Bolted route at the gap, left of Fear No Evil

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  • #6496 Reply
    Owen

      When I was rapping left of Fear No Evil at the gap last year, I noticed a bolted line that branched off left from a lower section on FNE and continued up the headwall above. It is bolted with GIMPs and looks like an amazing and hard route.

      Does anyone know anything about this route/project?

      #6497 Reply
      Ross

        This is a “no bolting zone”, as per DEC regulations, agreed between CAWA-CALM and Albany climbers some 12 yrs ago.

        #6498 Reply
        Owen

          Yeah, but the bolts are definitely there and i’m still curious.

          If someone is worried about copping it, consider sharing your beta under and anon name? I reckon that a route like that shouldn’t be kept secret.

          #6499 Reply
          mike

            sigh… only in WA would our most concentrated area of quality climbing be limited like this. sorry to ask, but does anyone really care about a 15 year old ‘agreement’?

            #6500 Reply
            Shannon

              So where are all there “No Bolt” zones?

              #6501 Reply
              Owen

                rossclimbing.typepad.com/1997SCUM.pdf

                http://www.climberswa.asn.au/Community/Messageboard/default.asp?view=message&id=550

                The unsettled consensus seems to be that an adventurous ethic should be observed in the ACZ area, but there is no outright ban on bolting as there was at the time of the agreement in the early 90s.

                Crew don’t seem to consider themselves restricted by something as vague and amorphous as the ACZ. The content and status of the ACZ is unclear, and there would almost certainly be no adverse consequences for contravention.

                ACZ aside, I don’t think there is any ethical compulsion to observe a bolt ban in this area. There was never a no-bolt ethic before the ACZ agreement, and the ACZ has not modified the position in a practical sense (this is based on community views, and the fact that bolts have appeared and no one complains).

                What do crew reckon?

                #6502 Reply
                Emil

                  Oooo Oooo can I be a part of ‘the crew’? This being a little hobby horse of mine, I would love to input, though Im sure Owen you know what Im about to say.

                  I would agree with Mike and Owen’s sentiments. Quite possibly all the ACZ does is gives Albany climbers more terrain to sneak in their own little projects…

                  The original fear with the ACZ’s implementation (yep about 15 years ago) was that punk Perth climbers would jet down to Albany and grid-bolt the cliffs.

                  Considering there are roughly 4 parties of punks in Perth who own drills and bolt thoughtfully, I think the fear is unfounded.

                  In fact the argument could be made that a ban on bolting makes places like Peak Head more dangerous because people keep climbing the bolted routes on bolts that were shocking when they were first installed….

                  Bolt thoughtfully and with care and there could be 300% more routes for all grades, none of which would be in sight of a touron.

                  #6503 Reply
                  ed nepia

                    cant really see how thoughtfully placed anchors could detract from a tourists experience, in fact most tourists find watching climbers interesting.. bolts and hangers can be camoflaged if necessary

                    it does look like there is a lot of good new route potential down there

                    #6504 Reply
                    Owen

                      Buckley’s chance of tourists seeing bolts on pretty much any sth coast rock (unless someone put in staples at the natural bridge area)

                      #6505 Reply
                      Di

                        And if any tourons do see bolts, it’s a quick answer to the question ‘how’d you get the ropes up there?’

                        #6506 Reply
                        Neil

                          i think this one gets done over every two years or so.

                          conslusion is always the same.

                          i wouldn’t know anything about unreported bolted routes on the south coast…. *cough* except emil’s grade 15 sport route up the south face of peak head. but everyone knows about that….

                          #6507 Reply
                          Emil

                            hey neil thats a grade 8 M0 bolt ladder, not 15 and it was meant to be a secret!

                            #6508 Reply
                            Owen

                              So is it a closed project? I didn’t see any red tape 😉

                              #6509 Reply
                              Emil

                                sounds like neil poached my project if he’s grading it 15. the pink flagging tape must have fallen off…

                                #6510 Reply
                                Jim Nevin

                                  there was rumoured to be a classic bolted line put up by one of the younger climbers from the metro area in 1997. Perhaps if you ask some of the hard men of the time ,they may know. Regarding the ACZ, the conservation authorities still regard it as valid. While I would agree with a lot of the views expressed above I do know that bolting around The Gap is a particularly bad idea. DEC are scared stiff of some gawper falling over a cliff while watching climbers and have wanted to restrict climbing in the past for this reason. The original ACZ agreement was to have been flexible and subject to review and amendment however when changes have been proposed they have been politely stonewalled by the then authority. My own opinion is that the ACZ is outdated and should be revisited . While the Gap area is quite obviously the area most suited to sport climbing in Albany I doubt that it will ever happen. When the ACZ was being formulated I championed the above view and was surprised at the strength of opinion against the idea. The original dispute over bolting could be boiled down to a few parties of differing views and similar egos acting unilaterally without regard to the other . A softly softly approach may have led to a better agreement?

                                  Jim.

                                  #6511 Reply
                                  Neil

                                    sorry emil.

                                    i just assumed with sooooo many bolts and all those glued on bits it was already climbed.

                                    i kind of agree with jim.

                                    prob best to leave the gap so we don’t annoy DEC. then we can probably do more or less what we want at other less touron frequented locations. i don’t think DEC’s concern is the bolts exactly. more the tourons taking a terrified tumble whilst watching owen.

                                    #6512 Reply
                                    Emil

                                      I think the thing to remember as well is that bolts do no equal sport climbs. Lines would open up with only a couple of judiciously placed bolts and lower-off are not always necessary.

                                      As for the Gap, leave it for the punters. There is so much more rock in the ACZ (sheesh it stretches for some 30km of coastline) that you could climb a route elsewhere and never see a soul.

                                      #6513 Reply
                                      ed nepia

                                        wow ‘ tourists might take a tumble watching climbers’ thats a pretty amazing reason for not bolting an area…

                                        sure is a wierd wierd world

                                        #6514 Reply
                                        Ross

                                          Hi Jim,long time…

                                          I had a look at some of the relevant Management Plans on Naturebase and see no mention of ACZ or bolting there. Do you know of any place where this is actually officially documented? Maybe you could text me your email on 0422 927962.

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