Is it Ethical to “Fix” a climb?
Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 5:43 pm
I was raised a “strict traditional climber.” by my momma.
One of the major tenets is this:
“Don’t mess with another man’s route”
You climb it the way it was born or you walk away, simple.
But times have changed, the nature of climbing has changed, yes, even some of the most sacred tenets have changed.
My dilemma is this:
We have a local sport climbing area, “The Echo Cliffs”, 99% of the climbs were/are manufactured by gluing, chipping, hell even some “blasting” went on to make these climbs.
A climb that I like to do had some of the key holds fall off; some of these holds were good and used to make the clips.
Without these holds the crux of the climb is clipping the first three bolts, if you blow the second one, you deck for sure from about “up 25”. In short the original route is gone.
If you Top rope the climb, the line now climbs some really good stone about 6 feet to the right, it’s the natural weakness, and joins the original line about 40 feet up.
These climbs are now about 20 years old and they all have changed some and the folks who did em first never climb there anymore and have no interest in returning to do maintenance.
I did ask one of the "developers" of these climbs about this and the answer was: "I don't give a S--t..... "
Is it wrong, for me, to “fix” the climb by moving the first three bolts over?
edit for usage.
One of the major tenets is this:
“Don’t mess with another man’s route”
You climb it the way it was born or you walk away, simple.
But times have changed, the nature of climbing has changed, yes, even some of the most sacred tenets have changed.
My dilemma is this:
We have a local sport climbing area, “The Echo Cliffs”, 99% of the climbs were/are manufactured by gluing, chipping, hell even some “blasting” went on to make these climbs.
A climb that I like to do had some of the key holds fall off; some of these holds were good and used to make the clips.
Without these holds the crux of the climb is clipping the first three bolts, if you blow the second one, you deck for sure from about “up 25”. In short the original route is gone.
If you Top rope the climb, the line now climbs some really good stone about 6 feet to the right, it’s the natural weakness, and joins the original line about 40 feet up.
These climbs are now about 20 years old and they all have changed some and the folks who did em first never climb there anymore and have no interest in returning to do maintenance.
I did ask one of the "developers" of these climbs about this and the answer was: "I don't give a S--t..... "
Is it wrong, for me, to “fix” the climb by moving the first three bolts over?
edit for usage.