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crushingfinger
Jan 8, 2004, 3:23 AM
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I'm all for them but sometimes you can't see em!!! Have you ever: been off route, skipped a clip, or just fed up with em? I never have but I could see this being a real problem so I stopped using them.
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socalbolter
Jan 8, 2004, 4:10 AM
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the shiny bolts are sometimes a real problem with land owners and rangers. there's really no excuse good enough for not minimizing the visual impact of bolts by either using eco-bolts are painting the hangers to match the rock before installation. take it one step further and cut the outline of a hanger out of a piece of cardboard. this can be slipped over the non-camo hangers at your crag when retro-painting them. just because the FA party didn't do it doesn't mean it shouldn't be done.
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coldclimb
Jan 8, 2004, 6:39 AM
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The painted hangars I've seen have been ugly. The paint flakes off, leaving blotchy, half-shiny, ugly things on the rock. Personally, I like shiny. ;) Maybe just an affinity for gadgets, which are almost always shiny and modern-looking, but I prefer my bolts to be metallic.
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brianinslc
Jan 8, 2004, 5:29 PM
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In reply to: I'm all for them but sometimes you can't see em!!! Have you ever: been off route, skipped a clip, or just fed up with em? I never have but I could see this being a real problem so I stopped using them. I usually custom paint my own. With the rustoleum decorative splatter paint stuff, they just dissappear into the rock. Kinda cool. Had several folks this summer tell me they really like them. But...on certain rock types, especially steep knobby climbs (ala Maple Canyon UT), they are so camo'd that they are pretty hard to see. So...I've gone to painting the bottom of the hanger, only visible from directly below, with a bright yellow (hardhat color) paint. Really catches the eye when leading, but, standing on the ground, still pretty darn invisible. Stainless especially on granite seems to be dull enough that folks could get away sometimes without painting. I still think they should be painted. Mitigate that visual impact. If a casual hiker by can't see bolts on the rock, then fixed anchors aren't an issue. Voila. Brian in SLC
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crotch
Jan 8, 2004, 6:18 PM
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In reply to: I usually custom paint my own. With the rustoleum decorative splatter paint stuff, they just dissappear into the rock. Kinda cool. Had several folks this summer tell me they really like them. That rock-paint is good stuff.
In reply to: So...I've gone to painting the bottom of the hanger, only visible from directly below, with a bright yellow (hardhat color) paint. Really catches the eye when leading, but, standing on the ground, still pretty darn invisible. Sounds like a great solution.
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tweek
Jan 8, 2004, 7:05 PM
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The bolts that blend into the rock make the impact on others much less. But I realize what you are saying about finding them so I always take a can of black or pink spraypaint and spray a line connecting all of the bolts on the route so they are still easy to find. It also makes climbing more like connect the dots which i really excelled at in school. Some times its just too hard to resist making a smart*s* remark. I'll try to resist harder in the future. Now continue on with the productive discussion.
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taualum23
Jan 8, 2004, 7:14 PM
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The idea of painting the bottom bright yellow sounds great! WHat a creative solution that should really make everybody besides the hardcore "bolts-are-evil" school happy. Wait, did I just see a well thought out solution that pleases almost everybody on rc.com? No, well, I must be dreaming, maybe when I wake up it won't be 17 degrees anymore. J
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zachres
Jan 8, 2004, 10:03 PM
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Registered: Apr 25, 2003
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In reply to: In reply to: I'm all for them but sometimes you can't see em!!! Have you ever: been off route, skipped a clip, or just fed up with em? I never have but I could see this being a real problem so I stopped using them. I usually custom paint my own. With the rustoleum decorative splatter paint stuff, they just dissappear into the rock. Kinda cool. Had several folks this summer tell me they really like them. But...on certain rock types, especially steep knobby climbs (ala Maple Canyon UT), they are so camo'd that they are pretty hard to see. So...I've gone to painting the bottom of the hanger, only visible from directly below, with a bright yellow (hardhat color) paint. Really catches the eye when leading, but, standing on the ground, still pretty darn invisible. Stainless especially on granite seems to be dull enough that folks could get away sometimes without painting. I still think they should be painted. Mitigate that visual impact. If a casual hiker by can't see bolts on the rock, then fixed anchors aren't an issue. Voila. Brian in SLC What a fantastic idea.... this is perhaps the most intelligent thing that i've ever read on this site. Zach
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crushingfinger
Jan 8, 2004, 10:18 PM
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Good job Zachres, The best I have heard so far as well. What kinda climbs are you putting up? Pm me with the beta I'd like to try them out.
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crushingfinger
Jan 8, 2004, 10:19 PM
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Sorry wrong climber. You know who you are. :oops:
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bnjohns
Jan 8, 2004, 10:24 PM
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I wonder, would painting bolts make it more difficult to judge the age and effectiveness of bolts? Otherwise I can't see too many disadvantages...
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pornstarr
Jan 8, 2004, 10:46 PM
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In reply to: I wonder, would painting bolts make it more difficult to judge the age and effectiveness of bolts? Otherwise I can't see too many disadvantages... yeah, you're right. maybe i shouldn't clip them.... ;) interesting point though.
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ambler
Jan 8, 2004, 11:32 PM
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I remember a few climbs high above Tuolumne, where the bolt was out there somewhere lost amid a sea of knobs. You could easily climb past, and notice too late -- oh there it was, 30 feet left and below you. Part of the game there.... But shiny bolts on more down-to-earth cliffs can be a source of trouble with non-climbers and land managers. There are people besides climbers who look closely at cliffs, and who don't like it when they see bright metal all over what they thought would be a "natural" view. The use of rock-colored fixed gear could be a key adaptation for the survival of climbing in such spots. If it's tougher to see, that just adds to the leader's challenge.
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boltdude
Jan 8, 2004, 11:44 PM
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Camouflaged hangers are actually required for bolt replacement in Joshua Tree and Red Rocks. The pre-camo hangers from Fixe and Metolius are nice and last longer than home paint jobs, but if you're short on money, home paint jobs are way better than none at all!
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brianinslc
Jan 9, 2004, 12:47 AM
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In reply to: Camouflaged hangers are actually required for bolt replacement in Joshua Tree and Red Rocks. The pre-camo hangers from Fixe and Metolius are nice and last longer than home paint jobs, but if you're short on money, home paint jobs are way better than none at all! Pre painted hangers from Metolius and Fixe are where to start...then custom for the local rock. Not easy gettin' paint to stick to a stainless or galvanized hanger....much easier to just buy them prepainted...then dust on a custom splatter coat. Hard to keep the paint chippin' off bolt heads too...but...at least a mottled chipped bolt head is better than a shiny one... Brian in SLC
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