UKC

UKClimbing.com have decided to explore a new and highly controversial development in climbing - BOLTS. We have asked three modern cutting-edge sport climbers to demonstrate what it is all about and just how it will affect our traditions.

Our three VIDEO stars are Ian Dunn, Paul Craven and the up and coming youngster Graham 'Streaky' Desroy.

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=46968

In reply to UKC News:

What we really need is more bearded old men speaking out on behalf of the climbing community.

In reply to UKC News:

Was this c&p'd from a 70's climbing forum or something?

Checked the date too - it's not April 1st.

*confused.com*

In reply to UKC News: Brilliant, I particularly enjoyed Paul Cravens genuine use of the word 'mega'...


And "Friends unveiled...they fit where the thin end of the wedge won't!" is the funniest thing I've read today...

In reply to UKC News:

Just watched the video and it states

"just like on an indoor wall there is no risk of injury just of failure."
at 2:06

What a load of rubbish. People do get injured indoors and on bolts. Like Nick Kaczorowski who died a couple of months back.

http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=45888

In reply to Ben Darvill:


That's a very politically incorrect statement. In these modern times where equality is prized, that isn't what we need at all.

What need is more bearded old men and women speaking out.

T.

In reply to Pursued by a bear: Quite, the sex of spokespeople is irrelevant, it is the beard that is crucial.

In reply to UKC News:

When will Richard E Grant make a guest appearance with his aga ?

In reply to JoshOvki:

I guess you missed the point of the article making fun of the entire clip

Noticed the Youtube link at the bottom of this clip to Simon Nadin cruising up Beau Geste at Froggatt (on the "retro-flash" if I remember rightly)...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2zRgjv6LwE&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ukclim...

... bit more interesting than bum shots of Squawk and Paul "Powerbar Socks" Craven mincing around on the Catwalk

In reply to Tom Briggs:

What a superb piece of climbing. Presumably dating from c.early 1990s??

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

I remember the programme being made - Fear of Falling. Mark Vallance does a bit in it about Friends. 1993 perhaps?

In reply to UKC News:

whats all the fuss about?

In reply to Tom Briggs:
Fear of falling on channel 4? I've still got the book from that but strangly had forgotten about the program and trad climbing. Can someone tell me more about it? are there any books about it?

In reply to Tom Briggs:

I have it on video (although quality is failing). Yep, all the grades listed had rockfax icons with it - rather funny to watch.

In reply to Tom Briggs: I remember the programme being made - Fear of Falling. Mark Vallance does a bit in it about Friends. 1993 perhaps?


Friends didnt start till 1994. Was it the one where Chandler blew his nose in a day - or was that all of them.

In reply to UKC News:
What's the copyright situation with these vids? Would it be OK if the person who uploaded them stuck some more on?

In reply to UKC News:

Nice to see this article. In the years that have passed it has become apparent that not everyone has clamored to climb sport over trad. Limestone remains the true home of the bolt (with the odd bit of sandstone I guess). Even places like Malham still retain their trad routes on the wings. Trad seems to be as popular if not more so than it was previously with weekend warriors hitting the trad cliffs regularly.

It may surprise people to learn that not all people who go sport climbing are monstrous beings with 10 eyes and they generally fully understand and support the ethics that exist and have no wish to bolt gritstone to within an inch of its life. The same goes for people who like bouldering.

What progress will these bearded elitists get in a huff about next, eh? People climbing in tennis shoes? Some sort of rubber that gives better friction? Very small protection? Pro that can go into parallel cracks? Oh. Wait a minute.

This trad climbing lark is far too dangerous! Fortunately there are all these nicely bolted lines these days. I'd like to see a few more of them on those gritstone slabs though.

Clearly the concern regarding trad climbing dying out 'over the next 10 years' proved unfounded. Trad is still pretty healthy, and long may it remain so.

Bonatti deplored in one of his books the advent of modern protection, which he thought lessened the challenge and experience of climbing. Nothing new under the sun! The irony is that nuts and friends do not generally damage the rock, whereas the pitons traditionally used by Bonatti & co do. Somehow he didn't seem concerned about this side of things. Still, at least now we have Millstone and Lawrencefield!

In reply to UKC News: The timing of this particular article is very interesting. Does UKC have an editorial stance on the issue pros and cons of bolting or for thay matter, by implication, the choice of the next president of the BMC?

"the young and trendy lycra-clad rock-athletes".......?!

In reply to UKC News: I was horrified to visit Benny Beag crag near Crieff last year- http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crag.php?id=1958
I expected a blank steep chunk of rock bolted because of the lack of any natural gear. Instead I found it was criss-crossed by numerous cracks of sound rock from bottom to top. The routes are all low-mid grade and includes an 8m Diff with bomber natural placements nicely lined with silver. Above the level grass top-out a line of trees is set back about 5m from the edge and easy descents were possible either end of the short crag.
I would give a lot to have such a perfect location on which to teach the art of placing natural gear but instead found line after line of shiny bolts.
A couple of guys expressed an opinion that the rock wasn't sound enough for natural gear so next day I placed all sorts of gear and tested the placements, mostly no more than half a metre from an offending shiner. Such quality gear and rock would be considered as well above average on a huge number of trad venues.
The crag was a trad venue for many years and I can only assume that it became somewhat overgrown. For the gardeners, who have done a good job of the cleaning, to have bolted everything and anything to such an extent seems criminal. The lower-off points again remove any semblance of trad british climbing where setting up simple anchors for belay or top-rope at least introduces climbers to the forces, techniques and gear involved. Setting up a top-rope is surely cheaper than buying quick-draws so any financial incentive (for the beginner climber or centre using it) seems negated.
I know I should be taking this up with MC of S but any thoughts or info on the matter would be welcome before I do.

In reply to mike lates:
Sounds like the bolters didn't follow the due process of discussing the extension of bolting on this crag at the local MCofS meeting etc (or did they and it was deemed ok?). A shame but chopping the bolts would only create a mess. Perhaps this should be brought up at MCofS and BMC area meeting as an example of how not to go about things.

In reply to Mike Lates: Extensively discussed on scottishclimbs last year I seem to remember, so I don't think this is new news.

In reply to andyinglis: Hi Andy
What was the conclusion/arguements or is there a link to it I can read? Not a regular on scottish climbs sorry.