I need some opinions please.

I have tradded a new route at the Steeple (upper right hand side of the crag). It's about grade 15, eat's gear (plenty of easy placements all over!) and has two bolts for top anchors (if you happen to climb the route, please leave the two biners at the top in place!).

Should I bolt this route or leave it as trad?

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Climb ZA - Administrator

Bolt it man, you can never ever have enough bolts!!




Just kidding...

If it has so many easy placements, then it would just be a waste of bolts. It will also be a great route to teach people to place gear. It looks nice and straight too.

TRAD ALL THE WAY!!!!

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Super Mario

I'm with the trad option as well, perhaps just mark the start so that it's clear to see? If it's clearly marked the next oak with a drill will also not have the excuse that he did not know that it was an existing route.

He did, can't you see that big yellow blob?

<face palm> my bad, thought it was a turd

I'll break out the tin of yellow paint

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Climb ZA - Administrator

Trad yo. But who's going to trad one route at the Steeple?

This is what I would like to find out? Would you bring your trad rack to the Sport crag?
(It's fun to trad Gospel Express)

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Climb ZA - Administrator

Me.

Please keep it trad. There are so many sport routes in Montagu. I've done this route, and its a grate place for newcomers to trad to get exposure. Sport climbers needing low grades are already spoilt for choice in other areas in Montagu with even easier access.

I doubt of sport climbers are going to que up to do a 15 at the furthest part of steeple. Whichever way Justin, you did the FA, so follow your own heart and mind

peace to all!

This could be a potential favourite for MDT SPSA training??

yeah... leave it trad for sure!

Think "Crack Of Dawn" at Lakeside... its an excellent pitch of trad to introduce people to placing gear and get them up and running on trad!

My 2cents...

Tricky question and it would be dissapointing to see a splitter crack with a line of bolts next to it. BUT whats stopping people leading a sport route with trad gear? Saw video with Pete Croft do just that on Vanbelladrome in Yosemite. And yes the bolts did look out of place on that splitter.

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AndyDavies

Man, and Andy Davies usually speaks such sense on the forums

Trad is rad...

Agree with Andy Davies. So if you wanna spend R200 or so bolting it then fine. I wouldn't bother. And in 20 to 30 years' time the bolts will look messy and require redoing.

Stu if Pete Croft the legend can lead a sport route on trad then anybody can. And he didn't even whinge about the bolts

Yes trad is rad and there are some routes which just should never be bolted. For example there is that lovely looking splitter (24?) in the Truitjieskraal gulley. Would love to climb it on trad and if any numbnuts bolts it, I would be dissapointed - read chopity chop

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AndyDavies

Thanks for everyone's opinions,

The route will remain a trad line with top anchors. If you want to climb the route, a set of nuts + a couple of mid size cams will get you to the top safetly.
The routes name is 'The Devils Dandruff' Grade +-14

* Please do not remove the two biners at the top!

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Climb ZA - Administrator

Sure, I was simply pointing out that bolting that line and then expecting it to be climbed (in the next 150 years) as an actual trad line is just not gonna happen

Good call on the route Justin, perhaps it can serve as Silas' first trad route

my after-the-fact-2c: don't think it's the worst thing if you bolt it; can still be traded (mcninja got me into trading routes at lower silvermine when we take beginners out); it is a sport crag afterall and the it's not an exceptional crack like crack of dawn. but is it really worth it to bolt it? good call in the end imho.

and good on you to get some views on it!

Think it is worthwhile leaving as trad and seeing how it goes. There is a shortage of easily accessible single pitch trad routes that can also be lowered from (thinking about climbing parents who may want to take toddlers to the crag and still enjoy tradding but would presumably be adverse to abandoning said toddler while buggering off on a multi pitch climb and/or a long and winding descent). However, based on the Bosch experience (where the classic Latin Lessons seemed to accumulate cobwebs until bolted), I suspect that your lower off crabs may be safe. Another example is the crack corner (name ???) at legoland.