Donate for Boulder Canyon tyrols (UPDATE - money raised!)

For the last few years I've solicited donations of static rope to maintain the tyrols in Boulder Canyon.  I've gotten a random assortment of lines (brands, sizes, age) and have made it work, but I'm thinking a new approach would be better.  Rather than looking for donated ropes, I've decided to collect money to buy a spool of new static rope to use for tyrols.  Please consider chipping in if you climb in the canyon!

Last summer I was too busy to get out and fix the tyrols and someone else stepped up.  A few of the tyrols were replaced with new Sterling HTP static (a particularly low-stretch rope), which I think made really nice tyrols.  I'd like to buy a 300' spool of this ($270, unless I can arrange a discount, working on that...).  Each tyrol easily uses up 50-70' of rope.  Pulling it off of a spool will minimize waste.

If you're interested in donating, send me a message through Mountain Project and I'll give you a Paypal account you can send money to.  Thanks in advance!

UPDATE - We have raised plenty of money at this point!!  More details later (gotta get back to work) but thanks to eveyone that has chipped in!

Rich, thanks for doing this year-after-year.

Do you mind contacting BCC or one of the other non-profits to see if they'd be willing be get involved with the funding (I imagine there maybe reasons they don't want to be)? I'd be happy to donate to a non-profit for the specific purpose & get my employer to match, which will make the $ go even further.

reboot wrote:

...Do you mind contacting BCC or one of the other non-profits to see if they'd be willing be get involved with the funding (I imagine there maybe reasons they don't want to be)? I'd be happy to donate to a non-profit for the specific purpose & get my employer to match, which will make the $ go even further.

Reboot - I think I got a rope from you a few years back maybe?  If so thanks!

I have discussed this with the BCC in the past, and they can't get involved.  I think the subject of tyrols is a strange one for land management agencies, etc.  

I've been wary of collecting money for it in the past because I don't really want to be attached to it, but I've decided that it's like bolts - it's abandoned property that you use at your own risk.  I've picked up the cost of the little bits of hardware to rig these over the years, which hasn't been much.  But I can't spring for a spool of rope.

I wish there were an easy way to take advantage of employer match, etc. but don't see that happening.  I think I'll just have to see how this goes for now.  Thanks for offering to get your employer match involved though.  That would be cool!

I'm in. 

I'll email and you can give me your paypal and I'll send some cash. 

Thanks for all you do. 

Yes, I have wondered who replaced some of the tyroleans like the Vampire Rock.  I was responsible an earlier version around 2011 & drilled bolts to get the rope & slings off the big tree.  I was also the first person to set up the tyrolean at Sherwood Forest in 1996.  I always used old climbing ropes.  I can appreciate what you are doing. It is hard work & costs money.  If I had money to donate to you I would.  I don't a dime.  I have spent thousands of dollars putting up routes & replacing bolts in my decades of climbing in Boulder Canyon & throughout the Front Range.

One point of great concern & criticism is using only ONE quicklink on each side.  Yes 3/8" diameter quicklinks are strong, but I would strongly advise setting up a back up.  At Vampire Rock, I had it set up so the rope was attached to two separate anchor bolts / chains on each side.   If you are going to use two bolts & two strands of rope, it makes sense to use more than one quick link or back it up by tying the rope further back on the chains. 

Secondly, use a double knot, so the rope at the quick link isn't just a single strand, but rather two rope strands clipped into the quicklink(s).  This way you don't have to worry about a single point of rope, in the bite of the knot, contacting the quick link & wearing through the sheath over time.

Count me in, I'll send you a PM

Thanks Rich, I'm in!

is there no local shop that's willing to pitch in? 

Rich Farnham wrote:

I have discussed this with the BCC in the past, and they can't get involved.  I think the subject of tyrols is a strange one for land management agencies, etc.  

This seems odd to me since they get a lot of money to replace bolts and provide bolts for new routes. 

Parker Wrozek wrote:

This seems odd to me since they get a lot of money to replace bolts and provide bolts for new routes. 

I know.  It seems like it shouldn't be a problem.  But we've discussed it, and it doesn't work.  The BCC does a lot for us as a climbing community, so if this is one they can't work on we can all jump in and handle it.

mediocre wrote:

is there no local shop that's willing to pitch in? 

Rich, I presume you have stopped in at a shop and asked them to provide a 'no mark-up' price on static line?  I bet they would.
If you have not and are not sure about talking to anyone, let me know and I'll make a few calls or stop in.
IE: back in the day, Neptune's used to sell me entire spools webbing at no mark-up because Gary knew I was replacing flatirons anchors with it.
Different owners/managers right now, but they seem engaged in the community and I bet that they'd want to help you out.

Sent a PM, I'm in.

I'm in, but only if we can fund enough for a hot cabana boy on either side to haul my fatass across. 

Mark - good comments.  My approach has varied over the last few years as I've rigged more of these, and I'm incorporating a lot of the suggestions you made above.  As I mentioned I'm not the only one that has updated the tyrols, I'm not sure what others have done, but have corrected anything I thought was particularly unsafe.  

Tony - I haven't spoken to Neptune's, but do have a few leads on getting access to rope at cost.  If they don't pan out I will certainly try Neptune's.

Thanks to all of you that have chipped in so far!  I'm up to $190, and it's only been a day!  Someone suggested we do this on GoFundMe, which is a good suggestion, and I like the transparency.  But they take 8% of the donation, so I'm hoping we can keep it simple and stick to Paypal for now.  Once I have a price for rope, and enough money raised to cover that, I'll post up here so we don't get ahead of what we need.  Thanks again MP folks!

Can you use old dynamic rope? I know it isn't ideal but maybe once you get it stretched it wouldn't matter much?

Hey Rich, 

Funny that you made this post because you came up the other day with my brother as we were talking about tyrol maintenance and how we would both like to help out. This makes that easy enough! I will try and pool some cash from several people and PM you when I am ready to get you some dineros. I see that someone mentioned the BCC...I will be at the meeting this week, so I will mention it, but my sneaking suspicion is that they can't have anything to do with this kind of thing, but I will let you know,

Thanks for all the effort.

Rich,

If you send me a PayPal request I'll throw in $25.  Thanks for your efforts.

NOTE: We have raised enough money for now!  Thanks everyone!  

HUGE THANKS TO ROCK AND RESOLE!!  They have agreed to order and donate a large spool of rope to the cause!  Depending on the specifics of the final cost, etc, we may chip in some cash from what has been raised today to get to the final total.  We will also use some of the money raised to buy additional components (screw links, webbing, etc) necessary for the tyrols.  I probably still have too much, and will be contacting the people who jumped in quickly to donate to see if they'd like a little back, or if I can pass on the extra to the local organization doing bolt/anchor replacement (I think that's BCC, but need to verify).

Thanks again everyone!  I'm really impressed by the willingness of the local community to chip in!

J. Albers wrote:

Hey Rich, 

Funny that you made this post because you came up the other day with my brother as we were talking about tyrol maintenance and how we would both like to help out. This makes that easy enough! I will try and pool some cash from several people and PM you when I am ready to get you some dineros. I see that someone mentioned the BCC...I will be at the meeting this week, so I will mention it, but my sneaking suspicion is that they can't have anything to do with this kind of thing, but I will let you know,

Thanks for all the effort.

Just so you know, it's an issue that has been raised several times.  There are some legal issues with this.  My time on the board is over, but the facts on the ground have not changed.  
It is a different liability than bolts.  Building a 'bridge' across 2 land-holder's borders to a property is different than replacing old bolts.  It was determined (on several occasions) that the LCO can't really get involved.

Jason, Bill, Roger, Jim, Anneliese, and Evan (and perhaps a few others) have been around long enough to recall at least 2-3 rounds of this particular issue.  Chat with them first.

That said, several board members have contributed time and money to some previous efforts, privately, not in any official capacity.

Rich Farnham wrote:

NOTE: We have raised enough money for now!  Thanks everyone!  

HUGE THANKS TO ROCK AND RESOLE!!  They have agreed to order and donate a large spool of rope to the cause!  Depending on the specifics of the final cost, etc, we may chip in some cash from what has been raised today to get to the final total.  We will also use some of the money raised to buy additional components (screw links, webbing, etc) necessary for the tyrols.  I probably still have too much, and will be contacting the people who jumped in quickly to donate to see if they'd like a little back, or if I can pass on the extra to the local organization doing bolt/anchor replacement (I think that's BCC, but need to verify).

LCO for bolt replacement is indeed the BCC.  THey have a major expense/effort coming right up in Bocan if donors want to 'switch tracks' with unused funds.
Replacing 143 old bolts with new, modern SS hardware comes at an expense, and I imagine that donations would be welcome:

Replacing old Castle Rock bolts with stainless
https://www.facebook.com/GravityOneClimbing/photos/a.1473288552734362.1073741829.1297633210299898/1478953558834528/?type=3&theater

More info on the BCC's program:
http://boulderclimbers.org/what-does-bcc-do/bolts/More info

Tony B wrote:

Just so you know, it's an issue that has been raised several times.  There are some legal issues with this.  My time on the board is over, but the facts on the ground have not changed.  
It is a different liability than bolts.  Building a 'bridge' across 2 land-holder's borders to a property is different than replacing old bolts.  It was determined (on several occasions) that the LCO can't really get involved.

Jason, Bill, Roger, Jim, Anneliese, and Evan (and perhaps a few others) have been around long enough to recall at least 2-3 rounds of this particular issue.  Chat with them first.

That said, several board members have contributed time and money to some previous efforts, privately, not in any official capacity.

Right, thanks Tony. What you mention above is more or less exactly what I thought they would tell me. Next time I see Jim I will chat with him about it (no need to waste time at the BCC meeting if that issue has already been covered ad nauseam). Cheers.