some bastard nicked the first one on a 7c I left them in overnight.
I had alternate quickdraws stolen from a route at Orpierre last summer, they left the 1st, 3rd, 5th etc.....plus the 1st draw had a DMM rollerbiner on it! I was not happy!!!
Yeah Eric actually got some draws from our own British BD Sponsored hero Chris Cubitt, and got BD to send Chris a full set of new draws a month later. What a nice bloke!
Now at the risk of meeting with serious consternation I'll play Devil's Avacado and suggest that people shouldn't be leaving quickdraws in routes, especially at the Tor.Now of course I'm sorry to hear that some people have lost gear, and naturally hope it finds it way back to you. And afterall even if you did leave gear if someone took it knowing it was yours then thats still theft. I don't know the specifics of this case, how long it was left in etc.However, my opinion than we shouldn't be leaving gear in routes, especially at very public and visible crags like the Tor. I will accept that a worrying precedent has been set by the set of draws with maillons in Mecca Extension than must have been there for about 4 years now, but all the same my point stands. Someone also left clips in Sardine for a peroid last summer too. If people out there think that draws left in are invisible and not doing any harm then think again - walkers and non-climbers can see them, I had one guy accost me as I was leaving the crag wanting to know why people were leaving gear on routes (mecca in that case). Plus don't forget if anyone else wants to do the route when your gear in in maybe they don't want to lead it on your gear - they don't know its history etc, so your clips are in the way. in the case of mecca i'd not be psyched taking lobs on gear that had been left to the elements for years (didn't someone say one of the gates was dodgy on mecca anyway?) In this day and age of having clipsticks is there really an excuse for leaving routes equipped? by sport standards even routes like chimes to the 8a+ belay are not long or difficult to equip.I'll probably be shot down in flames here but i think this issue needs considering.
However, my opinion than we shouldn't be leaving gear in routes...
Plus don't forget if anyone else wants to do the route when your gear in in maybe they don't want to lead it on your gear - they don't know its history etc, so your clips are in the way.