Old New Place

To the "Defenders of Stone"... Your anonymous, poorly-executed, cowardly and self-righteous action of removing the bolted anchors at the Old New Place recently are very much unappreciated by a large majority, if not all of, the local, active climbing community. I placed these anchors to make climbing at the Old New Place safer and more convenient for the local climbing community. Also, you may have noticed the dead trees at the top of the cliff that have been cut down and cleaned up recently. The other pinon trees on the cliff top are headed for the same fate if climbers continue to anchor from these trees. The pinon roots are likely no more than eight inches deep and get very stressed when the weight of two climbers is pulling on them. In time, the trees will die and the beauty of the cliffs will be reduced. Personally, I believe well-placed, camouflaged bolt hangers placed over the edge of the cliff, out of sight of nearly everyone but the climbers, is much better than dead, sickly trees at the cliff top.

I don't want to start a "bolt war" here with our local crags. If you truly value the rock as a self-professed "defender of stone", you'll want to avoid a bolt war too because the only thing that truly suffers from a bolt war is, in fact, the rock. Your chopping job wasn't very well done and I hope that if you continue to destroy the bolted anchors you'll do it right the first time or at least go back to finish the job and make it clean. The very stone you are claiming to defend is being marred by your actions.

I have time, money, hardware, motivation and, most importantly, the support of the local climbing community and local climbing organization, the Los Alamos Mountaineers, and thus, anchors will go back in again. That sounds threatening but I don't mean it to be. I strongly believe in open communication and responsibility for one's actions. I take full responsibility for placing the anchors and am open to everyone about it. I wish you would take the same responsibility for your actions and contact me. Let's you and I talk about this openly and try to come to a resolution. If it would help you understand that this local climbing community desires bolted anchors, we can have a "town hall meeting" with as many of the active, local climbers as possible along with members of the LA Mountaineers to discuss this and come to a majority-rules agreement. (This has been done already, by the way. See the LA Mountaineers Revised bolting agreement .)

We have the opportunity to make climbing at our local crags safer and more enjoyable for everyone and in the process we can save some trees from dying. How can any of this be argued against? Get in touch with me at halladay@gmail.com please. It would be respectful of you to take responsibility for your actions. I have.

For anyone who is interested in helping Jason and the majority of other currently active White Rock climbers install and maintain bolted anchors at these cliffs- contact Jason directly, or any donations made to the Los Alamos Mountaineers will reach the right person.

Jason, and others who helped, THANKS for your efforts.

For the last 2 months, the Old New Place has been among the most popular and convenient of the White Rock crags. Talk, and traffic, show that most locals like the anchor bolts here. The fact that they lasted 2 months before being removed shows that the person who chopped them doesn't climb at White Rock very often. I'd prefer that the people who decide how its developed and maintained actually climb here.

"Defenders of Stone",

If you believe in any sort of democratic process, you'd be willing to negotiate and hash this stuff out with those that oppose your points of views. I'm not too enthusiastic about seeing the crags pock marked with bolt holes, stubs, JB Weld, Epoxy, and loads of other $hit. Personally I think greasy chalked up holds look allot worse, and are less useful than bolts. Why aren't you cleaning that $hit up and posting signs about it? Might as well cut down the guard rails at the overlook and have the general public tie off to a tree! Your taking what you see as an eye sore (a bolt & hanger, which have a function) and transforming it into another "eyesore" (that has no function)! In what way have you improved the appearance of the rock by leaving a bunch of holes and stubs all over it? I fail to grasp your (seemingly deluded) notion of "Defending" the stone. What exactly are you defending? Your forcing people to anchor off to a bunch of dead and dying trees!!!! What about defending the trees? I've got a bunch of pet rock's that I'm holding hostage in a secret location. Every day that I don't here from you, I'm going to pluck one of their F#@King eyes out!!!!! And then I'm going to rub my greasy chalk balls all over them! And then I'm going to put a Bolt (w/hanger) through their F#CKING heads!!!! Listen to them plea....."Oh please help us "Defenders of Stone"!!!!! I don't want to see a bolt war!!! The people you are dealing with, are probably a bunch of fat rich bloated well financed lab employees that are ready to bolt the hell out of everything and its dead grandmother!!!!! There probably going to drill like a bunch of mechanical porn stars. Lets solve this issue diplomatically!!!