Mountain 129 (Sept/Oct 1989) | Magazine

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Bernard Newman:

Disturbing reports are coming from climbers returning from Cornwall. It appears that several of the new hard routes on the West Penwith sea cliffs show signs of blatant hold manufacture, apparently by someone using a battery powered drill. It is particularly sad that this abhorrent practise has migrated southwards to Cornish granite from the Slate quarries of North Wales, where a precedent has been set by the leading activists there. This vandalism marks a very sad turn of events for British climbing, but is a predictable progression from the placing of bolts on virgin rock. The whining rhetoric of the chipper/ bolter is pathetic and totally out of keeping with the unique style of British sea cliff climbing. It usually runs thus: bolt protection makes the route go - makes it accessible and safe for more people, so while you're hanging there, Bosche in hand, why not make a few positive jugs to pull on too - who cares, the end justifies the means - doesn't it? [1]

Ken Wilson writes in:

Dear Sir,

Like John Hart's arguments, Mark Robinson's reply to my warnings about bolting (Mountains 125 and 128) is couched in the soothing terms of modernistic logic, dismissing yesterday's climbing as an ancient relic. Yet his complacency is breathtaking - either that or he is a cynical fifth-columnist out to subvert the body-climbing.

We must concentrate on what already exists. In Britain and America we have a marvellous legacy of rock climbs, in all grades, established over the years from a consensus philosophy based on adventure. Put simply, in today's terms, this means using nuts to protect climbs up unprepared cliffs. In Germany, France and Italy, despite a brief period of nut use in the early seventies, the crags are now, for the most part, rigged up with bolts and pegs. Many of these crags will accept nuts (even Buoux and St. Victoire) but continental climbers have absolutely no intention of using nut's, they want their sport sanitised, lobotomised and safe. These attitudes are now given legitimacy by what is happening at the hard end of the sport, either on the blank overhanging walls of Buoux or in competitions or in the many adverts that litter the magazines.

In a recent communique from Verdon, we have learned that an early Fawcett route done with nuts has now been neutered with bolts. A climb gelded and made safe and a telling example that the French do not give a fig for style and tradition.

What Mark Robinson, and those who agree with him, might care to consider is do they want all the fine climbs of Yosemite and the Gunks, Cloggy or Carn Dearg, to be rigged up with bolts, or do they wish to preserve the nut culture. "How about rigging up all those trad climbs on the Cookie cliff with bolts and come to think of it there are some quite unjustifiable run outs on the Apron - lets have some nice juicy bolts every ten feet. While you're at it lets have a full quota of bolts added to the Nose and it really is tiresome having to place nuts in Supercrack." I believe the nut culture is both ethically, adventurously and ecologically desirable. Ironically it is more important in the lower grades than on the had climbs. When one is less able of unfit (as I frequently am), one welcomes climbs that have a broader challenge than the mere gymnastic.

I may be alarmist in my warnings - I hope I am - but after seeing the results in France I am truly fearful that the same will come to Britain and America, ushered in by the new culture that surrounds the world of competition climbing and the redpoint hangdog yoyo syndrome on the overhanging crags. We have to decide now what is worth preserving and I humbly suggest that the thousands of climbs that have been established in this ethos (which includes some pretty powerful stuff) should be maintained in their present state, and moreover not made to look ridiculous by establishing bolt protected routes alongside them.

Also we should, I believe, do our best to ensure that as many new climbs as possible maintain that tradition - particularly on the challenging high rock walls around the world that await the attentions of the modern super-climbers (when they can tear themselves away from the plastic competition crags) who will tackle them, one hopes, with nuts and friends and not with the despicable bolt gun. Sign the pledge Mr. Robinson and Mr. Hart if you really care about the future of climbing! [2]

References

[1] Page 9

[2] Page 49