The Whole Natural Art of Protection

Article by Doug Robinson in the 1972 Chouinard Equipment catalog. Great read:
climbaz.com/chouinard72/ch_…

"There is a word for it, and the word is clean."

Sorry if it has been posted before.

Pretty much an obsolete essay now, because of sport climbing. It was funny to see Patagonia/Chouinard parade and applaud the Dawn Wall effort last year, in light of this very 1972 essay ..... Was rather hypocritical... But essentially toss it out the window these days

Really ?

Russ Keane wrote:Pretty much an obsolete essay now, because of sport climbing. It was funny to see Patagonia/Chouinard parade and applaud the Dawn Wall effort last year, in light of this very 1972 essay ..... Was rather hypocritical... But essentially toss it out the window these days

What? I do not get this at all.

To me this is an advertisment disguised as an article.

john strand wrote:Really ?

+1

From the standpoint of Chouinard, he can no longer say that his company is all about this principle. Written in '72 when the context was all about moving from aid standards to clean standards, this was all the rage. Now.... this is a nice niche essay for tradaholics but is far from the norm -- and it cannot be attached to anything Patagonia hypes for its sponsored climbers.

Russ Keane wrote:From the standpoint of Chouinard, he can no longer say that his company is all about this principle. Written in '72 when the context was all about moving from aid standards to clean standards, this was all the rage. Now.... this is a nice niche essay for tradaholics but is far from the norm -- and it cannot be attached to anything Patagonia hypes for its sponsored climbers.

Yeah, totally hypocritical. Just like how REI has a long history of supporting the Wilderness Act, but still sells mountain bikes. Wait, no, that's a silly comparison, because your whole thesis is silly.

Times change, and rigid ideologies are just that– rigid. Get over it.

That;s what I said -- It's antiquated. And I am over it. Simply a place to discuss this ideology which was written by Chouinard a long time ago.

Pnelson wrote: Yeah, totally hypocritical. Just like how REI has a long history of supporting the Wilderness Act, but still sells mountain bikes. Wait, no, that's a silly comparison, because your whole thesis is silly. Times change, and rigid ideologies are just that– rigid. Get over it.

banning bikes today and promoting clean climnbing in the 70's are not the same thing. Not even close.

Russ Keane wrote:Pretty much an obsolete essay now, because of sport climbing. It was funny to see Patagonia/Chouinard parade and applaud the Dawn Wall effort last year, in light of this very 1972 essay ..... Was rather hypocritical... But essentially toss it out the window these days

Did I miss something about the Dawn Wall?

In the photos and video I've seen, there weren't a lot of chicken heads to sling or chocks to place in lieu of the bolts on that route.

I've been climbing for a while and have made efforts to know a bit about the history involved. I don't recall bolts ever being disgraceful if used sparingly, and when no other alternatives present themselves on terrain that is able to be climbed free.

Unless you're just taking pot shots for the sake of taking pot shots?

Russ Keane wrote:Pretty much an obsolete essay now, because of sport climbing. It was funny to see Patagonia/Chouinard parade and applaud the Dawn Wall effort last year, in light of this very 1972 essay ..... Was rather hypocritical... But essentially toss it out the window these days

To say this is obsolete is myopic. The sentiments in the article, regardless of what path Patagonia took afterwards, are very much valid today. Perhaps even more so with the advent of sport climbing and the huge influx of climbers.

The idea is to try and climb with the least impact. In reality, the minute you put you hand or foot on a hold or dip into that white bag of courage, you're changing the environment. Even walking to the base of whatever you're interested in has impact. If we're going to be out there, we have to accept this, and I do. I'll climb clean as often as possible but will bolt when necessary. If I do bolt something, I think long and hard before committing to an irrevocable act.

I was pro-bolting in the 80s in the Gunks and ended up on the losing end of that battle. In retrospect, I'm very happy that we lost the debate and that the Gunks is a trad only area...And don't start harping on the new belay anchors. I don't give a shit. My position was that if bolted judiciously, the Gunks would be fine. But experience has shown that people simply aren't judicious and the Gunks would have lost its character with bolts dotting the cliffs.

It is our responsibility to make as little impact as possible. And what Patagonia, REI or anyone else does, should not affect personal decisions. Protect your soul regardless of what others do with theirs.

Thanks for that article!

"The fortunate climbs protect themselves by being unprotectable."

"Better that we raise our skill than lower the climb"

gription wrote: banning bikes today and promoting clean climbing in the 70's are not the same thing. Not even close.

REI was instrumental since the 1960s and earlier in pushing for wilderness designation.
Mountain bikes became popular much later, and were contrary to the original wilderness act that REI supports. REI still sells mountain bikes nonetheless.

Patagonia (and Chouinard Equipment) were instrumental in pushing clean climbing ethics. Sport climbing and rap-bolting came later, and were contrary to the original clean climbing ethics. Patagonia still promotes sport climbing today.

How is that a bad comparison?

wsperry wrote:Thanks for that article! "The fortunate climbs protect themselves by being unprotectable." "Better that we raise our skill than lower the climb"

Yes, I didn't post this article to criticize sport climbing or to "show how far (we've / these company's) have fallen" from clean ethics. I really just enjoyed the writing.

Thanks for posting! love reading these old articles

Other than the tables indicating suggested runner lengths, I wouldn't consider any of the information to be obsolete. People are still using the same methods to protect trad climbs. There just happens to be more tools available within that discipline.
The fact that there are people who choose to bolt lines, whether by necessity or otherwise, does not invalidate the information put forth in this little blast from the past. Nor does the fact that Patagonia, et al. embrace changing times within the climbing world.
If a company who chooses to sponsor and support climbers using techniques outside of the purely clean realm were to publish a manifesto on the unrelenting correctness of clean climbing, that would be hypocritical, but still not obsolete.
Solely hammering pins for protection is obsolete because there are other, more efficient, less destructive means by which to protect climbs. But that is not the argument here.

gription wrote:To me this is an advertisment disguised as an article.

Of course it seems that way. It's from catalogue. The whole point of any catalogue is to advertise and sell things.

Thanks for sharing! I dig it. Applies today and always.

gription wrote:To me this is an advertisment disguised as an article.

+ 1 (Note the chouinard crag hammer on the last page of the catalog) :)

gription wrote:To me this is an advertisment disguised as an article.

It is in the Chouinard Equipment Catalog, so we would hope so :D