UKC

Was just flicking through a recent guidebook & noticed quite a few climbs around 6-8m with bolts - a height that to me is just highball using a pad. So wondering what feelings are regarding when something is highball vs needs to become a sport route?

In reply to olliebristol:
A 6 m sport route seems safer to me with a pad than a rope (top out dependent...). Where are these routes?

In reply to olliebristol:

Most of the new cuttings is as you describe and can/ has been done in both styles.

Climbing with a rope means you don't ah e to top out or jump off which could be safer. And jumping/ falling off vert or slab is a bit dodgy when you're high.

In reply to olliebristol:

You can still highball it so no problem

Just leave the beanie at home

In reply to olliebristol:

It's not as simple as looking purely at height, is it? I think the landing, the type of climbing and the position of the crux all have a big impact. Also depends on the local ethic.

In reply to bouldery bits:

My knees are shot. Bring on the bolts.
The portland stuff was getting overgrown before the additional bolts were put in. Few bouldered to top out from what I saw.

In reply to olliebristol:

I'm thinking 24 feet is in route territory height wise?

In reply to Timmd:

Statement or question?

In reply to Fraser:

An ambiguous mixture of both.

In reply to Luke90:


Totally agree. Coincidentally, last week I soloed a couple of tiny possible FAs at the New Cuttings. Although they're really tiny, without a mat or spotters, you didn't want a hold snapping or a foot popping. Having had my little bit of fun, you think which is better for other people - highball or a bolt in? I'm almost sure I'll plump for the former but will get some mates down with pads/spotting just to check. Conversely I can think of another recent micro-route FA on Portland, at a different venue, not that much higher, where two bolts definitely seemed appropriate. Yes, I could have headpointed/soloed it but the two bolts just seemed appropriate.

Certainly with new routing on Portland, you think, 'What's likely to give the better experience?' - from an array of styles. And obviously you can't get it right every time. And, re the OP, you definitely can't get it right for everyone. Such is life.

Mick

In reply to Luke90:


This is absolutely true and my answer was a little flipant. I still think 6m is usually 'in' for a couple of pads and some trustworthy spotters in most cases.

In reply to olliebristol:
Always be a good question. I've so often wondered about it. What is a route, what is a problem? Are you climbing it just for yourself or do you want others to enjoy it? It's also worth remembering that a lot of normal rope climbers might not even have pads and pad climbers no ropes. To answer the original question, for me I'd go with 25 feet above the ground (decent landing) to become a route bolts or not. It's important where you draw that line for topos as it gets a totally different grade.

In reply to Mick Ward:


There's still FA's to be found at the Cuttings? Well, bugger me sideways!

In reply to Oceanrower:


So, the girdle?!

In reply to olliebristol:
Personally I wouldn't want to climb 6-8m without protection, so I don't see what the issue with such routes being bolted at a sport crag is. Often such routes are beginner routes.

OTOH, if they are established boulder/trad routes (there are 6m trad routes) I would suggest they shouldn't be bolted.

In reply to Oceanrower:


Another FA was done only last week. I did one last December and another last September. The September one was a particularly nice find, a F6a (not a Cuttings polished to hell, gnarly sandbag) which should give pleasure to lots of people. Took a lot of effort though - four hours one evening and 12 hours the next day. No guarantee of quality until a long way into the digging. Not many would wish to expend such effort. It helps living just down the road so you can go home and collapse!

Mick

In reply to Luke90:


Maybe. I get the impression from replies here that many climbers are moving away from internal development and discipline of mind into an attempted concentration on the purely physical...so what's pushing this change? Not going to name specific routes because I don't want to single out specific developers, just to comment that this is interesting as at the same time feat's like Honnold's solo of Freerider become venerated as great climbing achievements

In reply to olliebristol:

It's not 'moving away' it's always been like that. Everybody wants technical and safe.