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I was recently thinking about crappy trad routes and wondering if bolts would make them better. Is it possible to take a 2-star gear-protected route, bolt it, and turn it into a 3 star (or better) sport route?

Talk to the wheatleys

how does that work?

a blank cliff face doesn't get any stars. throw bolts on it and its at least going to get one.

ergo ergo sum propter hoc --->>> bolts make stars.

Works great at Owens!

I think we should just bolt all the trad routs and then lower the grade by a letter or two so the difficulty will be more accurately represented. The Stars will follow.

whoneedsfeet wrote:Talk to the wheatleys

OOOOOHHHHHHH!

tradotto wrote:

whoneedsfeet wrote:Talk to the wheatleys

OOOOOHHHHHHH!

The conversion is wrong. 2 star trad route turns into 5 star bolted route. Get it right.

In the case of EGBG there was certainly a much higher quality line of face holds in close proximity to a protectable crack that on its own will likely see few ascents. These were for the most part separate lines, however, one singular line worthy of two stars is still two star climbing whether its protected with gear or bolts imo. Adding bolts would help it see more traffic though.

No doubt Willy, and you're right, a 2star will remain so regardless of it having bolts or not. Maybe the better question to ask is if I get the FA on a 2 star crackish route, do i then inherit the right to bolt it as a sport route if I wish?