Recent bolting at Wisconsin crags

M Mwrote:

Or shouldn't be top roped as the top of is eroding and there are no suitable gear anchors without 200' of static line tied to receding trees 80' back. In my eyes there is a good argument for keeping foot traffic to the base only, not the top and bottom.

True. It this instance I am referring to squeeze jobs, there's already an anchor in place for a near by route and with a directional the in-betweens can be TR'd.

I just saying defer to TR if at all possible.

LOL at people climbing in Wisconsin and not liking devil’s lake. Y’all stupid. 

Spend the time to learn how to safely set top rope anchors using trees, rocks and trad gear if you are being limited by not enough sport climbing.  It opens up a lot of options.  If you want to lead trad some day, you will already know how to place gear.

Anthony Lwrote:

LOL at people climbing in Wisconsin and not liking devil’s lake. Y’all stupid. 

I noticed that, leave it to Fibs to dismiss DL.

The sandstone crags are worthy diversions but not "great" by any means. I guess DL is an acquired taste and the ease of access to sport climb must be appealing, not much equipment or knowledge needed.

Tradibanwrote:

I noticed that, leave it to Fibs to dismiss DL.

The sandstone crags are worthy diversions but not "great" by any means. I guess DL is an acquired taste and the ease of access to sport climb must be appealing, not much equipment or knowledge needed.

Makes sense idiot gym climbers wouldn’t like rock that requires - god forbid - technique and footwork. And, fuck, it won’t look as cool on the gram to their non-climbing friends when they excitedly post about leading 5.5 at devil’s lake. 

Did Gibraltar rock ever open back up to climbing?  Used to be some longer sandstone routes there.  

Pete Swrote:

Did Gibraltar rock ever open back up to climbing?  Used to be some longer sandstone routes there.  

Negative 

Batman! Thank you for bolting these routes, dude! Keep it up! 

So bolting climbs is desirable because some people can’t afford trad pro?

I recommend Goodie style climbing instead.

Old school trad is pretty cheap.

Tradibanwrote:

This is always the excuse, "spread out the crowds", and it doesn't work, bad lines don't get climbed. 

The outdoors is not a gym and no one has a right to easy sport climbs. While I am sure some quality lines have been overlooked it's important to educate one's self on what is worth bolting and what's not. We don't need chossy squeeze jobs, they only detract from other wise decent climbing. 

If you must climb a questionable line, just top rope it, that's what we did in order to minimize our impact. 

WI has a strong tradition of climbing "clean" and with integrity, lets keep it that way.

WI has a strong tradition of top roping off trad anchors.  That’s it.

Sure a few hard men climbed in WI 40 years ago but that’s long gone. There hasn’t been any ethics involving integrity or clean climbing in WI for 20 years.

Deal with it. 

Chad Millerwrote:

WI has a strong tradition of top roping off trad anchors.  That’s it.

Sure a few hard men climbed in WI 40 years ago but that’s long gone. There hasn’t been any ethics involving integrity or clean climbing in WI for 20 years.

Deal with it. 

What are you talking about? There’s been plenty hard and clean climbing happening in Wisconsin in the last 40 years. 

He's just goading you.  He meant to say there hasn't been any climber of integrity in Wisconsin since he left, 20 years ago.  BTW, look at his tick list.

Doug Hemkenwrote:

He's just goading you.  He meant to say there hasn't been any climber of integrity in Wisconsin since he left, 20 years ago.  BTW, look at his tick list.

Meh. I don’t update my tick list much. Only put in routes when I climb in a new area, sometimes  Besides, no one cares about the 9’s and 10’s  a middle aged fat guy leads  

I climbed in WI and MN for 15 + years.

The few climbers in WI with integrity do climb hard. Too bad they’re in the minority.

"Sure a few hard men climbed in WI 40 years ago but that’s long gone. There hasn’t been any ethics involving integrity or clean climbing in WI for 20 years."

Whaaa?  People still saying these kind of things?  Yes.. not the first time WI climbers called nothing but Top Ropers.... Ha!

Chad Millerwrote:

Meh. I don’t update my tick list much. Only put in routes when I climb in a new area, sometimes  Besides, no one cares about the 9’s and 10’s  a middle aged fat guy leads  

I climbed in WI and MN for 15 + years.

The few climbers in WI with integrity do climb hard. Too bad they’re in the minority.

Lmao. You no longer live in a place yet purport to know it. If you are gonna be a troll, at least be a clever one. Just so you know, the level of grades being climbed in WI is higher than it has ever been. During the season, V10 is getting climbed literally every weekend. Boulders exist up to V13. Many new zones have been developed. All of this thanks to some good, decent people. But you know this and just like to stir the pot. I’d recommend picking up a new hobby, bro. 

So you’re saying that in the last three years the climbing in WI has changed?

I climbed in WI from 2002 to 2017.  I’ve been back several times since then. I haven’t noticed a change.  

randy baumwrote:

Lmao. You no longer live in a place yet purport to know it. If you are gonna be a troll, at least be a clever one. Just so you know, the level of grades being climbed in WI is higher than it has ever been. During the season, V10 is getting climbed literally every weekend. Boulders exist up to V13. Many new zones have been developed. All of this thanks to some good, decent people. But you know this and just like to stir the pot. I’d recommend picking up a new hobby, bro. 

I think he was talkin' routes, not bouldering.

Black Beltwrote:

If you can’t make a basket, you don’t lower the hoop. If you can’t do it, figure it out, otherwise do something else. 

Ya!!! There’s no room for adaptive sports or catering to the disabled in OUR sport!!!

… ever go to a peewee basketball game? They LITERALLY lower the basket. 

Chad Millerwrote:

So you’re saying that in the last three years the climbing in WI has changed?

I climbed in WI from 2002 to 2017.  I’ve been back several times since then. I haven’t noticed a change.  

And of course, you climb/climbed with a random sample of the folks in the area, so what you notice would be the gold standard.

I really don’t see much else that could be added to this thread, but it does seem like every person who’s posted an angry comment on here no longer lives in Wisconsin. Relatively speaking, I haven’t climbed in the area that long. Only since 2014, but I’ve noticed huge changes since then. More people are climbing and I think it’s ok to make additions to areas that allow people to do the sport safely. I fondly remember some of my first leads at the Lake basically being “climb to safety”. I was fortunate to have a good mentor who pushed me in the right direction. People don’t learn to climb like that anymore. And an injury at one of these satellite crags is the quickest way to get them closed in my opinion. The addition of routes that are easily accessible does not remove the opportunity to climb an old school route that was done with different tactics and is challenging in a different way. Climbing is great and it makes me happy that our small scene in Wisconsin is growing.