Route Development is a Pathological Sickness

LL2wrote:

It's been years since I sunk a bolt in virgin stone. Maybe 15 years or more? But I've sunk several hundred on 50+ routes. A sickness? For me, no. Right now I am content to climb existing routes. But I still would like to find some virgin stone. Whether contributing a route to an existing area or finding an all new area. I guess my eye is always on the lookout. I don't judge anyone on whether they care to bolt or not. It's probably best that not everyone is out there doing it.

I will say this though: It always amazed me that it could be so difficult to get some of my regular partners to go try some of my new routes. It's like "Dude, you know I know what's up, why won't you come out? I'm telling you it's the bomb!" But a lot of my routes were several hours and a weekend trip from home. For them it was a value judgment of whether it was worth their weekend trip when they can definitely get the workout value they wanted from sticking with what they knew.

I suppose that's what disappointed me more than whether they had "vision" or "the sickness". It was that their climbing experience had been reduced to a value judgment of whether they would get enough of a workout, as opposed to having an adventure.

Time for better partners brother, life is short! I cant imagine not wanting to try a friend's new routes, then again I've always been stoked to be the guinea pig sucker to try it first. I have been through some partners who plan their inflexible climbing schedule around only their projects and I got to say they almost all exclusively boulder now, no need for a partner.

Time for better partners brother

Most climbers and I would think by most its really the vast majority, have no aptitude for new routing and should really be discouraged from ever trying it. Don't punish your partners for being normal. They're clearly not wired for the dirty work, because after all, cleaning, scaling, scrambling around to the back side, for them none of that is the climbing they want to be doing. And really, new routing should be more of a secret society anyway. Keep it secret, keep it safe, keep it off these boards!

Well, probably goes without saying, the topic drifted a little from route development sickness to the close cousin of climbing something new because just doing that  has enough value to allot a long weekend for it.

bryanswrote:

40 or 50? Plus assisted my partners with easily another 50 to 100.  I mainly seek out trad or mixed lines, because I enjoy the process of sussing out the gear and using as few bolts as possible and making it reasonably go on gear. Also because sport routes are $$$ and I'll let somebody else put those up. I know your history at Smith, and I appreciate your stoke, but why do you ask how many? Another question could be "how many years have you been developing, and at how many different crags, and what has it cost you in non-financial terms?" :)  

Just curious man. ✌! 

I think number of pitches is a better metric. 50 is a nice round number

In which case, I was already a goner by 1975, and it’s been all downhill since

F r i t zwrote:

I've been in the same boat trying to evangelize new areas. I'd rather have an adventure on a 2A and then hit the hangboard if I still need to get my forearm rocks off.

For many, the deciding factor is that new routes have no "flex appeal" on social media. That's why there are lines on the "mega classic" handcracks at the Creek while similar routes that are even better quality languish in obscurity. Gotta get that #tradisrad Scarface photo. 

Right, agree. There's also a common experience where people keep improving for years, then plateau at a certain grade. At this point, there are options. Some get into intentional training because they realize natural ability and regular climbing only get you so far - and they have no interest in screwing around on routes that aren't at the grades they aspire to. So they aren't interested in the adventure and novelty and the potential (and the timesuck!) of a new area. Fair enough.

I hit my plateau after around 3 years, staying within a couple letter grades ever since, but never wanted to train just so I could send 12b or 12c instead of 12a. If I hadn't gotten turned onto new routing, I'm not sure how passionate I'd have remained about climbing. Chasing new routes and seeing new areas has been incredibly rewarding and brought me into contact with great characters who know their history and are doing the work behind the scenes. I'm not saying drop the hangboard and buy a drill, more like there's a certain gene some of us have that finds more satisfaction in development than grade chasing - and obviously plenty of people are doing both, developing routes at the edge of their ability or beyond. I even lost several pounds last summer - a little less beer and ice cream for a couple weeks - just to be dead sure of sending a couple 11d/12a routes I bolted despite thinking I wasn't into hard sport anymore! (They both went first go, because I hate falling)

You got that right neighbor, I have been combing the boulder carpeted back country of San Diego County for 40 years for new routes and boulder problems, and I agree that route development is a drug. Even worse, it can lead to harder, even more twisted highs. Age and a bad knee has pretty much ended my climbing days, but I still go out looking for routes. It was a gradual descent into depravity.  Bushwhacking tools replaced climbing gear in my pack, and my "new routes" became trails through thick brush to access crags and boulders. Then I quit caring if I didnt find any climbs. It all began so innocently, but one day i looked in the mirror and saw a ......bushwhacker. God help me I go out and fight through lacerating brush supposedly looking for routes but now i DONT BRING CLIMBING GEAR. I have devolved into a sub human who cuts trails through god awful brush for its own sake. Tell your kids not to become route developers, look what it did to me.

Ron Amickwrote:

You got that right neighbor, I have been combing the boulder carpeted back country of San Diego County for 40 years for new routes and boulder problems, and I agree that route development is a drug. Even worse, it can lead to harder, even more twisted highs. Age and a bad knee has pretty much ended my climbing days, but I still go out looking for routes. It was a gradual descent into depravity.  Bushwhacking tools replaced climbing gear in my pack, and my "new routes" became trails through thick brush to access crags and boulders. Then I quit caring if I didnt find any climbs. It all began so innocently, but one day i looked in the mirror and saw a ......bushwhacker. God help me I go out and fight through lacerating brush supposedly looking for routes but now i DONT BRING CLIMBING GEAR. I have devolved into a sub human who cuts trails through god awful brush for its own sake. Tell your kids not to become route developers, look what it did to me.

 

It's always a trip to see your future in the present. I got a hernia and a tweaked finger and I'm still out there swinging that hammer and drilling and prying and sliding down the hillside with development gear clattering all over my harness, checking for ticks, stashing beer in crevices and dragging one partner after another up to "help me out on the new one." Why would I stop if my body can keep on going? But then it's all worth it to see your partner on the route, making it more real. (Yeah, that's a mixed route - see my other thread)

Ron Amickwrote:

You got that right neighbor, I have been combing the boulder carpeted back country of San Diego County for 40 years for new routes and boulder problems, and I agree that route development is a drug. Even worse, it can lead to harder, even more twisted highs. Age and a bad knee has pretty much ended my climbing days, but I still go out looking for routes. It was a gradual descent into depravity.  Bushwhacking tools replaced climbing gear in my pack, and my "new routes" became trails through thick brush to access crags and boulders. Then I quit caring if I didnt find any climbs. It all began so innocently, but one day i looked in the mirror and saw a ......bushwhacker. God help me I go out and fight through lacerating brush supposedly looking for routes but now i DONT BRING CLIMBING GEAR. I have devolved into a sub human who cuts trails through god awful brush for its own sake. Tell your kids not to become route developers, look what it did to me.

 

Amusing. I think I may be doomed to follow this very same pattern. Already, I am eyeing future trails to make. 

Ive noticed cycles of injuries+development=health, rinse and repeat. 

Many of the types described have given us numerous quality local routes and nice trails but…most have travelled little to climb, are shitty onsight climbers, are pigeonholed to one rock type or angle (granite slab etc.) only & are hermits, bachelors, and paupers. Growing up, one parter of mine was so ravenous that he would bolt a route on a Monday, then yank the hangers for his Tuesday route. This is actually quite common. I’ve roped up with those that opened the most routes on this side of the pond. Beckey, etc. On a more laughable note, I recently purchased one of the worst guidebooks I’ve ever seen In my life (it is for Joshua Tree & is fairly new) that has 25ish photographic pages in the back devoted to setting up top rope anchors and tells us that we should never bolt at his area. Leave it up to him & his friends that are featured in a photo montage at the start of the book. Likely 3/4 of those featured in the book’s opening photo bio have never climbed at high level and currently climb at mediocre grades in modern terms. The whole line of reasoning is quite laughable. 

Jay Michael Climberwrote:

Many of the types described have given us numerous quality local routes and nice trails but…most have travelled little to climb, are shitty onsight climbers, are pigeonholed to one rock type or angle (granite slab etc. )only & are hermits, bachelors, and paupers. Growing up, one parter of mine was so ravenous that he would bolt a route on a Monday, then yank the hangers for his Tuesday route. This is actually quite common. I’ve roped up with those that opened the most routes on this side of the pond. Beckey, etc. On a more laughable note, I recently purchased one of the worst guidebooks I’ve ever seen In my life (it is for Joshua Tree) that has 25ish photographic pages in the back devoted to setting up top rope anchors and tells us that we should never bolt at his area. Leave it up to him & his friends that are featured in a photo montage at the start of the book. Many in the photo bio climb @ mediocre grades in modern terms. The whole line of reasoning is quite laughable. 

So you're saying there's a downside?

I fairly recently got a chance to go with a gentleman from an older generation at my parish who does development mostly in the S Platte.  Got to do a second ascent of a spicy but short slab.  I definitely see the appeal and I've looked at a few trad lines that I'm pretty sure haven't been put up before (mostly offwidths).  Perhaps I'll be brave enough to pick up the drill this summer, will probably go out climbing with him more when things melt out higher up.

Christopher Smithwrote:

I fairly recently got a chance to go with a gentleman from an older generation at my parish who does development mostly in the S Platte.  Got to do a second ascent of a spicy but short slab.  I definitely see the appeal and I've looked at a few trad lines that I'm pretty sure haven't been put up before (mostly offwidths).  Perhaps I'll be brave enough to pick up the drill this summer, will probably go out climbing with him more when things melt out higher up.

Thats awesome, he may teach you to look long and hard at each placement before you decide to go ballistic with the drill. Its the fresh from the gym people that are doing the whole thing in IMO, its a spray badge of honor for the gymbos.

M Mwrote:

Thats awesome, he may teach you to look long and hard at each placement before you decide to go ballistic with the drill. Its the fresh from the gym people that are doing the whole thing in IMO, its a spray badge of honor for the gymbos.

Ohhh yeah I watched how methodical he was about finding the best balance between finding good clipping stances (although he's taller than me so I definitely didn't see his stances in the same way) and not having decking potential while still keeping things spicy.

 I  am really glad that people have the route development obsession. I really appreciate the hard work.  I myself am too cheap to buy bolts and wire brushes, and too lazy to scrub and bolt. But I love climbing things that are new to me, and have followed  several developers over the years. To all my favorite route developers,  keep up the good work!!!

bryanswrote:

It's always a trip to see your future in the present. I got a hernia and a tweaked finger and I'm still out there swinging that hammer and drilling and prying and sliding down the hillside with development gear clattering all over my harness, checking for ticks, stashing beer in crevices and dragging one partner after another up to "help me out on the new one." Why would I stop if my body can keep on going? But then it's all worth it to see your partner on the route, making it more real. (Yeah, that's a mixed route - see my other thread)

Yo Bryan’s that looks like a total choss pile.  Where are you climbing at? And please tell me it’s not total shit.  

Carolinawrote:

Yo Bryan’s that looks like a total choss pile.  Where are you climbing at? And please tell me it’s not total shit.   total shit, a total choss pile, a total waste of my time and money.

Total shit, total choss pile, total waste of time and money. I've been climbing over 20 years and developing has kept climbing fresh for me. My 10 year old just led her first route, which was one we put up ourselves at this crag. I had a guy donate 3 sets of mussy hooks, unsolicited, just to help, after he raised money selling climbing stickers. Three other people contributed $ and hardware, unsolicited. When you put yourself out there with a vision and and create, things happen that you did not anticipate. I love the climbing community, it's given me more than I can ever give back.

Hey route developers. You guys are masochists, right? By that I mean you’ve hand drilled… I just spent WAY too much time (2 hours) on a single hole. Partially due to incompetence, but I would love to hear what techniques/tricks you guys have learned. How do you know a bit is too dull and how does one sharpen it? How do you make a straight hole? 

bryanswrote:

Total shit, total choss pile, total waste of time and money. I've been climbing over 20 years and developing has kept climbing fresh for me. My 10 year old just led her first route, which was one we put up ourselves at this crag. I had a guy donate 3 sets of mussy hooks, unsolicited, just to help, after he raised money selling climbing stickers. Three other people contributed $ and hardware, unsolicited. When you put yourself out there with a vision and and create, things happen that you did not anticipate. I love the climbing community, it's given me more than I can ever give back.

I was hoping you were gonna tell me about how great that rock you got there is.  Good luck with fixing it up.