Reply To: Climbing on CALM land – Stathams – Mar 19 2006

Sorry Rod but i need to bring you to task on a number of points:

1) You talk about “an area” where people have bolted routes and claimed FAs that you think are not theirs. Firstly, if you dont publicly claim a FA then what do you expect? Secondly, if there are now bolts on the climbs, how did you initially do the FA? Toprope? Sorry – no dice.

2) Re the safety concerns for the LCDs: Most climbers by far are killed or injured in abseiling or descending or from objective danger such as rock fall, not in gear falls. Adding bolts to lower offs or top rope bolts is not going to lower accident rates that arnt there.

3)As for the L.H.FOOGs, they need to learn their limits. They’ll have epics and a few falls but havnt we all? You cant sterilise their environment and nor should you. As from 2 above, theyre not going take a dirt nap by ripping gear or falling from the top of a crag trying to set up a toprope. theyre going to rap off the end of their ropes or take a tumble descending Ali’s. Shit happens.

Lets face it Rod, most WA climbers outdoor resume is going to do clip-ups in the quarry, climbing sport routes at Bobs, quivering up easy trad routes at willy’s and maybe the odd bolted slab. We’re hardly in the midst of a hardcore climbing culture. In fact, thats the problem