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climb2core wrote:

captain static wrote:Don't you just love revisionism

This is not revisionism. This is evolution based upon best practice to mitigate risk. Less people decking or dying beats out the traditionalists need to preserve a piece of metal.

Revisionism: the theory or practice of revising one's attitude to a previously accepted situation or point of view.

EricDorsey wrote:

climb2core wrote:

captain static wrote:Don't you just love revisionism

This is not revisionism. This is evolution based upon best practice to mitigate risk. Less people decking or dying beats out the traditionalists need to preserve a piece of metal.

Revisionism: the theory or practice of revising one's attitude to a previously accepted situation or point of view.

The comment was intended as history revisionism. or "the re-interpretation of the historical record"

If a bolter puts an anchor that has chains and quicklinks, she intends for you to lower. If he puts in rap rings spaced far apart he is either (a) cheap (b) really passionate about rapping (c) old school and didn't know better. If you lower on this set up your rope will twist. Most bolters I know of are now spending the extra $$$ to put in chains and quick links and most bolters I know are lowering. When in doubt, do what the bolters do. They've spent far more time, money, and effort and if they don't care about switch out a quick link, you shouldn't either. And you really should carry some to replace them as needed or donate to FGI or both.

And really the BEST way to clean an anchor is to ask the group that's going after you if you can use 2 of their draws and just swap them out at the anchor and lower from their gear. It's much faster and very easy. With the long lines and crowds this makes life easier for everyone.

[quote="
And really the BEST way to clean an anchor is to ask the group that's going after you if you can use 2 of their draws and just swap them out at the anchor and lower from their gear. It's much faster and very easy. With the long lines and crowds this makes life easier for everyone.[/quote]

Make sure you check out their gear if you're going to use it! Don't let them hand you a quickdraw with a raggedy dog bone!

Moving rope under load with embedded sand can wear through steel. I saw a diagram on the forces of lowering from a two bolt anchor in different configurations versus rappelling. I don't remember the details but I can say that clinched it for me: when in doubt rappel. But you have to realize I am about 75% Traddie and only 5% Sporto (the other 20% is a combination of boulderer and compulsive liar) so for me dealing with getting down goes far beyond convenience and ease. I've rapped off things that would make most of you puke and gotten down safely. I've freed other people's stuck ropes from rappels. And I've always looked carefully at anchors before using them.

All that said, I agree with Josi. Know enough about anchor setups to be able to recognize when the intent is to lower versus rappel. Be able to ascertain a situation where lowering would be dangerous or destructive to the anchors and avoid killing yourself or degrading the resource. If the developer intended for you to lower and the point where the rope contacts metal looks safe then go for it.