[i_a_coops]

Think it's Angel's Share not Angle's Share. Also might be worth adding a sentence to the preamble to make it clear that the FAs weren't necessarily the chippers? Just to make it appear less of a name & shame list! 

[Stabbsy]

I’d be interested in the opinions of others, but I’m not convinced this is a great addition to your lists Remus. The context is really important when it comes to chipping and a list like this removes the context. Two Johnny Dawes routes on there are marked as examples of being chipped but the runnel is a historic thing and nothing to do with Dawes. Most on here will know the context of that, but not everyone. Similar with Linden - chipped by Ward-Drummond I think, nothing to do with the first ascensionist.

[remus]

Good point. I went back and forth on adding in the FAs: I like that it gives some extra info about the routes, but like you say there's some (incorrect) implication that the FA was also the person who chipped it. I've removed the FA col.

[remus]

Think it's Angel's Share not Angle's Share. Also might be worth adding a sentence to the preamble to make it clear that the FAs weren't necessarily the chippers? Just to make it appear less of a name & shame list! 

Hahaha, I was wondering why I was struggling to search for it on the site! Safer to remove all the names per Stabbsy's suggestion imo, lots of nuance to who's chipped what and given it carries some stigma it's better to leave the names off I think.

[remus]

Body Machine?

Out of interest which bit of body machine is chipped? I did it a few years ago and don't remember any blatantly chipped holds, though I wasn't looking so could easily have missed it.

[webbo]

I’d be interested in the opinions of others, but I’m not convinced this is a great addition to your lists Remus. The context is really important when it comes to chipping and a list like this removes the context. Two Johnny Dawes routes on there are marked as examples of being chipped but the runnel is a historic thing and nothing to do with Dawes. Most on here will know the context of that, but not everyone. Similar with Linden - chipped by Ward-Drummond I think, nothing to do with the first ascensionist.

Linden was had sky hook placements chipped for the first ascent. Then a hold chipped for the first free ascent.
Both Linden and Scritto’s Republic chipping are discussed in Peak rock.

[SamT]

I'd be interested in any other examples outside the UK as the list feels pretty UK-centric at the mo.

Everything in spain?

In the 90's climbing in El Chorro, we were gobsmacked to see the locals abbing and drilling holes for bolts, as well as just drilling pockets.  We watched this guy just drilling holds and feeling them with his fingers, then drilling a little more, smoothing them off.   It was a real slap in the face, having been brought up in a very strict ethical environment of peak grit/uk trad.  I just couldn't believe what I was watching.  Ho Hum.

[SA Chris]

I'd be interested in any other examples outside the UK as the list feels pretty UK-centric at the mo.

Infamously, FAer of Animal House in Bad Kloof redpointed a route, then admitted it was chipped, and chopped the bolts.

https://www.climbing.co.za/wiki/Jurassic_Park

[spidermonkey09]

I'd be interested in any other examples outside the UK as the list feels pretty UK-centric at the mo.

Everything in spain?

In the 90's climbing in El Chorro, we were gobsmacked to see the locals abbing and drilling holes for bolts, as well as just drilling pockets.  We watched this guy just drilling holds and feeling them with his fingers, then drilling a little more, smoothing them off.   It was a real slap in the face, having been brought up in a very strict ethical environment of peak grit/uk trad.  I just couldn't believe what I was watching.  Ho Hum.

When you have such a surfeit of quality rock its no surprise that there is no such taboo as exists in the UK I guess.

[SA Chris]

Not sure which ones, but apparently some of the harder routes in Balmashanner Quarry in Angus were chipped. Just to add some more international flavour

[webbo]

I remember reading a profile of someone had one of the leading lights in the Gunks and they had drilled out a finger lock in order to do a last great problem.

[SA Chris]

Seem to remember mention of it in Pollitt's Bio?

https://gripped.com/routes/punks-gym-worlds-first-5-14a/

[Tony]

Hybrid Vigour on Creag an Dubh Loch is an entertaining example:
“I […] saw that the overlap looked impossible, I thumped the rock with my hammer in a fit of pique. A chunk of rock flew off leaving a flat, white hold. […] I don't think there was any conscious intent of making a hold. It seemed an odd thing to happen since granite is usually so solid. Maybe it's right I never finished the route, however."

[jwi]

I think it is a hard list to make work. There are a lot of lines that has to be drawn, and it is extremely hard to be even handed. Almost all routes in Margalef, hard or easy, have lips of pockets smoothed out — otherwise there would be no climbing there as even my rhino-skin would get destroyed in a single attempt. Almost all routes in Rodellar have tons of sika on them, some for making holds, but mostly because otherwise belaying on the routes would be like re-enacting the western front in World War One. Some routes loose holds which get glued back after the first free ascent, some routes have almost been done in free when a hold breaks and get glued back—is the first example preserving history and the other example chipping? Many would think so. (If so, DNA should go on the list as a tufa broke just before the FA and got recreated/sikad back in place)

[SA Chris]

Weren't a lot of the holds at Buoux improved / created by finding small holds or features just below the surface and hollowing them out?

[dunnyg]

Otto's route had some pretty major work done to it (grand junction, Colorado).

https://www.mountainproject.com/route/105758122/ottos-route

[remus]

I think it is a hard list to make work. There are a lot of lines that has to be drawn, and it is extremely hard to be even handed. Almost all routes in Margalef, hard or easy, have lips of pockets smoothed out — otherwise there would be no climbing there as even my rhino-skin would get destroyed in a single attempt. Almost all routes in Rodellar have tons of sika on them, some for making holds, but mostly because otherwise belaying on the routes would be like re-enacting the western front in World War One. Some routes loose holds which get glued back after the first free ascent, some routes have almost been done in free when a hold breaks and get glued back—is the first example preserving history and the other example chipping? Many would think so. (If so, DNA should go on the list as a tufa broke just before the FA and got recreated/sikad back in place)

I totally agree with that there's a wide spectrum of "chipping", from some light hold reinforcement that is essentially invisible to proper hatchet jobs.

With the list Im not trying to be definitive, and Im also trying to avoid drawing too many lines. I was hoping to make it literally "some examples of chipped climbs" and choosing famous examples seemed the best way of keeping it relatively un-controversial.

[Tom de Gay]

Climbs relying on historical carved features, which were not manufactured for climbing purposes, should probably not be on the list. Does anyone know what the Angel's Share runnel was intended for? To support a small roof perhaps?

Routes which were vandalised after the first ascent might be better on a separate list, or at least have an asterix. The latter category would include Karma and a bunch of other respected Font classics, which were desecrated around 2001, by a supposedly gun-toting guy attempting to make the problems impossible.

[SA Chris]

I heard the AS runnel was to divert rainwater away from pouring over the lip? Probably wrong. Likewise the Buckstone Dyno hold was not made by climbers.

[Wil]

Out of interest which bit of body machine is chipped? I did it a few years ago and don't remember any blatantly chipped holds, though I wasn't looking so could easily have missed it.

I assumed the dish next to the drilled thread must have been chipped at some point.

[steveri]

Can I nominate most of Pisa Wall at Pex Hill if you include bullet holes
https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php?topic=24679.0

[cheque]

I heard the AS runnel was to divert rainwater away from pouring over the lip?

Yeah it must have been done to make the little cave under the slab a more habitable shelter. The same technique has been used at the hermitage at Cratcliffe and inside what is now the Whillans hut at the Roaches.

[mark20]

The crimp out left of the start of Nemesis at Chee Cornice looks chipped?
Drilled mono on Make it Funky (not necessarily drilled for climbing, but an old aid bolt hole?)

Not quite as famous but plenty of routes in Cheedale have random glued on holds, Stung, Kiss Me Arcy, or well chipped and shaped holds like Blockhead... all the same FA... and great routes

[Muenchener]

I'd be interested in any other examples outside the UK as the list feels pretty UK-centric at the mo.

There's an entire wall at the Kanzianiberg in Austria with routes consisting of huge - whole hand jug - drilled pockets plus bolt-ons. There are even two grades in the guidebook, one for just pockets and one for pockets + bolt-ons.

At least there's no pretence that the routes are anything like natural. It's just what the locals did for training on their crag before they had indoor walls.

[Fultonius]

Not sure which ones, but apparently some of the harder routes in Balmashanner Quarry in Angus were chipped. Just to add some more international flavour

Production Line at Cambusbarron, if we're delving into central belt esoterica...