What doesn't the community think about placing a bolt where a BD #7 could be placed

So Ive been developing a route and there is a pitch on it that has a #7 roof on it. Its the only place on the whole 500 foot route where a 7 could be placed and its 4 pitches up. Id really rather not carry that heavy thing all they way up there just to place it once and I know nobody really owns a 7 anyway. This being said I'd like to do the route in good style and keep bolting to a minimum. I have already added a few pro bolts in places where they are needed between crack systems and there will probably be a few more so its not like its going to change the ethic, but those are in places where there is bad or no pro. My friend who I borrowed the 7 from assures me that i should use it but i get the feeling he just wants it to be used to justify purchasing it. Im sure the answers will be varied but curious what the community thinks. Ive climbed several routes that are bolted or pitoned on wide pitches but they were put up before big cams existed. The style is desert wingate face and crack.

Your route, your choice.

How long is the #7 crack? If it's a short section I'd put a bolt. If it's long enough then I wouldn't bolt it. If you feel like it needs more than one bolt then I think it probably shouldn't be bolted.

However, it's unlikely to get climbed if you need the #7 so if your area is lacking routes of that grade/style then consider making it accessible with bolts.

It's a really good question and I'm curious what others think.

I'd probably use the 7 while installing the bolts....

I've never even seen a 7 in real life. If you want people to climb this route then you probably ought to go ahead and install bolts. I'm sure someone will get mad, but you should do what you think is right to make it an enjoyable route IMO. 

The only scenario where I'd leave it unbolted is if the #7 roof is the premier feature of the route or if the route is fairly uniformly or predominately wide. 

If it's a one-off section of wide on an otherwise civilized route then just throw in some bolts.

i would think it is pretty reasonable to place a bolt in this situation.  even as a person who has several #7 sized pieces i wouldn't expect others to buy/borrow one to do a route unless it was at some area where wide cracks are the norm.

Stick a 7 in there and epoxy it in place. /s

Plenty of precedent out there - Ixtlan is a good example of a classic route made accessible by bolting the wide stuff. 

Is it even possible to buy a huge cam right now?  BD's out of stock, I believe Merlin folded, and you might be waiting years for a Valley Giant.  Bolt it.

Bolt it.  The world is ending anyway whether there is a bolt there or not.

I agree with David above. 

I have done this on a route, aided a section with blue big bro and put two bolts in. This section actually climbs better as a lay back anyway

Send it on cams, bolt it for your friends. 

Bolt it. People who get off on big cams can send it on gear and then bloviate about the purity of their ascent on send the gristle dot com. Win-win.

abandon moderation wrote:

I think bolting offwidths is poor form. The vast majority of #7 cracks have been sent without #7s. There's a long history of OW climbers just sucking it up and climbing through without 

I should have mentioned in the post that despite the roof being pretty long (30 ft or so), zero offwidth thechnique is required for this section as it miraculously has face holds along the bottom of the crack. It would just be for pro. A 6 can be placed in the middle of it and I already a bolt where the crack ends and you have to traverse 6 ft or so to the anchor. The 7 or bolt would just be to protect what would otherwise be a super nasty fall  into the dihedral below. The section will probably clock in about 12- or so so not easy but not crazy hard. Dont really give a shit about the hardman image.

Rpropswrote:

Send it on cams, bolt it for your friends. 

I like this idea

Alexander Roth-Glasscockwrote:

So Ive been developing a route and there is a pitch on it that has a #7 roof on it. Its the only place on the whole 500 foot route where a 7 could be placed and its 4 pitches up. Id really rather not carry that heavy thing all they way up there just to place it once and I know nobody really owns a 7 anyway. This being said I'd like to do the route in good style and keep bolting to a minimum. I have already added a few pro bolts in places where they are needed between crack systems and there will probably be a few more so its not like its going to change the ethic, but those are in places where there is bad or no pro. My friend who I borrowed the 7 from assures me that i should use it but i get the feeling he just wants it to be used to justify purchasing it. Im sure the answers will be varied but curious what the community thinks. Ive climbed several routes that are bolted or pitoned on wide pitches but they were put up before big cams existed. The style is desert wingate face and crack.

Sounds like a “convenience” bolt to me.

drill baby drill!.

Tradibanwrote:

Sounds like a “convenience” bolt to me.

Aren't they all?

Darren Mabewrote:

Aren't they all?

Naw, bolts are inconvenient for the hard core trad climber because they have to stop and chop them when seen. This is why KW carries a hammer on all climbs, to sieze back the means of ascension.

I’m trying to sell a #8. Placing bolts will make my job

As an owner of a VG9, VG12, Merlin 8, BD 7, and Big Bro #3, 4, 5... I'd bolt it.

It’s a roof? Bolt it out far enough to make the fall clean, then run it out from there. Those big overhanging runouts over big air are always exhilarating!