I posted a year about about the general increase in retro-bolting of good protectable trad routes in various areas across the UK. It seems my concerns were more prescient than alarmist: On my only two (due to injury) visits to The Ormes this year, the amount of retro-bolting seems to be accelerating rather than being curtailed. This means that when I turned up to rehab my elbow on some minor but enjoyable E1/2s on the usual pleasant Pen Trwyn rock, I found them to have been fully retro-bolted and turned into sport routes. I led them on trad anyway (which, despite the all-too-common false arguments to the contrary, definitely alters / spoils the experience, especially if it was on routes closer to the climber's limit), and still managed to enjoy good protectable trad despite the very unwelcome bolting situation. See below for more details.
There has been some online discussion, some discussion at the BMC North Wales Area Meet, and some extra discussion between interested parties about this issue. I've had some closer discussion with concerned friends and whilst there is some agreement that the this is an entirely undesirable and negative situation that is detrimental to both British trad climbing and the sport / trad balance in historically "mixed" venues, what to actually DO about this is another question - one that is sadly not solved merely by ranting.
So I've had a think and come up with a few ideas of how to TRY to reverse the trend a bit. As with Ken Canute (RIP), this is probably still trying to stop the ceaseless tide, but maybe it's worth trying. These are only my own ideas, perhaps naive and ill-formed, but they could be a starting point...
Practical actions:
1. Climb the minor but enjoyable trad routes in these venues NOW.
Partly don't keep putting them off because "I've got bigger plans and those routes will always been there for a quick hit / casual day". Because apparently they won't... And partly because the "this route was neglected and was rarely climbed as trad" reason is seemingly still used to "justify" retrobolting. So if the routes are more obviously climbed and not neglected, that reason becomes more invalid.
2. If suitable, do some careful cleaning (such as access allows).
This obviously depends on what is permissible and sensible. But if a route is relatively neglected and has become vegetated, this might put people off (even if it's still perfectly climbable). A light trim and spruce up can encourage people to get on it, and further reduce the "unpopular trad" argument.
3. If suitable, replace old fixed gear like-for-like.
Similar to above, depending on what is permissible and sensible. Old and rotting fixed gear that might need to be replaced somehow seems to transmogrify into yet another spurious "justification" for retro-bolting - not just replacing the fixed gear (or even just checking if it's needed at all!!), but bolting the whole route up because it had an old bolt or two pegs that needed replacing. This could be stopped before it started by replacing JUST the essential old fixed gear yourself (obviously having learnt the necessary skills and doing a safe job)
4. Publicise the quality of these trad routes.
Following and of the above actions - PROMOTE THE ROUTES. Get good photos. Assess the trad gear situation. Write up a good report. Suggest tweaks to grades and descriptions, correct anything that's misleadingly off-putting. Provide people with good information about good routes and encourage them to go and climb them. If enough people do, it could show the quality of the trad enough to dissuade retro-bolting.
5. Be supportive and respectful of bolt removal.
Hypothetically. If it were to happen.
High level involvement:
1. Discuss the situation in general, online and in real life.
A lot of the retro-bolting seems to come from people doing it without consultation, without warning, without discussion. The modus operandi seems to be secrecy / minimal consultation and try to let it become the route's status quo before anyone notices and queries it. Conversely, highlighting the issues, posting about them online, talking with other climbers about them, and raising awareness can bring the retro-bolting out into the open, maybe dissuade people from doing it too readily, and maybe encourage more people to stand against it.
2. If you know anyone involved with retro-bolting, talk to them, express your perspective.
Ask them to please avoid retro-bolting trad routes, especially without consultation. It might fall on deaf ears but enough calmly put requests might add up (and see 5. below).
3. Attend BMC Area Meets or at least check the minutes of the meetings to keep informed.
Despite relatively limited participation and the difficulty for non-locals to attend, these still seem to have some importance and often provide a formal forum to investigate these issues. Put up with the boring / hill-walking bits, put the effort in attend if you can, or keep up to date with the meeting minutes if you can't.
4. If there are any polls or consensus requests, vote in them and make your view heard.
Similar to getting the issues out in the open, don't keep your views private where they're not able to have any influence. Take part in any situation or consultation where a yay or nay, or a hand raised, or a "I vote for..." post can add to the numbers. Anyone can do this and it could help.
5. Keep a balance and pick the right battles.
A general disapproval of bolts and sport climbing is futile these days. It seems many people responsible for retro-bolting also do good work that doesn't spoilt trad routes. E.g. if they've also been involved with replacing bolts on established sport routes, replacing lower-offs or adding them where needed, replacing like-for-like fixed gear, putting up new sport routes - praise them for such, make it clear that all of that, without retro-bolting, is appreciated and valuable.
Grass roots encouragement:
1. Encourage people at relevant crags to get on trad routes and give them a go.
Share your knowledge, spread your enthusiasm. Give them ideas of what might be good and suitable. Overhear someone at at a mixed trad/sport sector saying "Oh I'm keen to do my first E1 but the ones here look a bit blank"?? Point them at what you know, reassure them the gear is okay. Overhear general qualms about trad?? Sing it's praises, explain how much great stuff there is to go at on trad.
2. Promote trad across social media and other forums.
Try to be a positive influence on people where trad - and where preserving trad - is concerned. Highlight all that is good about it, reassure people about anything that might be putting them off, provide information about easy ways into trad, and in general present it palatably and accessible as possible. Any post, any discussion where you can positively nudge people towards it, try to do so.
3. Try to answer any concerns / questions about trad that might be putting people off.
E.g.
"It's dangerous" - there's a huge amount of well-protected routes where you can place gear more regularly than on a sport routes, so it's definitely not necessarily dangerous.
"It's scary" - fear is part of the challenge and can be tackled and learnt to be overcome.
"It takes too long to learn" - that partly depends on the climbers diligence and dedication, and people who are determined enough and really focus on the core principles of placing gear, ropework, and the overall safety system can pick it up quickly.
"It's too expensive to learn" - formal trad instruction is expensive but it also opens up a vast array of excellent climbing all over the UK, and there's the option of informal coaching from clubs or other climbers.
"I don't know where to start" - give this person a list of courses and outdoor instruction venues to contact!
"A trad rack is too expensive" - thee are various ways around this including: hooking up with someone who has a rack, initially sharing a rack purchase with a friend, joining a climbing club, getting good advice about the bare minimum starting rack, etc.
...and if it's really all too much, suggest that top-roping trad routes in these areas might be better as a last resort rather than asking for them to be retro-bolted??
4. Try not to alienate people. Highlight the quality of trad whilst acknowledging the popularity of sport - and inform people about the large amount of sport available in many areas so they know there's often plenty to do without needing to support retro-bolting trad. Phrase the encouragement positively rather than judgementally.
5. Take people under your wing if you can. Be a mentor, be an informal guide, offer to take people out, be part of a climbing club. Pass down your experience and encourage people to develop the skills to do more trad and rely less on bolted routes (and maybe reduce the pressure to create more of them).
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Recent-ish retro-bolting examples:
Tramstation Crag:
A very pleasant and accessible suntrap that would be a charming little trad venue in inclement weather or for a quick hit. The routes are short, some are pretty minor, but the rock and climbing are good as usual.
The Three Musketeers E1 5b *
This would make a lovely little first E1 for anyone who can place wires. Lots of wires. So many wires that I started running out of quickdraws. Very steady good tradding with nice hidden sharp flake holds.
D'Artagnan E1 5c *
Another pleasant wee route with an easier start and a trickier and nicely technical finish. This was protected in the classic and natural Ormes "hybrid" style of having a lone bolt on the only blank bit. It would have been obvious and sensible to replace this lone bolt instead of retro-bolting a good route, or actually just remove the upper bolt given there are micro-cam placements nearby.
(Not shown is The Catwalk Direct
St Tudno's Upper
Just one of many of a good cluster of crags in Lighthouse Area with fine sea-views, easy access but an exposed feel, good rock, good climbing, and in theory a good sport / trad blend.
Rest And Be Thankful E2 5c **
A cracker of a route with more gear than you can place, although you still have to properly go for it on a typically committing but rewarding Ormes crux leading to good holds. Apparently there were two old pegs and a thread. These were clearly not needed, but what really wasn't needing was retrobolting.
A good and photogenic line with some committing climbing away from the good gear low down. Maybe a bit unbalanced to be worth a star here but definitely would get one on Peaks / Yorkshire lime and still well worth doing, and keeping, as trad.
Thank You Johnny / Thank You Matt E2 5c **
Note: There is some confusion about this line. The bolter / retro-bolter claims it's a new sport route and not a retro-bolted version of TYJ, however it is listed on UKC as TYJ F6a+ "Now retro-bolted". Which does mean that any pro-retro-bolting arguments using UKC logbook ticks as a "popularity" "justification" for removing trad routes might be based on unreliable evidence.Anyway what is clear is this is a good trad route with plentiful gear (fiddly in the main break but with a great shake-out there and easy gear just right) and a really nice techy rockover crux that shouldn't have been retro-bolted - and for that matter should have been done as trad if it is a new line.
Another good route with a stiff (but easier than it looks) start, a bit of boldness, then some delicacy, and a final thought-provoking crux with plentiful good small gear and a good rest to ponder it all. I found this one particularly satisfying even if it is a bit disjointed. The guide mentions a peg, it's clear this wasn't needed and neither was retro-bolting.
Hopefully this seemingly yearly post next year will be a lot more positive and celebratory??...
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