BMC Bolt & Chipping Workshop’s
Monday, June 2nd, 2008
The British Mountaineering Council Supports Bolting (deliberate damage to unquarried rock)
http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=301834
BMC Guidebook’s Sales Back Bolting… Pete Livesey:”Malham Cove – what must the Nature Conservancy Council think, with the conservationist BMC permitting bolting on a very fine and admired geological SSSI?” Pete, would turn in his grave if he knew about the British Mountaineering Council’s Cheddar bolting debacle (2005/6)…
OTE Issue 47, April, 1995: ‘Bolting in the Peak District is to be funded out of BMC guidebook profits. An open meeting of the BMC Peak Guidebook committee voted overwhelmingly in favour of contributing to the Peak Bolt Fund, set up and administered by Seb Grieve. Peak District limestone is a world famous climbing area but much of its fixed gear is in a dangerous state. Seb has been replacing bolts and fixing belays out of his own pocket until last year when he started collecting money from local and visiting climbers…’ So there we have it, the BMC actively funding bolting, against the wishes of the vast majority of British climbers.
The Peak Bolting fund is still working well (2006) a new bank account being recently opened to try and swell the Fund’s coffers… ‘We can have ‘pride’ in the Peak Bolting Fund.’ Really! You know what they say about – pride – it come before a fall.
Five years earlier in the Dec, 1990 issue of Climber magazine Peter Evans wrote: ‘So the creeping, insidious and abhorrent disease of bolting has taken a further step up the crags in Scotland. Like AIDS it needs stamping out, and it’s time those who want to see it nipped in the bud – I believe a majority of climbers north of the border – stood up to be counted. Otherwise it will gain credence and bolters will feel they have carte blanche to carry out their activities (the deliberate damaging of unquarried rock) free of censure, wherever they like.’
A court case recently held that governing (repesentative) sports bodies were responsible for their members safety. Why then, does the BMC avocate and increase in climbers abseiling, being ‘lowered off” climbs rather, where possible, continue with the tradition method of descending crags and cliffs, by walking down where ever possible.?? BMC Skills & Safety – Abseiling Tips: ‘Abeiling, not the quickest way down. A common and false perception of abseiling is that it is an adventure activity that is completely safe. But as many have discovered, accidents occur (will now increase) even in controlled circumstances. The BMC’s Equipment Failure Investigations include abseil ropes cut through, failed anchors (even bolts), detached karabiners and abseil devices that ‘mysteriously’ did not control the speed of decent.’ Abseiling is the one time during a climbing day, when all of the climbing equipment comes under stress.
The BMC went on: ‘For most experienced climbers abseiling is an activity to be avoided unless it is the – only way of getting off a climb or down a mountain – for the unwary it can be a fast introduction into discovering the quickest way to reach the ground.’ Their ill advised safety information continued: ‘For long abseils where it is necessary to join two ropes a reliable knot ‘must be used’. Probably (definitely) the most reliable is the double fisherman’s knot, But this can become jammed after an abseil. An alternative is an overhand knot…’ The overhand knot is not only – unreliable, it also can jam (in much narrower cracks) as it is retrieved after the abseil.
And yet, the BMC is actively enticing young climbers to indulge themselves, abseil when there is a much safer alternatives. When old bolts (badly placed bolts) start to fail, more climbers making mistakes when abseiling, the BMC will be responsible (and parents and relatives now have some BMC names to use under the new Corporate Liability Law) for the avoidable, increase in deaths and injuries that are bound to follow the use of bolted climbs and lower off’s by the BMC. That the BMC is now also condoning the use of the British Death Knot (overhand knot) to be used to fasten two abseil ropes together, is another fatal flaw emanating from this: professional body at the peak of it profession.??
‘Bolts only work on sport type routes i.e sustained overhanging rock (not Cairngorm mountain granite).?? So wrote some individual in Climber, January, 1991. The picture that accompanies the article shows Greame Livingstone (photo by Garry Latter) reaching to clip a long, pre-placed sling above him on Fated Path a bolted route on unquarried rock, on Craig a’Bhancair – Glencoe. So bolts do not work on granite.? Apparently the mouthing of fatuous platitudes when it come to bolting, has started. The next symptom, these so-called climbers, start to – dribble. Can’t climb? Bolt!
Guy Keating, BMC Regional Access and Con-servation Officer, Thursday, 30 September, 2003: ‘News just in from Martin (Crocker) on his work on the Cheddar Gorge Climbing Program.’ “So far in Phase 2 of the Cheddar Gorge Climbing Project (commenced 12.9.2004) the following climbs have been restored (down-graded) and, from October, will be available to climbers (swing around on). The excellent climbs at Cheddar Gorge have in fact be available to ‘real’ climbers for the last fifty years. Several climbs, now fully bolted, are then sited in Crockers report to the BMC . Care will be needed when approaching routes initially given the many years they’ve been neglected (Sports Climbers have apparently been failing on the approach routes hence the need to bring these climbs down the their standard). All retreat (the Italian Army became famous for this manouver) from abseil stations. Sunset Buttress, Paradise Lost (due to bolters) and Gates of Eden, together with a direct means of access to the underlying ledge, are likely to be ready the second weekend in October (as long as rain does not stop play). Edge of Eternity (direct) is ready now.”
Keating goes on: ‘Anyone (the BMC has a policy of enticing youngsters of – any age to the potentially dangerous sport of climbing) in need of any more information can contact Martin Cocker, as previously publicised. Routes restored (damaged) are photo-digrammatically desribed in a booklet costing 5.00 pounds sterling from Martin Crocker.’
The wholesale bolting at Cheddar Gorge is a typical example of pro-bolters not being satisfied with ‘some bolting’, it has to be all or nothing. What Mr Crocker does not mention is: Cheddar Gorge Management Company (Longleat Estate’s) in a Case Management Conference has stated: ‘The climbing regime in Cheddar Gorge in ‘agreement’ with the British Mountaineering Council has decided that ‘only BMC members with their own insurance can now climb in the gorge’. Bolted abseil stations at the top of the most popular climb are to be allowed.’
And what do we see in response? The wholesale bolting of Cheddar Gorge. But of course!
Peter Evens, in Dollar, Clacks, wrote in Climber, Dec, 1990: ‘The creeping, insidious and abhorrent disease of bolting has taken another step up the crags in Scotland (November issue). Like AIDS it needs stamping out, and its time those who want to see it nipped in the bud – I believe a majority of climbers north of the border – stood up to be counted. Otherwise it (bolting) will grain credence and the bolters will feel they have carte blanche to carry out their activities free from censure, wherever they like.’
The point is that this is an issue that is effecting, will effect, all climbers eventually. Yes, you got it, all climbers will have to buy BMC insurance if they wish to continue climbing.
Bird Line, Cheesewring Quarry, Cornwall, (finishes through the small V notch right of center), FA Dennis Morrod with one point of aid in the final groove) FFA E2 5c, climbs diagonally from left to right into the overhanging groove right of centre in the photograph above. Bolts, have appeared in close proximity to this trad climb. In fact, all of the original trad climbs in Cheeswring Quarry are being / will eventually be over bolted. That is the (not so insidious now 2004) part of the insidious BMC bolting plan for the UK. Be assured, these particular bolts in due course, will be chopped!
Can’t Climb? Bolt!
The worst piece of bolting that I have ever witnessed is at the foot of the ‘Nose’ on El Capitan in Yosemite, California. Walking slowly along the foot of the huge, vertical face, shooting as it does heavenwards, straight out of the horizontal ground, I was running, sliding my hand along the marble smooth granite of this magnificent, ageless monolithic monument. The scene was ruined when on looking up, I was confronted by rows and rows, of bolts. The rock had not a single feature for hundreds of feet – just those dammed bolts.
http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=301834Bolting supported; sponsored by the BMC… Cheating in climbing is out in the open and being codified by the BMC.
Bolts in the Eden Valley sanctioned by the BMC: ‘hardon’ (Rockfax 26 May 2006) – I personally would be completely against bolts at ANY crags in the Eden Valley…’ There are many climbers who do not agree with the BMC’s pro-bolting policy…the deliberate damage to cliffs and crags (this includes bolting already established traditional / adventure climbs without – the permission of the first ascensionist) from Lands End to the Highlands of Scotland’s by members of the BMC.
Bolting has introduced lies and cheating** into the sport of climbing. Cesare Maestri during his supposed first ascent of Cerro Torre in 1959, returned to re-climb his supposed ‘first ascent’ of that Patagonian mountain (The Rape of a Mountain in 1971) and placed with the aid of a petrol driven compressor, some 300 bolts (deliberately drilled and inserted in excess of 300 expansion bolts). Following his despicable ‘lead’ other climbers instead of shunning such a desecrated route followed; repeated the route using the inserted bolts. The supposed ‘first ascent’ in 1959 was proved to be lie many years ago. The need to return and construct the ‘Compressor Route’ by the same individual, proved it beyond any doubt. ** Reinhold Messner stated that only cowards packed bolts into the top flap of their mountaineering rucksacks… and yet, this what the British Mountaineering Council and its members have gone for – http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=215043 http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=277
Government E-Petition against ‘expansionbolts’ now online… http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/expansionbolts
Category : Bolts
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