I see we have a dead horse here, may I?
1) As much as it pains me to say it, the debolting of Thin Air was not a good move. Thin Air is an over-rated route that, by virtue of it being the easiest way up the cliff, getting three stars in the guidebook and having abundant fixed gear meant that, on weekends at least, it is the site of a dawn to dusk conga line of muddling leaders, four person parties and guided groups. The holds on the traverse were polished the last time I climbed that thing (1995 I think) and are doubtlessly no better now. But in a way, you have to appreciate Thin Air since it was a bit of a sacrificial lamb. The more crowds on that route means lesser crowds on others. What does debolting accomplish? The route is still going to be a polished junkyard teeming with slow parties.
2) "Respecting the style of the FA" does not mean pounding in pins. It means using no more fixed gear than the F.A. party, and preferrably less. Why less? Because pins damage rock and bolts are permanent features that significantly change the character of a route. Doing the route in better style is a commendable thing. This doesn't need to be elitist: I might hang on gear or french free a move or two and that's my problem. The problem arises when my actions impact those that will come after me. No doubt I could nail my way up Stage Fright. This would be an unbelievably selfish and short-sighted way to destroy one of the most storied climbs in the valley.
3) I am not at all rabidly against, or always for there being fixed gear. The fact, however, is this: putting in fixed gear changes the character of a climb, and often that of climbs around it. There is too little good rock around to go ahead and bolt indiscriminately.
In this regard, Rumney is an interesting case. You can look on it as a sacrificial lamb, which by virtue of soft grades and fat bolts, soaks up the crowds. Moreover, its good to sacrifice the ugly runt with chossy sharp unaesthetic rock. More charitably, that pile of schist would be an utterly non-rewarding venue for trad climbing. It was pretty much screaming to be turned into a sport climbing venue, and mirabilis dei, the end result is a place where you can have a great deal of fun climbing.
The basic, fundamental fact is this: the resource we have is extremely limited and we have to share it among larger and larger numbers. All our ethical principles must be grounded in this reality.
that's it from me,
chris s-g
Ps: except for the bit about nailing Turner's Flake. John Turner was a bad dude, he climbed that thing with no pro you weak-kneed nancy.
