New Bolts on " The Stairs " 5.4 Mission Gorge

George Bracksieck wrote: Separate anchors are desirable when both routes are occupied, which can happen even when you are top roping. The Lunch Rock sector can get zooey.

Which is all the more reason to chop em'!!! I ran into two military dudes who were plastic gym noobies and had no trad gear("Uh...We have 2 lockers" I'm sorry, What do you mean lockers? "You know, those spring things that go into the rock" Actual conversation.)  and had no flippin' idea on how to rig an anchor. 1) I hope they survived after the brief run down I passed onto them for an anchor setup and tear down after my partner and I set up their top-rope for them. 2) All the more reason to chop the bolts to keep the area clear from people who have no idea WTF they are doing...... Lunch rock attracts people who have no business leading easy trad routes simply because they can "send" some 5.9 plastic in Mesa Rim. Sorry, but that's the truth! I've had gym rats ask me to rig an anchor for them on "Mission Control" because they couldn't make the final moves past the last 2 bolts to the anchor because they've only lead plastic 5.9's. I'm not sharing this stuff to be a dick, its God's honest truth. That bolt line has GOT TO GO! 

When you completed all the routes at a givin area and have put in a ton of work on trail maintenance trash pickup anchor replacement etc then you can complain otherwise you aren’t the master of the given crag nor rule maker.

I'd say a there is a very high concentration of people who climb at Mission Gorge who are fairly new to climbing outside.  It's just a given with a place so accessible in the center of the city.  With rock climbing indoors becoming more popular, its inevitable that this particular spot will also get more crowded with people venturing out.  Luckily I see a majority of them are either with a guide company, REI classes, or at least 1 fairly competent climber.  Also, I feel most of the climbing community is nice enough to point out to people doing unsafe things and offering to help.  So, to state chopping an anchor/few bolts will stop this is pretty far off base.

I was out in the area again on Sunday and saw more people clipping the bolts than complaining about them so... If you were dead set on making a statement, then take the hanger off the first bolt, take the metal placard with the "new name" off the anchor hanger, and then let it be. That's my 2c.  

Dudes it's MG, probably the worst crag in America.

If you are going to chop it, be a man, stop talking and do it.

I wanted to get a consensus.

I was there recently and two noobs were at the anchor using an " autolocking " belay device rigged wrong.

The guy with " the experience " had his noob partner rap first.

I politely offered a fireman's belay but they waved me off.

I then pointed out that the belay devices we're not attached to the rope correctly and would act like a regular atc with no autolocking function, and that the leader should set the noob up first, then rappel first and give his knob partner a fireman's belay and you know what they did?

Did everything wrong anyway.

People are dumb. They need protection. Those bolts draw the noobs up on that route to find that, OMG, there would be a thirty foot runnout to the chains if you didn't have pro.

“Those bolts draw the noobs up on that route to find that, OMG, there would be a thirty foot runnout to the chains if you didn't have pro”.

Kemper Brightman wrote: I wish I could erase mission gorge from my own memory.

Woodson too :-P 

DWS at Santee is where it's at.  

Alex Barlow wrote:People are dumb. They need protection. Those bolts draw the noobs up on that route to find that, OMG, there would be a thirty foot runnout to the chains if you didn't have pro.

If our goal is to protect noobs from themselves, to protect them from the temptation to climb a bolted route, or a mixed route, then we should chop ALL bolted routes at MG. And get rid of the bolted anchors because those compose the only reason the place gets crowded.  

George Bracksieck wrote:

If our goal is to protect noobs from themselves, to protect them from the temptation to climb a bolted route, or a mixed route, then we should chop ALL bolted routes at MG. And get rid of the bolted anchors because those compose the only reason the place gets crowded.  

Give the n00bs a place to get nooby? Probably.

I led Clear Light earlier this year and found the bolts on the slabby bouldery section very comforting (removing the R) but agree some others on the route not really needed. Even the ones that add some safety weren't in the best position but improvement none the less. As others said if you dont want to use it don't but they are there if you need them. Also, some people may now sport lead with no trad gear. Call that good or bad if you want. 

Jeffrey Constine wrote: When you completed all the routes at a givin area and have put in a ton of work on trail maintenance trash pickup anchor replacement etc then you can complain otherwise you aren’t the master of the given crag nor rule maker.

Well I guess we know who probably put the bolts in.

Jeffrey Constine wrote: When you completed all the routes at a givin area and have put in a ton of work on trail maintenance trash pickup anchor replacement etc then you can complain otherwise you aren’t the master of the given crag nor rule maker.

Doesn't matter when there is a "bolt less than two feet from a bomber cam placement"

That's some Cesare Maestri compressor route BS.

NorCalNomad wrote:

Doesn't matter when there is a "bolt less than two feet from a bomber cam placement"

That's some Cesare Maestri compressor route BS.

Yes, and Mission Gorge is totally comparable to Cerro Torre???? I'm not saying these bolts are good or bad, Im just saying complaining about ANYTHING at MG is like complaining about the smell of a dumpster you're sitting in. I meant you chose to sit in a dumpster so....

Remember this isn't the immaculate, awe-inspiring domes of Woodson we're talking about here!!

Kemper Brightman wrote:

Yes, and Mission Gorge is totally comparable to Cerro Torre???? I'm not saying these bolts are good or bad, Im just saying complaining about ANYTHING at MG is like complaining about the smell of a dumpster you're sitting in. I meant you chose to sit in a dumpster so....

Remember this isn't the immaculate, awe-inspiring domes of Woodson we're talking about here!!

I don't think climbing ethics change a whole lot based on which crag you're climbing at.  Damaging the rock unnecessarily is what we're talking about, not how shitty Mission Gorge is and how you don't like it so it doesn't matter.  It does matter.  If there's an "old-school" vibe to a crag, like there is a Mission Gorge, then perhaps we should keep it that way.  Just my two cents. 

Exactly ^

Michael Lagueux wrote:

I don't think climbing ethics change a whole lot based on which crag you're climbing at.  Damaging the rock unnecessarily is what we're talking about, not how shitty Mission Gorge is and how you don't like it so it doesn't matter.  It does matter.  If there's an "old-school" vibe to a crag, like there is a Mission Gorge, then perhaps we should keep it that way.  Just my two cents. 

Thank you.

Michael Lagueux wrote:

  If there's an "old-school" vibe to a crag, like there is a Mission Gorge, then perhaps we should keep it that way.  Just my two cents. 

If you want to keep the old-school vibe continuing in the Gorge, then placing bolts on an unnecessary line is not how you go about doing it.....In my opinion. The same bolt chopping type of war was just getting over(or won?) on Mt. Woodson to keep the old-school trad vibe going. 

Lol @ old school vibe at mission gorge and LOL @ Bolt chopping war at Woodson!!!

True locals know bolt wars only happen at El cajon