Kerjäläisten Valtakunta at Main sector, Falkberget

COMMENTS

Rami Hovi • 12 years ago

The first bolt is at about 7 meters. I know the beginning is very easy indeed, but still, anything can happen: what if a foothold is dirty and your shoe slips; what if there happens to be a snake on the ledge; what if a wasp stings you; etc. I know these scenarios are somewhat theoretical, but why take a risk of injury possibly causing a long break in your training if you can avoid it? So, my question is: How about adding a bolt or two?

Anssi Laatikainen • 12 years ago

How about to tie a loong rope loop etc. to big tree up there on ledge and clip into that? I mean like three meters or so that you would be able to clip into it midway up to ledge. It would be kind of pre placed tradgear so it should not be unethical or anything -not to mention it would save rock from new bolt holes.

Peter Hammer • 12 years ago

Anssi suggestion is a good one. The ledge is easily reachable from the right.
Bolting in 1998 was quite different from today. Bolted in 2012 there would propably be 1 bolt about 1m before the ledge. If somebody would clean the start properly, that would help, too. I cleaned it 14 years ago but it seems to be quite dirty again.

Rami Hovi • 12 years ago

Excellent idea! I've seen anchors like that in Thailand, shorter though. I'll fix it tomorrow. Check it out next time you visit the cliff to ensure it's ok.

Peter Hammer • 12 years ago

I do not think Anssi meant the anchor to be a permanent one?

Ilkka Urtti • 12 years ago

Please, no extra bolts or anything fixed to this route. If you're going for 7a you should be able to do the grade 4 highball, which the start actually is. In my opinion the bolting is perfect as it is.

Yes, anything can happen. But I think that's one fact you got to accept in life.

Ilkka Urtti • 12 years ago

...and yes threads are used in Thailand, but here I think it's better that everyone fixes their own. One reason is that I think it will not be very safe after the winter.

Rami Hovi • 12 years ago

I was there today but I didn't fix the rope loop, because there still seems to be a disagreement of what to do--or if anything needs to be done. On second thought I think a permanent rope loop would be quite ugly, and it may be unsafe after winter, too, as Ilkka points out.

Sakari McGregor • 12 years ago

Not that I climb there, but I think a it should not be permanent. Or you could take a pad and treat it as a highball boulder :)

Rami Hovi • 12 years ago

Thanks for your comments!

I still think adding one bolt in the beginning would be a good idea. Here's my reasoning:

Surely a human life is a permanent danger. But is it rational to take unnecessary additional risks if you can avoid them? I can't imagine why anyone training climbing seriously wants to take such risks. That's none of my business, though. Everyone is, of course, free to decide what risks to take. But it goes the other way around too: Why would anyone want to put others to take that kind of risk against their will? There are so few quality 7a sport routes near Helsinki, that this is in fact the case here (this is by no means an accusation; I understand that bolting was quite different in 1998). The situation is a take-it-or-leave-it.

It seems possible to devide climbers into two groups: those who think that climbing is inherently dangerous as it also should be (A); and those who want to climb safe not taking unnecessary risks (B). If I have understood it correctly, climbers in group A enjoy taking risks and for them too good protection spoils some of the enjoyment of climbing. I think the optimal situation would be that in which both groups can get what they want. A good way to accomplish this is to put the first bolt quite high. Group A climbers may climb the beginning without protection and group B climbers may pre-clip the first bolt.

I'm not after a massive rebolting of old routes. Kerjäläisten Valtakunta is a special case because it's a superb route in which the first bolt is so high that pre-clipping is extremely difficult. In order to make the situation optimal for both A and B groups of climbers, I think, one bolt should be added at about 1 m before the ledge--then everyone could choose if they want to climb the beginning protected or not.

Chris Helle • 12 years ago

The route bolting is excellent. No need for new bolts.

Anssi Laatikainen • 12 years ago

Pete: Yes!! The rope loop should not be a permanent one. :)

Rami Hovi -just go and add the loop for yourself and send the beauty! Remove the loop afterwards. Most climbers have cordelettes and such they can use if need for these things. No need to leave it there.

edit: I noticed you did tick it already. Good job.

Rami Hovi • 12 years ago

Thanks, Anssi! I sent it before starting this conversation, and I've climbed it a few more times since. Even so, I still think it needs the additional bolt, and I also think the arguments presented here for it are far more conclusive than those presented against it. But if I'm the only one thinking that way, then it's, of course, best to leave the bolting as it is.

Emilia V • 2 years ago

Ehkä tähän reittiin voisi jo harkita yhden pultin lisäämistä alkuun? Kun muutenkin kalliolla on pulttailtu.. Lupaan käydä kerran harjaamassa alun otteet, jos sinne ilmestyy pultti :)

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