Is the FA important?

[One-Fall]

http://www.mountainsandwater.com/2012/0 ... d.html?m=1


For me, no. It's more informative for me to know who put in all the work making it ready for the masses.

You?

[climb2core]

FA is important for several reasons...

1.) It is tradition to maintain the style of the original line as intended by the FA. If we stop
Recognizing that then anyone can modify that as they see fit as there is no ownership of precedent.

2.) It is important historically. The few do the work for the many and that needs to be recognized.

3.) Collectively, recognizing FA tells a story of who and what has come before us.

Now one thing that does need to go is the FA send train that seems more common these days...

[JR]

I am hoping that the recognition that we do give FA's is sufficient enough to motivate the continuing development of the Red....

[climb2core]

I am hoping that the recognition that we do give FA's is sufficient enough to motivate the continuing development of the Red....

90% of the route development going on in the Red today could probably be recognized by buying 10 six packs.

[clif]

aren't bolters like the Goldman Sachs guys, ---'you need to worship us because without us there wouldn't be an economy?' i guess i think the people who secure land/rock are at least as vital [and ALL HAIL the Webers].

i could elaborate but i'm sure i've pissed off enough people with that.

[dustonian]

I personally just do it for fun, nothing else... beer and old ropes are always appreciated though. For what it's worth I am also working on access issues at several crags in the southeast on non-climbing/stuck-in-the-office days (like today), and I know lots of other bolters/developers who do the same. The categories of "developer" and "access negotiator" are often highly overlapping.

I think what Lee was getting at (correct me if I'm wrong) is distinguishing between the person/people who equip and clean a route versus the person who actually happens to redpoint it first. Much like interdisciplinary scientific research, some new routes are created through a collaborative process with multiple individuals contributing hours of labor, equipment, insight and inspiration into undiscovered sequences (props to Scott Curran). If someone is listed on a FA I did it is because they contributed something specific and crucial to this fundamental process.

[Andrew]

I think what Lee was getting at (correct me if I'm wrong) is distinguishing between the person/people who equip and clean a route versus the person who actually happens to redpoint it first. Much like interdisciplinary scientific research, some new routes are created through a collaborative process with multiple individuals contributing hours of labor, equipment, insight and inspiration into undiscovered sequences (props to Scott Curran). If someone is listed on a FA I did it is because they contributed something specific and crucial to this fundamental process.

I agree that I think this was Lee's point. The developer should get most of the credit or at least more credit than the FA. With that said... Ray, don't you dare take away my FA's of routes I didn't bolt.

[climb2core]

Thought you were climbing today?

[bcombs]

It's all just a scramble for points. The more routes you bolt the more points you get.

There should be a +10 point premium for the FA's send since the route was probably not cleaned and still covered in drill dust.

[Andrew]

Thought you were climbing today?

Yea... at the gym.