We left a BD Hex near the top of pitch 2 White Face; its kinda sentimental as opposed to of practical value since weve taken a number of falls on it and only recently had a friend do a home job replacing the wire; if anyone finds its please don't use it rather let me have it back ...

Not sure if you went back to try and retrieve it. But have done this route recently....and didn't see it.

Sorry.

za_bullet.

Hi

Thanks for the note and attempt to help out ... we left it around early December 2007 and went back, early January 2008 but it was gone ... sadly we aint heard nothing yet ...

Sorry to hear that. I've heard of lots of people (including myself) who have had gear taken out and not returned. I'm not sure how the climbing community feels about this behaviour as a general thing, but I find it quite rude. Considering how small a community it is I am surprised at how often people would take other people's gear, without trying to return it.

sigh!

za_bullet

I think its a pretty sorry state of affairs myself ... i mean not only is it pretty lame to take something that is not yours but also incredibly dumb to take & use a piece of gear you know nothing about.

I thought that one of the cardinal rules of the game was to avoid using gear you don't know too much about ... hell maybe i am a little paranoid but i would not use anything i found on a mountain unless i had to make an emergency retreat and i had nothing else ....

I am all for taking off old tat so that the popular routes don't start looking like base camp Everest but guys (and gals) why not rescue that nut or hex and then tell us about it ... any self respecting climber would, i am sure, gladly pay a few bob to get their prized (read sentimental) old nut/hex back ...

Whats the solution; is there a solution ...

I once lost a No2 friend on the same pitch. It walked itself into a crack on the belay ledge. I could not get it out and abandoned it. Went back a week later with a few home made retrieval tools but someone with smaller hands than me had taken it. It was about due to be retired anyway.

Gear left on route should be considered litter & removed. Imagine if all left gear stayed on route, blocking placements & looking crap. Gear left on route has always been fair game. The exception would be gear on a route that is currently being worked. Possibly nessesary pitons should be left.

Why sentimental about an old hex? Was it found on a route some place special?

Hi, I saw this hex pretty well stuck on the route, thought that it was there for good! It was eventually found at the bottom of the route by a guy i know (bumped into him on Lions head and he mentioned this to me). He had every intention of returning it to its owner. i do think that it is a little absurd to run after people who get gear stuck, but if someone asks for it, give it back. This forum has probably changed the old custom of 'if i can get it out its mine' - it s now possible to find the owner and return the gear. (if you have internet access).

PM me for the details of the dude that has this hex.