|
devkrev
Oct 28, 2006, 2:40 PM
Post #1 of 8
(3459 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 28, 2004
Posts: 933
|
Hello Owens Locals, I have seen photos from your area on the front page a number of times, and it looks like really fun climbing. I was wondering about one thing though, the bolted cracks. I have seen the comments of some of the photos, and it usually has something about "thats if the rock with hold gear!"
My question is why. What kind of rock is it? I tried to google the history of the place, but I'm sure I won't find much unless I buy the guide. How is it that EVERYTHING seems bolted?
Why do people no have issues with the bolted cracks? What's this place's deal?
Pointless, jackass, or non-constructive responses need not reply.
dev
|
|
|
|
|
jcrew
Oct 28, 2006, 2:54 PM
Post #2 of 8
(3459 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 11, 2006
Posts: 673
|
there are gear lines at Owens.......it's not all bolts. the rock is some kind of volcanic tuff or something, and the good stuff water polished
|
|
|
|
|
themightyjimbo
Oct 28, 2006, 3:05 PM
Post #3 of 8
(3459 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 17, 2003
Posts: 31
|
volcanic tuff. as i recall, there are a few hundred trad lines in the gorge. they seem to get very little traffic as there are hundreds more sport routes, and a small rack of draws will keep you climbing happily all day.
|
|
|
|
|
rocknroll
Oct 29, 2006, 4:46 AM
Post #4 of 8
(3459 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 26, 2003
Posts: 111
|
I have placed over 600 bolts in the Gorge and never bolted a crack. I even got shit for not bolting up routes where natural gear was required between bolts (they callled it a forced run-out) The guidebook author told me "Nobody will carry gear into the Gorge." Well, then you are not going to get very far on high-quality routes like "Flailsafe" which is a superb multi-pitch hand and fist crack.
The rock is volcanic tuff. The lowest rock in the Gorge is far denser than the stuff at the rim. It has many slots that often can take a horizontal camming unit very safely. However, to climb between those slots that take gear would create wandering routes; bolting vertical lines (or where the climbing goes) makes for a far better climbing experience.
I think the first bolted crack in the Gorge was "You shoulda killed me last year..." and though some staunch traditionalists wanted to fulfil that promise of the route name, the majority of locals didn't bat an eye.
Although there are some five star cracks in the Gorge, the sport climbing-centric guide book authors don't give them the stars they deserved. Mostly becasuse they never climbed them. Then there are some real deadly cracks that are in the guifdebook only because the crack was used to access anchor placements for nearby sport routes. IF it gets no stars, stay away, unless you like the challenge of choss, which I do.
Most of the cracks that compose the entire length of a pitch are not bolted. The pictures you see are often short sections of crack in the middle of a sport climb Bring a rack into the Gorge someday and enjoy some very excellent crack climbing.
I hope I answered your question.
|
|
|
|
|
boltdude
Oct 29, 2006, 6:33 AM
Post #5 of 8
(3459 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 30, 2002
Posts: 685
|
Most Owens cracks are not bolted.
A lot of Owens cracks have somewhat suspect gear (hollow flakes, hard to pro, etc). Most of these are still not bolted.
Some Owens cracks are bolted even when the crack is bomber (these tend to me mostly newer routes, or short sections of older routes). Often the crack was originally filled with junk and flakes and is only good now that the crack is cleaned (and many of those routes were still done on trad gear even when really sketchy).
Also, Owens tends to have some large features that are basically hollow. Huge flakes with hand cracks can still sound hollow when you bang on them. This includes a couple of the ones you've seen on the front page here.
To understand the crack bolting, you have to understand the area. Not far from ENDLESS granite in Yosemite and the High Sierra, Owens at first looks like a dirty junky hole in the ground, or as Peter Croft put it, "a swell spot for some underground nuclear testing." Sport climbing itself was highly frowned upon, and Owens seemed like a great place for that "unethical" type of climbing. Even then, most routes were done ground up and with a mix of trad gear and bolts, even pitons in pockets. Eventually people asked why, if they're bolting faces that could take cams in pockets, why not bolt sections of vertical cracks too - after all, sport climbing is about convenience. Only a very few climbs are fully bolted cracks - most of them are mixed face and crack, where even with a big rack a few bolts would be needed.
While people complain about the well-known bolted cracks at Owens, there are plenty of bolted cracks elsewhere, some even in Yosemite on bomber granite (such as Great Escape).
And as Mike says, there are a lot of very fun, good quality trad routes in Owens. Some of which are very heads-up.
But as far as the history, the number one thing to understand about the bolted cracks at Owens is that there is a VAST amount of rock in the area, and basically people are OK with a few sport bolted cracks at Owens. No one is adding bolts to existing crack routes.
|
|
|
|
|
boltdude
Oct 29, 2006, 6:45 AM
Post #6 of 8
(3459 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 30, 2002
Posts: 685
|
In reply to: How is it that EVERYTHING seems bolted? |
|
|
|
|
devkrev
Oct 30, 2006, 8:07 PM
Post #7 of 8
(3459 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 28, 2004
Posts: 933
|
I understand now.
Its a perfect example of "I have seen pictures of (pick any country), and everyone in the pictures wears (strange article of clothing), I guess everyone in (country) wears (clothing).
thanks everybody for clearing that up.
dev
|
|
|
|
|
caughtinside
Oct 30, 2006, 8:39 PM
Post #8 of 8
(3459 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 8, 2003
Posts: 30603
|
Like has been mentioned, there are plenty of crack routes in the guide that don't have bolts (although many of them have bolted anchors to descend, the rim is super chossy.)
That being said, I have personally climbed some routes there that are all crack, and all bolted. And it was a lot of fun! :twisted:
My personal fave was whacked scenario, a .10b in the gorgeous towers. I think it was a full 150+' pitch. Of course, you'd need a mega rack of all 3-6" gear to protect it. And it is probably only really .9. :P
but there's really not much reason to carry gear into the gorge, there's so many great sport routes. If you want to crack climb, there's better places to go. Just my opinion.
|
|
|
|
|
|
