As in, are you allowed to wire brush, remove blocks that would otherwise kill you, remove blocks that might kill you, remove blocks that probably won't fall off but don't inspire confidence, brushing off lichen, clean jammed stones from cracks to find gear, etc etc..
and err on the side of caution. Dont go wire brushing like crazy likthose scottish f**kwits at garheugh cleaning priblems done ages before and hammering the rock. Rant over.
P.S. I trust that you don't genuinely have a grudge against the Scottish and actually meant to say "those fuckwits at garheugh"
What is the score with cleaning routes and boulder problems for first ascents
Quote from: rodma on June 12, 2010, 01:09:43 pmP.S. I trust that you don't genuinely have a grudge against the Scottish and actually meant to say "those fuckwits at garheugh"Fuckwits can be Scottish, English, Welsh, Irish, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Australian, American, Canadian, Swiss, Russian, Chinese.....
no hammering, and nowt against the scots. 2 scottish grannies.Just that id been there a bit cos its near my grans house, it eventually got written up somewhere and next visit i found that holds had been cleaned to an extent where grey looking rock was now orangey and you could see the effect of the brush gouged into the rock. Shame was the majority of these probs were possible without brushing. Its weird, thin lichen, nowt thick or chossy. I ranted at them at the time onlinesomewhere. Its probably descending back into a pleasant lichenous obscurity now. I wouldnt worry.
Quote from: barbe1 on June 10, 2010, 12:32:18 amWhat is the score with cleaning routes and boulder problems for first ascentsYou've not been following the irish climbing forums recently by any chance have you?
Just wondering...What is the score with cleaning routes and boulder problems for first ascents (and are they the same?) before you climb them these days? (not on grit, talking big sea cliffs and mountain crags)As in, are you allowed to wire brush, remove blocks that would otherwise kill you, remove blocks that might kill you, remove blocks that probably won't fall off but don't inspire confidence, brushing off lichen, clean jammed stones from cracks to find gear, etc etc..What do the famous pioneers do? Like DM, Birkett, Pearson, or Emmett, or ste mac?If someone has tried a route or a boulder prob does that means that's how it should be tried for the rest of time? Even if it's got loose holds on or is really dirty?Cheers
It is very interesting looking rock, like a mix between grey sandstone with quartz veins.
It's perfectly obvious to me when I am cleaning what I should and shouldn't remove, but just out of interest thought I would see what other people thought.