I left a total of 11 draws on the classic Jesus and Tequila (7b) at the Endless wall of the New River Gorge on Thanksgiving morning. Both Friday and Saturday were very cold there, and I can almost guarantee nobody was out there on these days.

My crew and I headed down there today, Sunday, Nov. 25, and found a couple on there. Mark from New Hampshire and I didn't catch the girl's name.

Anyway, when we approached, the guy asked if we left draws on this route and I said yep they were mine. I proceeded to go and warm up and when I returned, ready to red point the route, I noticed that the BOTTOM two draws were mine but they rest of the draws had been swapped. The same draws that were on the route were on the girl's harness, who was top-rope belaying the guy.

Without causing a scene, I waited patiently until he began to lower, asking him if he had swapped the draws or what the story was. He was instantly defensive, questioning my friends and I about our ethics, and even threatening to kick my butt if I went through his packs looking for my gear.

Long story short, he had a bad attitude and ended up showing us his packs, which didn't have the gear in it.

What we think happened:

There is no way this guy was bolt to bolting this climb because he was all over it on top-rope. My buddy and I saw he and the girl on another climb on Thursday when we got out before Thanksgiving dinner. We suppose that he saw us leave, rapped in with his draws, swapping as he went, but ran out of draws thus leaving the bottom two.

I can guarantee a maximum of 6-10 people even WALKED past this climb from Thursday, Nov. 22, to this morning the 25th. That might even be a generous guess.

If anyone picked the draws up or hears anything about their disappearance, please let me know.

So what you're saying is that because someone left draws on a 13a or a 14a that Adam Ondra walks up to and destroys on his first go gives him the right to clean the draws and keep them? Sure the route is easy for Ondra, but for the person working it I'm sure it isn't. Maybe this 12b is hard for me? And if you were to check 8a or any other site, it's hard for others as well...

If you really want to get into it, the ethics behind taking draws off ANY route means you have stolen them. You're part of the problem. Besides, to call J&T a ".12b-" as you said is laughable. It's an Endless wall 12b even though I can bet you most that have done it would say it is a step harder. Why don't you bring those .10c leader skills of yours this way and lets see if you can bolt to bolt it champ.

Just because I didn't finish a hard 12b in one day doesn't give anyone the right to take my draws off a route. Sure there are some people who'd do this route first go, and others would who not have a prayer to even make it to the top of it. Does that even matter?