La Mesa has been chopped. yes, the one from the April cover of Rock and Ice

So Michael Smith and I were checking out Ross Pond today. We went there intending on just getting some trad practice in, and near the end of our time there we also wanted to do La Mesa (a 5.9 sport route) to finish up the day. Michael got there first and as I was approaching him on top of a slippery, snowy trail he said "man, I think it's been chopped." I didn't believe him at first and kept saying "no way, it's just that we can't see the bolts from our angle." Sure enough when I got close enough the bolts were all chopped. Looked like someone took a blowtorch or something to it.

So as far as I know the the bolts did not go over an established route, bolted by the FA and had the permission of the town to install the bolts, so what's the logic of chopping the bolts? I can't believe someone would want to restart the bolting war. Well, I guess I'm going to do my part - I'm flabbergasted by the action and would love to contribute money in rebolting the route as well as bolting new routes at Ross Rocks.

Really feel your pain, Ming. Sorry to learn that a popular sport route was chopped, but welcome to the bizarre world of new route politics. Could be territorial imperative, a grudge, FA stepped on some toes (beat a competitor to the line)? Could be the fact that the route got so popular that it brought too much attention to the crag and that made someone uncomfortable? Good luck, bolt wars are not productive.

I will donate some money to help it get rebolted, only because I am interested in starting a bolt war.

I was also out at Ross today and when the news came back to the parking lot wall I was so bummed out. I was really hoping that some bolts would start to go up in this state but it just seems like bolts will never be allowed to stay for too long around here. I just hate how because of these bolt chopping acts anything that gets put up is so hush hush. the whole situation just sucks!

EricSchmidt wrote:I will donate some money to help it get rebolted, only because I am interested in starting a bolt war.

Ming, Any of you guys got a bolt gun?
I have 7 hangers and 5 Ring Anchors with some hardware I will donate.
bolts
The black spray paint was an attempt to camouflage the shine, all the hangers are new and have never been placed on a climb.
PM your address and info and I will see how much the shipping will be,maybe we can split the cost?
Hopefully I can find the missing wedge and sleeve on the top left bolt.

EricSchmidt wrote:I will donate some money to help it get rebolted, only because I am interested in starting a bolt war.

lololololol

from another thread

clay meier wrote:God Eric Schmidt is such a douche bag

God Eric Schmidt is such a douche bag

The Schmidtiest

Sorry to hear about your local climbing area getting chopped...hopefully this comes to an end soon. We are experiencing similar issues at some of my local crags.

The chopping sucks and discussions are being had on what the next step is... Lets work out solutions locally and not nationally in an internet forum.

If you see KN's car, dark Mitsubishi License plate: 949-TPF, you might want to investigate and report.

Joe Lee wrote:The chopping of bolts is not a local issue. I think is has more to do with randomness of a few single minded individuals. The solution? I don't now.

The gene pool needs cleansing. Any volunteers? Didn't think so.

Too many people + inbreeding = CT bolt wars.

Get the popcorn ready.

Let's clear this up...no routes at Ross Pond deserve the term "classic" and I think it's a shame that it made the cover of Rock and Ice. If anyone decided to take a trip there based on the article alone they would be in for a huge disappointment.

"La Mesa" went up over a top rope route that probably thousands of people climbed first. You scramble up the backside, build a gear anchor and have at it. I grew up less than 5 miles away and would regularly climb there with plenty of other people. It's not classic...it was shot from a nice angle so that you can't see the graffiti and broken glass.

I disagree with the bolt chopping but I think people need to know that Ross Pond is no destination crag. If you live within 20 miles it's worth it for an afternoon of climbing but you'd soon run out of stuff to do. If you come to CT for climbing don't go there...time would be better spent at Ragged, East Peak, Cathole, Firewall, etc.

Dmadison wrote:I was really hoping that some bolts would start to go up in this state but it just seems like bolts will never be allowed to stay for too long around here.

Nah...the old, crusty sacks who do the chopping will be dead soon. You've got to think positively.

It ought not matter whether the route is a classic. Nor should it matter that the route was previously a top-rope route. The fact that it was a top-rope route suggests that bolting it for lead climbing was appropriate, unless the notion is that we ought to be preserving the rights of top-ropers. This is vandalism, pure and simple, and it needs to stop. The other attributes of the route are beside the point.

Can there be a "Connecticut bolting/chopping woes" forum? I'm so glad the Adirondacks aren't like this...

So SchmidtHead is spouting off on his personal ethics on the East Coast AND Northern California forums? And Reggie, too? Man, they get around. Local knowledge no longer needed. Have mouth, will travel.

TWK wrote:So SchmidtHead is spouting off on his personal ethics on the East Coast AND Northern California forums? And Reggie, too? Man, they get around. Local knowledge no longer needed. Have mouth, will travel.

It's funny how you get your panties twisted up so bad over what some assholes on the Internet say while at the same time pretending to be above it all with your sterling silver plated ethics.

I didn't have an opinion on this one and was going to keep my trap shut for once but since the resident douche nozzle asked...

Someone care to explain how it's suddenly become your constitutionally protected right to sink bolts into every chunk of shitty rock you can find?

Sorry it's not convenient to build a TR anchor and sorry your ego doesn't get fapped enough unless you're working the pinkpoint burn on your sic new proj. Bro. If people have been happily TRing this route for years and the general consensus of the crag it no new bolts over established lines then I can't even begin to fathom what all the fuss is about.

Go back to the gym and stay the hell away from real rock if you have to fuck it up for everyone else.

A tip of the hat to Mr. Chopper!

thats lame... I did this route a few years back on a very difficult to setup TR. Was lookign forward to getting to give it a go as a sport route. oh well...

Justin Sanford wrote:Sorry to hear about your local climbing area getting chopped...hopefully this comes to an end soon. We are experiencing similar issues at some of my local crags.

Ben, unfortunately Justin is referring to a local ADK crag...

I don't know the specifics and there's likely nothing I can do about it anyway, but he's cool and would probably have private dialogue if you cared to find out more.

Unfortunately there's lots of inbreeding in Justin's neck of the woods too. :p

Reginald McChufferton wrote: It's funny how you get your panties twisted up so bad over what some assholes on the Internet say while at the same time pretending to be above it all with your sterling silver plated ethics. I didn't have an opinion on this one and was going to keep my trap shut for once but since the resident douche nozzle asked... Someone care to explain how it's suddenly become your constitutionally protected right to sink bolts into ever chunk of shitty rock you can find? Sorry it's not convenient to build a TR anchor and story your ego doesn't get fapped enough unless you're working the pinkpoint burn on your sic new proj. Bro. but if people have been happily TRing this route for years and the general consensus of the crag it no new bolts over established lines then I can't even begin to fathom what all the fuss is about. Go back to the gym and stay the hell away from real rock if you have to fuck it up for everyone else. A tip of the hat to Mr. Chopper!

Regi,

They had permission from the town for the bolts.
Someone care to explain how it's suddenly become *anyones* constitutionally protected right to destroy something that was permitted to be there, because their personal morals/ethics disprove/disagree?
What exactly is the general consensus of the crag? How do you know this to be the case? Did the crag speak to you in a dream "Regi, please these bolts are killing me, all those who regularly climb my walls disapprove" Or maybe Regi you are crag master of Ross Pond?! If so, your excellence should inform people of your distinction as Pond ruler...

Simply playing devils advocate with a little razzing added... try not to get your panties twisted up too bad over what my ass on internet says..

In seriousness:

We should not be starting a "bolt war". We should be coming to terms as a community with where the direction of climbing is headed in CT and balance that with the established climbing. It can't be one extreme or the other (nothing bolted/everything bolted). It needs to be looked at from perspective of if climbs are going to be bolted, they should be those where natural protection is not an option, and weigh if the damage (if any) being done by top rope setups justifies putting bolts instead.

Kevin Heckeler wrote: Ben, unfortunately Justin is referring to a local ADK crag... I don't know the specifics and there's likely nothing I can do about it anyway, but he's cool and would probably have private dialogue if you cared to find out more. Unfortunately there's lots of inbreeding in Justin's neck of the woods too. :p

I would be interested to know what cliffs in the ADK are experiencing these problems. Not that I frequent any cliffs with bolts, but it would be interesting to know which ones that have been "chopped." I'm assuming some southern crag near Lake George?