Stylistic Differences

There is a route not too far from here that has been getting some attention recently. It offers 1500 feet of mostly bolt protected climbing, at a reasonable grade, a mere 5 minutes from the car. It’s alpine in the sense that the starting elevation is around 10,000 feet, but it’s proximity to I-70 and the town of Frisco relegates it to a more suburban feel.

A friend was asking if I knew anything about it the other day, and so I hopped online to get the beta. As I scrolled down the page, I came across a series of comments that were bashing the route for having too many bolts, bolts near gear placements, etc. It became clear that there were a few VERY disgruntled folks, along with a less vocal majority who had enjoyed the climb just fine in its current state.

It reminded me of another multipitch line closer to here that was actually chopped by an individual who felt the bolts were unnecessary. It was later restored by the FA party, and when I climbed it I could see why the bolts were pulled, but I didn’t think it was so offensive as to merit erasing the original vision.

As we’ve said before, there aren’t many rules in this game, and some routes will be more casual than others. I think there is enough rock out there for many different styles to peacefully coexist. And I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that there are times when I get fed up with all our self-imposed BS and wish there was a more European attitude to climbing in this country. But I digress.

The latter route does have some bolts near cracks in places, but overall you clip bolts on the faces and place gear in splitter cracks. It’s a casual outing that’s attainable to most folks, without the bolts it would be relegated to those who could climb the grade confidently with marginal gear well below their feet. It sounds like Royal Flush is in that same category, and I have to ask what’s wrong with having a big long route that you don’t have to be a super hero to enjoy? Does everything have to be hard core, cutting edge, super fantastico, all the time?

Those against such routes argue that it’s a slippery slope which will lead to everything being bolted, but I think its pretty clear that bolts shouldn’t be placed next to obvious, good gear placements. There will always be grey areas when you talk about marginal gear, or really small gear, especially on a route that aims to please a broader demographic.

That being said, the precedent in many areas tends to be that whoever gets there first dictates the style of the climb. Take for example a Wingate crack that is perfect hands for 80 feet, but then goes to squeeze chimney for 60 more. Many would place the anchor below the squeeze, and the route would get done all the time. Some, however, would take the line to its logical conclusion, and it would be reserved for those with the skill to navigate the upper portions with limited gear options. I would posit that neither is more right than the other, though I would admit to being drawn to the former over the latter.

In the end, I feel there is a lot of rock out there, and it’s OK that we don’t all share the same vision for it. Thankfully, if we work out our differences like civil human beings, we can all generally enjoy it in the manner that feels most appropriate to us.

(I also find it sad that in a world filled with so much real tragedy that a couple of pieces of metal in a rock can irk people so much. Let’s not lose sight of what really matters here, the massive two lane highway snaking through the Rockies is much more of an environmental “travesty” than a line of bolts up a rock.)