Headpoint Style On Potentially Dangerous Routes

Gerry asked me to add in my two cents about his essay. I thought Surmounting Terror was a really good climb. It would have been beyond dangerous to attempt ground up. I think Niels big fall was a game changer. It showed us all how dangerous and ultimately irresponsible it is to attempt some of these routes ground up. Irresponsible insofar as writing up (perhaps unwittingly) a time-bomb death route as a safe enjoyable climb leads repeat ascentionists into danger. Now, of course, every cliff is different. But Niels' fall made a precedent in the Southern Escarpment which is impossible to ignore. In this day and age It is important for the first ascent team to be honest with how they climbed the route. It can not just be assumed it was ground up on-sight. If a route is climbed headpoint style, especially with pre-placed gear, the first ascent team should let people know this!

I define headpointing as,"A free ascent of a rock climb that involves rehearsing moves and gear placements because a fall will be dangerous/deadly. In most headpoints, the route has been freed on top-rope at least once". Well here comes the controversial part:I dont like headpointing. I think headpointing works at Ben Lomond almost entirely because it is a no-bolts area. It should also be pointed out that Gerry did not use pitons which he could easily have done. The Ben is a unique place where these types of headpoint style trad routes can be put up. It works because of guys like Gerry getting out there and cleaning and leading these things and being honest about the style and the climbing. It works because I TRUSTED Gerry when he said it was committing but had good gear. Just so people know, his route description was bang on.

Outside of Ben Lomond, I dont really get headpointing. I think setting up headpoint routes next to bolt protected routes is bad practice. If a route needs a bolt.... PUT IT IN! Of course, this is a grey area. lll just point out a couple recent examples. Surmounting Terror can be called a headpoint because for the grade it has marginal/bad gear, and he had already rap inspected/top roped it. I don't find fault in this. He paved the way for onsighting in an area that is bolt free. I recently repeated Alex Lewis' Total Eclipse at the Star Factory. Its a 28 corner protected with black and blue aliens. I did rehearse the gear placements and moves but I do not define it as a headpoint because I know the gear was really good (believe it or not)and a fall would have been totally safe. Total Eclipse does not need bolts and can be safely lead ground up onsight. A grey area climb is Animal Instincts Direct 28. The gear is good but small and a fall could be dangerous. Its been climbed 5 or 6 times and most people think its safe. This route may or may not be a headpoint.  Its a great climb anyway! After much toproping, Ingvar Lidman recently put up a 27 at Mt Blackwood in which he taped sky hooks to the cliff for pro. I do not know if they were necessary gear or if he just wanted to tape them on for some other reason, but lets assume they are the only 'protection' from a bad fall. Well then this is, without a doubt, a headpoint climb. I dont like it because it is smack dab in the middle of bolted routes. Why headpoint this? Ingvar's a great dude but I think its a waste of a route.

There are entirely rap-bolted routes at Mt. Buffalo, Victoria that have a hard first pitch with many, many bolts and an easier second pitch with far fewer. All this does is screw over people who don't climb as hard. It says "you have to climb at a certain grade to get any bolts" I think this sucks! When its an all bolted route this type of BS is really evident. When its a "trad" headpoint its a little less clear but the first ascentionist's intention is the same. I don't want Tassie "traditional" climbs to end up like Mt. Buffalo wank fests. The reality is that whether it is 20, 24 or 27, these are easy climbs on the world scale. Currently people are onsighting 34/35.  Leading a trad route which could and should have bolts after top-roping it to death is unfair. People that think they are making a "trad" statement by toproping to death a relatively easy but unprotectable route are sadly mistaken. Go ahead and solo whatever you want, but dont take away a climb that could be enjoyed by many people in order to fulfill some kind of invented 'trad' ethic.

And now for something completely different.

Recently, a visiting Canadian climber by the name of Steve Townshend (aka Manboy) had a productive holiday in Oz. He climbed two routes in Victoria, one of which was a grade 19 sport pitch in the gramps and the other was the all-time mega classic Punks in the Gym (32). In Tassie he made possibly the second ascent of Jake Bresnehan's route Freedom (30) on Mt. Wellington. Pleasant Screams Direct was on the cards but was not climbable due to the fixed line that was hanging over it from a weeks long siege 'headpoint' effort. At the Star Factory he climbed the first ascent of Street Fighter 3. He gave it 32. He also came agonizingly close to sending Jakey B's route Wizard of Oz (32) at the factory. After changing his flight back to Canada twice, a wet cliff sent him home without the send...

Also a new line dubbed "The Left Over Crack Project" has been opened. Its the crack right of Tooth Fairy. Steve has been projecting the famous Cobra Crack in Squamish and he believes this route is nearly as hard and just as good! Of course this is an open project. One hint... Train monos.

I hope everyone enjoys the rest of summer. I know I will. See ya out there!

cj