Now, quality of installation and materials aside - the thinking process that spawns comments like this are exactly why outdoor climbing is fast becoming a sad emulation of indoor climbing. It is so fundamentally flawed as to miss the entire point of climbing and beg the question of whether the 'development' of risk-free climbing for risk-averse suburbanites really is climbing at all as opposed to simply another 'lifestyle' branding and entertainment option.
In reply to:
For God sake man......you're talking about installing bolts in the rock. By definition you are eliminating risk......or have the capability to relieve the climber of the evaluation of the efficacy and location of protection. Your comment begs the argument to do away with fixed installations and sport climbing altogether.
Its not acceptable that you, the installer, artificially impose unecessary risk by neglect/ignorance where it need not be.
The point of sport climbing is to allow the climber to focus on the moves......yes? That's how i've always understood the general thought to be.
If you are going to go to the trouble to place fixed protection in a sport climbing environment, MAKE IT SAFE. Do not inflict that level of impact and then skimp or do a crummy job to try to make a personal statement of how bold you feel you are......because that's not what sport climbing is about. And if you are confronted with these conditions at your crag......talk about it.....and do something about it.
I am not talking about installing bolt ladders on ever route to enable those who otherwise could not, the oportunity to aid climb the route's fixed protection.
Somehow some want to impose the traditional climbing concepts of ethics and style in the arena of sport climbing
(This post was edited by bernard on May 23, 2007, 11:30 PM)
