[rjackson]

The question begs though, is it more than 50% crack? And if not, what's the rest of the route like? There's a lot of mixed lines and sport routes that could have been trad lines. And probably a few trad lines out there that should be sport.

If it's pure, then leave it be.

If it's contrived, then make something cool out of it.

Just stirring the pot...

[krampus]

sketchy small nuts....like "smoothy nut".....hell no, if it protects then keep it simple, but i guess those nuts are not really sketchy. If your only protection for a 20 foot run out crux section was a micronut (rated to 1KN), then yes please add a bolt.

[Wes]

Mixed routes are dumb, 99.99% of the time. Only time the make sense is when the route is 90% gear and just needs a bolt or two to protect a blank spot. Bolt the world!

[JR]

Mixed routes are dumb, 99.99% of the time. Only time the make sense is when the route is 90% gear and just needs a bolt or two to protect a blank spot. Bolt the world!

Mixed routes are dumb.

Did a search on mixed climbs. Lets take a look at some of the more popular mixed routes.

*Red Hot Chili Pepper 10d FRC It's a sport route. Needs one more bolt.

*Face up to that Crack 8- LF. It's a sport route. No real need for the bolt. Crack is high enough up. Cam optional.

*Central Scrutinizer 5.9 FRC. One bolt low to get you to the gear face climb. Not a sport climb.

You are right Wes. The only time it makes sense to have a mixed route is when it is 90% gear and just needs a one bolt to protect a blank spot.

If the routes are on average below 90 feet. One bolt at most. Boom. New rule.

Unless you don't like the rule then do what ever you want with the drill. I will try to climb it either way.

[ynp1]

i think you should fix small nuts in the crack and tell people to leave them in the route description. or use pitons... fuck putting bolts next to a crack...

[toad857]

adding a bolt doesn't take away anyone's ability to climb it the original way. if you want to protect yourself with shitty pro and skip a bolt, go ahead. right? wouldn't it just allow people without a death wish to climb the route?

and what's the difference between ethic and ego, anyway?

and let the hilarity ensue...

[pigsteak]

i think you should fix small nuts in the crack and tell people to leave them in the route description. or use pitons... fuck putting bolts next to a crack...

?????? what in the world is the difference? fixed nut, fixed bolt.., if you fix a nut, you have taken away the opportunity for a traddie to place his own gear. at least with the bolt they can skip it.