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Blow-torching Traversty (Read 67838 times)

shark

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#50 Re: Blow-torching Traversty
November 30, 2012, 01:10:18 pm
Facebook page says he's arrived in London.

What's he here for ?

jwi

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#51 Re: Blow-torching Traversty
November 30, 2012, 01:11:58 pm
Blow torching is generally tolerated in Sweden.

webbo

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#52 Re: Blow-torching Traversty
November 30, 2012, 01:13:20 pm
Facebook page says he's arrived in London.

What's he here for ?

He will be looking to use that torch on all you twats that have had a go at him. :lol:

slackline

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#53 Re: Blow-torching Traversty
November 30, 2012, 01:27:38 pm
Blow torching is generally tolerated in Sweden.

But is it a good idea?

The heating/cooling surely results in expansion/contraction of the rock which will weaken it.

The videos I've seen show the place to be very picturesque with some nice boulders, it would be a shame if they were trashed this way.

andy_e

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#54 Re: Blow-torching Traversty
November 30, 2012, 01:30:55 pm
I could post up some SCIENCE which says exactly why blow-torching is a bad idea but I'm not sure if it's worth it, slackline's explanation suffices to the layman.

tomtom

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#55 Blow-torching Traversty
November 30, 2012, 01:31:56 pm
Indeed , heating and cooling (especially rapidly and by unusual levels of temp) will just speed up weathering.. ESP depending on rock type.

Seems like just a way of trying to get good conditions - when they're not. An alternative to the tampon method ;) but more ahem, invasive ;)

andy_e

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#56 Re: Blow-torching Traversty
November 30, 2012, 01:33:26 pm
There's also pore pressure effects but it's all very  :yawn:

SpanishJuan

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#57 Re: Blow-torching Traversty
November 30, 2012, 01:49:49 pm
Indeed , heating and cooling (especially rapidly and by unusual levels of temp) will just speed up weathering.. ESP depending on rock type.

Seems like just a way of trying to get good conditions - when they're not. An alternative to the tampon method ;) but more ahem, invasive like fisting ;)

jwi

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#58 Re: Blow-torching Traversty
November 30, 2012, 01:56:38 pm
Blow torching is generally tolerated in Sweden.

But is it a good idea?

The heating/cooling surely results in expansion/contraction of the rock which will weaken it.

The videos I've seen show the place to be very picturesque with some nice boulders, it would be a shame if they were trashed this way.

No one heats the rock so much than that the outer surface still can't be touched. It defies the purpose.  Granite slabs seems to do fine as baking stones and pot stand etc. Never heard about any cracking.

A good climber/geologist I know think it is totally safe on granite and granitic gneiss.  I know tons of boulders that have been blow-toarched a few times a week several months a year, with no apparent damage.  I know of a few holds that have been utterly destroyed by torches (not on granite though).

andy_e

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#59 Re: Blow-torching Traversty
November 30, 2012, 02:02:20 pm
The problem isn't so much the doing it on granite (although it can definitely lead to proliferation of micro-cracking or changing pressure within secondary/tertiary porosity) but some kids seeing Carlo doing it and following his lead on porous rock where the consequences can be much more dire.

rich d

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#60 Re: Blow-torching Traversty
November 30, 2012, 02:03:35 pm
"Do not use soap on granite stone because the pores will absorb the soap and give your pizza a soapy flavor. Allow the stone to dry for several hours; if it's not thoroughly dried, it'll crack when it gets hot" from some instructions for using granite pizza stones - hmmmm ok to heat as long as it's not wet! 

SA Chris

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#61 Re: Blow-torching Traversty
November 30, 2012, 02:09:56 pm
No one heats the rock so much than that the outer surface still can be touched. It defies the purpose.  Granite slabs seems to do fine as baking stones and pot stand etc. Never heard about any cracking.

That's a uniform slab of rock usually from deep in a quarried mass, and chosen specifically for the purpose as it lacks any cracks or flaws and is uniformly heated and cooled. An exposed piece of natural rock where you are climbing on using small (often fragile) flakes and holds which are being heated and cooled unevenly is a totally different story. Holds can break off naturally without any heating, do you not thing the process could worsen it. And the problems you are referring to have only been climbed on over our lifetime. How do you know they will withstand this treatment for anopther couple of generations.

And besides even if it is tolerated on Swedish granite, someone seeing it done by a sponsored athlete and supposed ambassador for the sport will think it's OK to do on their local crag where the rock is a lot more fragile, and fuck things up good and proper in a very short period of time.

abarro81

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#62 Re: Blow-torching Traversty
November 30, 2012, 02:21:16 pm
Surprised noone has mentioned that there is footage of Didier -everyone's favourite personal hero - doing this on cobra crack on first ascent dvd.. did anyone kick up a fuss then? (genuine question)

Nibile

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#63 Re: Blow-torching Traversty
November 30, 2012, 02:28:41 pm
Didier is not my hero.
I did not see the video.
I don't like cracks.
I don't like kneepads.

Johnny Brown

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#64 Re: Blow-torching Traversty
November 30, 2012, 02:31:38 pm
The guy's untouchable. They didn't even kick up a fuss when he got a nun preggers...

jwi

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#65 Re: Blow-torching Traversty
November 30, 2012, 03:10:57 pm
I should also point out that there are far more erratic boulders than boulderers in Sweden.  Most blocks get discovered, brushed, climbed, written up, forgotten about and finally overgrown with a new layer of moss and lichen in a cycle just a few years long.  I am sure this leads to a lax attitude towards the environment.

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#66 Re: Blow-torching Traversty
November 30, 2012, 03:33:03 pm
The problem isn't so much the doing it on granite (although it can definitely lead to proliferation of micro-cracking or changing pressure within secondary/tertiary porosity) but some kids seeing Carlo doing it and following his lead on porous rock where the consequences can be much more dire.

Andy's right here. It has to be an all or nothing approach as not everyone has a geologist at had to give their opinion (I am a geologist and an opinion is all they can give) on individual rocks or even parts of rocks. Carlo needs to set a clear example to those who are learning the ethics of climbing.

SA Chris

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#67 Re: Blow-torching Traversty
November 30, 2012, 03:44:27 pm
I should also point out that there are far more erratic boulders than boulderers in Sweden.  Most blocks get discovered, brushed, climbed, written up, forgotten about and finally overgrown with a new layer of moss and lichen in a cycle just a few years long.  I am sure this leads to a lax attitude towards the environment.

Can you see from my previous comments that this point is irrelevant? If it's demonstrated in a relatively high profile video the practice may spill over into coutries or areas where the rock is a more limited resource and the impact will be greater.

Can you imagine the mess if someone tried to blowtorch a pof coated hold in font dry for example?

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#68 Re: Blow-torching Traversty
December 03, 2012, 06:31:40 pm
I should also point out that there are far more erratic boulders than boulderers in Sweden.  Most blocks get discovered, brushed, climbed, written up, forgotten about and finally overgrown with a new layer of moss and lichen in a cycle just a few years long.  I am sure this leads to a lax attitude towards the environment.

BS.  That's just a lame pathetic excuse to do whatever because its not going to impact anyone else.  You don't know the future and you have no way of knowing what will or will not happen.  Instead of acting in the least acceptable manner, aspire to better.

Adam Lincoln

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#69 Re: Blow-torching Traversty
December 03, 2012, 09:47:44 pm
The guy's untouchable. They didn't even kick up a fuss when he got a nun preggers...

Is this a case of Chinese whispers or was that comment a joke?

a dense loner

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#70 Re: Blow-torching Traversty
December 03, 2012, 10:17:37 pm
None

SA Chris

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#71 Re: Blow-torching Traversty
December 04, 2012, 11:30:43 am
The guy's untouchable. They didn't even kick up a fuss when he got a nun preggers...

Is this a case of Chinese whispers or was that comment a joke?

I'm nun the wiser.

tomtom

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#72 Re: Blow-torching Traversty
December 04, 2012, 11:54:41 am
The guy's untouchable. They didn't even kick up a fuss when he got a nun preggers...

Is this a case of Chinese whispers or was that comment a joke?

I'm nun the wiser.

A convent-ional answer..

SA Chris

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#73 Re: Blow-torching Traversty
December 04, 2012, 11:57:26 am
It's a habit.

tomtom

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#74 Re: Blow-torching Traversty
December 04, 2012, 12:08:50 pm
It's a habit.

Thats a monk gag - I'm going to have to whip-ple you into shape...

 

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