dustonian wrote:It's a good thing there are no PDs at Solar Collector, it's really helped to keep the overcrowding/trash/poop/noise/erosion/dog problems down there. Oh wait.
That's what was just about to post. No fixed draws at Solar Collector, but the crowds there get just as insane as the Undertow wall. If anything, even more insane, because the base is so small.
No fixed draws at the Zoo, yet the last two weekends there were people waiting several deep on each and every route.
At both of the above crags, I've witnessed packed-crazy weekends that were, nevertheless, running smoothly, and I witnessed packed-crazy weekends that were a complete nightmare.
Things were running smoothly when the first person to climb each route, whatever it was, would leave his/her draws on for everyone to climb on for the rest of the day. There were some exchanges of draws, some cleaning on lowering, switching draws, etc. but in general, the attitude was, sure, go ahead, you guys can climb on my draws, just get them back to me in the evening. oh, and also, while some people might have been dogging the routes, everyone looked like they had at least a reasonable chance of climbing a route clean.
Things quickly went to shit if there was even just one group that could not easily get to the anchors, yet persisted in trying (which is more likely to happen when there is a vested interest in finishing the climb in order to not leave the draws, whether they are the climber's own draws, or the draws of the person who kindly allowed you to climb on theirs -- the group I am thinking of got on Lynx Jinx at the Zoo, clearly over their head, as they had admitted, but they had to get those draws, so two hours later they were still at it...)
To me the bottom line is that fixed draws at one segment of the wall at one particular crag (e.i. Undertow at the Lode) are a very minor contributor to overcrowding of the Lode in particular, and the Red in general. I don't like the fact that draws were removed because it seems like there is no united opinion in the community. One side is raising money and equipping the routes with perma-draws, the other side is stripping them. It is inefficient, it creates more tension in the community, and it does nothing to address the underlying problems of crowds.
For better or worse, the trend at the Red, and at other popular climbing destinations had been to have the draws hanging, just like there is a general trend that the draws are left hanging on climbs in 5.12 and above range. This was not an executive decision of a small group, this was a slow development of the climbing community in general.
You can't just go and arbitrarily decide that this segment of the wall will henceforth have no more draws hanging overnight (where is the border, between the cave and the Undertow, btw? Does Tuna Town still have draws? Harvest?) because some people got together and decided that this would be the way to relieve crowding (so presumably they can still climb on their projects, because their projects are too steep for anyone sane to suggest that the draws should be removed there, too, but enjoy less crowding).
If there is a general change of attitude EVERYWHERE at the Red, fine. if this is just one facet of less littering, less impact-- O.K. otherwise, it seems wrong.
I admit I almost want to go to the Lode this weekend now, just to see. My saner partners will probably prevail, but my prediction is that if the crowd at the Lode is any less this weekend, it is because everyone got a word of what a shit-show it has been for the past several weekends, and not because of the draws. LOL, there might even be a backlash, if every one of those guys who thinks that lack of draws will keep the crowds away will now gleefully go to the Lode to enjoy their solitude.