UKC Forums - Dam with climbing holds and bolts?

Dam with climbing holds and bolts?

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Lurking Dave 03 Sep 2003

In the mists of my mind I have a picture of a dam with (resin) holds bolted to it...*

Tell me I didn't imagine this. Where is it? Has anyone done it?

LD

*And before anyone asks it was on the dry side of the dam not deep in the resevoir.

andy 03 Sep 2003

In reply to Lurking Dave: It's near Chamonix, isn't it? Can't you see it off the Montets?

Alii 03 Sep 2003

In reply to Lurking Dave:

Emosson dam in Switzerland, just over the border from Cham/Vallorcine.

Adam Lincoln 03 Sep 2003

In reply to Lurking Dave:

Climbing has been banned there now

adrian botting 03 Sep 2003

In reply to Lurking Dave:

In switzerland somewhere. last I heard a significant proportion of it had been stripped, following a change in ownership of the dam and concerns over insurance. Prior to this, I believe it was a 'guided parties only' affair, with a key to unlock the ladders that allowed access to the starting holds which were quite a way up.

Mooncat 03 Sep 2003

In reply to Lurking Dave:

Switzerland, IIRC you can only climb it with a guide, seem also to recall that climbing is banned completely there now.

Or maybe we've been both having the same weird dream?

Austin Donnelly 03 Sep 2003

In reply to Lurking Dave:

The reason they only allow(ed?) guided parties is because so many people came to grief on it. Being dam-shaped, it gets progressively steeper towards the top! Plus its a pretty long route by all accounts. I spoke to a BMG who has just come back from doing it a couple of years ago, and he raved about it.

Austin

220bpm 03 Sep 2003

In reply to Austin Donnelly:

Looked at it not long ago when across in Cham.
IIRC its 5 pitches with F6c+ crux on final pitch

Looks absolutely mental!

sandyman 03 Sep 2003

In reply to 220bpm:

its F6b+ only the last pitch or so. Pretty straight forward, the sequence of holds keeps repeating itself so you end up doing several repeated sequences. It is steep but not that hard at all really. Used to be used as an 'ecole de base jump' as well, which is also banned no as well. Stuff about only guides, keys to ladders etc, all true

Ropeboy 03 Sep 2003

In reply to Lurking Dave:

Also of interest is a redundant cooling tower in the States somewhere and they've bolted that up, it's enormous with multi-pitch routes on it, it looks cool!

Might have a quick search and see if I can find it again, I think it was in Washington state somewhere.

J

Anonymous 03 Sep 2003

In reply to Ropeboy: they did it on that channel 3 tv show with mrs macall the challenge program

Ropeboy 03 Sep 2003

In reply to Anonymous:

Oh, didn't see it, who is Mrs Macall? Was it the cooling tower in the US?

I've done a search and it's thrown up all sort of weird stuff but couldn't find the site, mmm, will try again later.

J

Anonymous 03 Sep 2003

In reply to Ropeboy: divina mccall im sure it was one in swiss

Anonymous 03 Sep 2003

In reply to Lurking Dave:

As already mentioned, it's the Emosson Barrage, just up from Vallorcine.

There is a topo - and photograph - of this 'route' in the guidebook for the Aiguille Rouges:
'Les Aiguilles Rouges - Escalades au soleil', by Dulac and Perroux.

nessie 03 Sep 2003

In reply to Lurking Dave:

Didn't need to be a guide when i did it - well, failed on it actually! - just paid deposit and got key to ladder.
It is 4 pitches, as someone said each steeper than the last - and the last one was too steep for me !

Pretty good for plastic, very very exposed feeling because the wall is so smooth

Richy 03 Sep 2003

In reply to Lurking Dave:

> In the mists of my mind I have a picture of a dam with (resin) holds bolted to it...*

Just one question - if u want to change a route, does the water gush out the bolt holes???