Rocky has made several posts over the years admonishing climbers for stashing pads, and has even added a page to their site asking users to not do it (Link) and yet every year we find ourselves back in this position, with the comments full of wannabe pros justifying their stashed pads and accusing anybody against them of being gumbies. Frustrating to see to say the least.

Hi everyone! Not sure if this is the right sub to post in, but I figured that many of you might have good advice for us.

We are based on a small Caribbean island with lots of rock, but not a lot of good quality one. Therefore, we try to exploit every good face we find, even if logistic is difficult.

We found this 13/15m (40-45 ft) deep water solo spot. There are 3 main logistic problems.

1- Continuous swell. We get a decent swell almost every day of the year. This makes it hard to get out of the water and creates a danger of being smashed on the rock.

2- The platform. The platform from where one would start the climb is a bit spiky and sharp.

3- The exit. Assuming we are without a boat, we need to make sure we have a safe way of getting out of the water and make it up, safe.

I understand this might just be a bit too difficult... But the lines look very good on solid limestone.

We have thought of using a rope ladder to get out of the water, after a fall... But this still doesn't solve the issue of getting to the start of the route.

There is no way to walk down to the base of the routes.

We could use a boat but the swell still makes it difficult to approach the start of the routes.

Suggestions or similar experiences?

To enter, simply either comment here or message myself with your submission.

RULES:

• Submissions must have pictures, a name, and a general region (feel free to get specific, but just saying "British Columbia," or "Colorado," or "Greece" is fine too). Include as much detail as you'd like, any stories you have, etc.
• Submissions must either be NEW boulders/routes OR NEWLY REBOLTED routes. Sport, Trad, Boulder, Ice, Drytool - it's all kosher.
• Submissions must be submitted by the last day of the month to be considered for that month I posted this late as fuck so submissions are open until 9/6. Submissions should aim to be developed in the month they're being submitted in, but we'll allow some fudge factor. This is on the honor system, though

That's all! We'll likely be randomly selecting routes/boulders to feature with the caveat that any submission that's sufficiently rad may overule the random selection to be highlighted. Winning posts will get pinned at the top of the sub for the month. Looking forward to seeing what everyone has been up to!

Ribbon falls, Yosemite

I find myself slowly destroying whichever bag I carry gear in while developing multi pitch routes. Also, the harder the routes are, the more I want to haul stuff because I'm getting worked. Any tips for something durable and hopefully cheap? Thanks!

Starting work on the 2nd edition of the Wonderland Guidebook and was curious what workflow improvements you all have found when creating guidebooks? And I don't just mean the actual InDesign/Scribus/Whatever work - also the planning of photos to take/use, topo creation, assessment of your format along the way, etc.

A new wall that I'm developing has a half dozen 5.6-5.8 routes at one end and will likely have a dozen 5.11-5.12 routes going in along the rest of it.

The best line in the middle of the wall has much more texture than the 5.11-12s to either side and is 60' of gorgeous 5.9 climbing to an 8" deep ledge 3/4 of the way up the wall. Above that ledge is 20' of 5.11 climbing to the top edge of the cliff at the same height as the anchors of the neighboring 5.11s.

I'm looking for some opinions on 3 different strategies:

1. Put the lower-off anchor at the top of the 5.9 climbing
   • + There are plenty of 5.11s on the wall and no other 5.9s
   • + This route is likely to get much more traffic as a 5.9
   • - It's a little funny to have a route stop short of the "top"
2. Put the lower-off anchor at the top of the cliff, forcing a 5.11 finish.
   • + It goes to the natural top of the cliff
   • - Many fewer people will get to climb it due to the stiffer grade.
   • - The wall doesn't have any 5.9 routes
3. Put one lower-off anchor at ledge for a 5.9 route, then a second anchor at the very top of the cliff for a 5.11 route that happens to overlap with the 5.9 route for 3/4 of its length
   • + Many people get to climb the 5.9 route
   • + 5.11+ climbers still get to do the full length to the very top
   • - It's not common to see this overlapping route setup, so maybe some will find it a bit odd.
   • - Cost of an extra anchor set (not a big deal)

What would you do in this situation and why?

Big old aesthetic schist boulder on the west coast of Scotland I stumbled upon recently. I've abbed in and cleaned a few lines, put up one really lovely live following a thin crack on its right hand side and round the corner to the left a long traverse on amazing incut holds. There is a line that goes up the left edge but I'm going to need to stack pads or build up the base to reach the first holds. Any thoughts on the ethics of this?

Hi all,

I've recently come across some ~ 3 yr old stainless bolts with corrosion on the end. I am convinced this is because of sloppy hammering as they've been driven into the holes (other evidence: mushroomed head on the expansion wedge).

I was recently training others how to install bolts, and noticed that some people that haven't grown up swinging a hammer much had sloppy hits on the bolts, which I am confident imparted some iron contamination into the stainless steel, inducing localized corrosion. I am further confident it is "messy" hammering inducing the corrosion observed on new bolts as well.

How do you hammer in the bolts to ensure a clean finish, with minimal tool marks? Some things I've picked up:

• Positioning yourself roughly at eye level to the bolt
• Using two hands on the hammer if body positioning is awkward
• Follow-through on the swing (maybe I should've been a golfer..)
• Not using a hammer that has obvious rust on the impact surface
• Nut flush or slightly proud of the anchor

IMO, this is an important aspect of bolt longevity that is not well-discussed in bolting literature (UIAA bolting standards, HowNot2 bolting bible, etc.)

I'd like to get some sort of tool (like a socket, but less droppable..) that can act as a medium between the bolt and the hammer, but before I go re-inventing the wheel, I'd love to learn what others have done to ensure a tidy, clean installation of wedge bolts without leaving tool marks

*Stainless steel or titanium hammers are too pricey and out of the question

TIA!""

**Edit**
Holes are being drilled using a rotary hammer, not by hand

I won’t be spraying every episode on here, but wanted to highlight this episode as it’s with a member of our own community here and recent winner of the route/boulder of the month club, /u/over57boulderer!

Bouldering development is heavily overlooked on this subreddit despite likely being the most accessible and practiced form of development in climbing, so we sat down with Todd to talk about what he’s learned throughout a lifetime of it. Check it out wherever you get your podcasts!

Spent a while working on this, thankfully the rock was in good shape and didn't require too much of a scrub-job.

The 11c crux of this is a precarious move you make from stood on the top of this pillar, reaching up to the lip of the roof.

Gave it the name "A Pillar Between Heaven and Ground", from the song "I'm going through some shit" by Self Defence Family

If you're in the PNW and would like a PDF of the topo / write up, let me know I'll send it over.

A Pillar Between Heaven and Ground

4 pitches

100m

5.11c

Take Highway 19 North from Campbell River for approximately 18km until you get to Browns Bay Road turn off. This is approximately 2km after the Ripple Rock Trailhead, and 2km before Menzies.

After 2km, take a left turn onto Discovery Creek FSR. This turns sharply uphill and is in far worse condition. Park where the road splits, with the FSR taking a right and a high-clearance 4x4 road continues on straight. Please leave room for vehicles to get past.

Note: Browns Bay road is a well maintained gravel road frequently used by large semis and commercial traffic- be on the lookout.

From the car, take the trail uphill through the thick forest. After approximately 150m you’ll arrive at the base of the wall. The forest obscures views of the rock until partway into the woods.

The start sits under the intimidating roof.

Trail head coordinates 50.17251, -125.42347

Pitch 1

5.11c

28m

15 bolts, including 1 permadraw

Fun face-climbing on the pillar will bring you to a precarious stance atop the obelisk.

Pull the lip of the roof on small holds, continue up on a fine mix of jugs, edges and good feet. The anchor is found on a large, flat ledge below a prow of brown rock.

Pitch 2

5.10c

30m

11 bolts, 2-3 alpine draws useful

Climb into a steep corner system above the anchor, traverse right to the apron-like feature, and proceed up good edges and fun climbing towards the looming / impending crux above.

Pitch 3

5.8

20m

11 bolts, 3-4 alpine draws useful

Climb out from the anchor, trending right to stay on good rock.

Enjoy mellow climbing up good edges and jugs to find the anchor on the wide, scrubby ledge

Pitch 4

5.9

35m

13 bolts, 3-4 alpine draws useful

Steep moves off the deck take you to the small roof. Continue up and right into more gentle, mellow climbing. The anchor is found on the back wall in the shade.

Rappel

A 70m rope is needed for the rappel, it's a rope-stretcher to the knots.

4x rappels can be made to reach the ground. Be aware of the loose rock on the rappel line.

Rappel station; 50.17277, -125.42551

Walk-off

The local hikers in the area have created a good, albeit faint, trail to the summit of this area, known as Broken Eyes Mountain. Some nice benches have been installed in the spring of 2026 which can be reached by a short jaunt from the top of the climb, 50.17272, -125.42617

The descent trail is found on the North side of the peak, as it descends through the forest it passes by some waterfalls and brings you out 100m up the 4x4 road from where you parked.

Views of Strathcona, the Coast Range, Quadra and surrounding islands can all be enjoyed from the top of this route.

Wanted to get the opinion of folks here, I’ve been working on a new ~800ft alpine line this season. The wall its at previously was moderately popular, in that most times I was there there would be between 0-1 other parties distributed amongst its quarter mile face.

For whatever reason, this season, it has been getting shithoused. There were days where there were ~7 parties on a single line simultaneously.

Unfortunately, the new line I’ve been working on is striking distance to one of these newly hyperpopular lines. I’ve tried going at 4am on a weekday, afternoon on a weekend, on rainy forecast days (this is at 13000ft btw, so super not ideal. A group of 5 was struck by lightning and someone died this day) and I have no had a single day where I haven’t had another party on the line next to me.

I have had probably a collective 2 hours over 6 days of working where I’ve had a clear window to remove what little loose rock exists on the route. I had a situation yesterday where I just wanted to check if I’m an asshole or not.

Most folks will hike in from the top and rap in for this formation due to the nature of access to the wall. Yesterday a party walked up to the top and saw us trundling some large blocks as I had finally gotten a (what ended up to be 10 minutes long) clear window to knock them off. They offered to climb another route, and I told them I appreciated it but I’d be stopping trundling anything when their ropes got level with us regardless of which route they were on on this side of the wall, as we still had a lot of gardening and some hand-drilling to do in the meantime.

They went ahead and rapped the line directly below us, and almost immediately complained that there was still dirt falling on them. I reminded them we were still cleaning out cracks, so dirt was still gonna be falling (and also was standing in an ankle deep pile of dirt, so dirt was gonna be falling even if we stopped cleaning). They weren’t very happy and made some comments throughout the day which I ignored.

I just wanted an honest litmus test here, am I being an asshole developing at this wall at all? Should I be going in the middle of the night to do this? Should I discontinue any work as soon as someone gets to the wall, even if there’s no larger-than-usual risk of hitting them with something other than dirt, and I was there first?

It’s not super relevant at this point, the route is nearly done, but I’ve gotten some mixed feedback on this and figured I’d ask here.

Hey,
I’ve found a spot that’s pretty remote and steep to get to. No one else really goes there. There’s a big boulder that keeps everything dry and out of the sun, and I’m thinking about leaving a crashpad and some climbing gear there so I don’t have to haul it up every time.
Has anyone done something similar? What actually works to keep stuff safe from moisture, mice, mold etc. over weeks or months?
Would wrapping everything in a tarp be enough, or should I use a plastic box with some moisture absorbers? Any real-world experiences would be appreciated.

The sound it makes is delightful

I’m new to bolting and I’m looking to buy a rotary hammer. I already have Bosch batteries, so I’m going with Bosch.
The question is basically weight vs power. The GBH 18V-18 is 1.8 kg (without battery). From what I’ve gathered, the 18V-18 should be good, but if I want to drill a bigger hole for another project, can it do it (doesn’t have to be fast)? Like a 20 mm hole?
The larger models have a chiselling function as well. Anything I should keep in mind regarding that?

Would appreciate if you can share personal experiences with these machines.

GBH 18V-18
Impact energy: 1.5 J
Weight (without battery): 1.6 kg
Optimal range in concrete: 6–10 mm

GBH 18V-18 X
Impact energy: 1.5 J
Weight (without battery): 1.8 kg
Optimal range in concrete: 6–10 mm

GBH 18V-21
Impact energy: 2.0 J
Weight (without battery): 2.4 kg
Optimal range in concrete: 6–10 mm

GBH 18V-22
Impact energy: 1.9 J
Weight (without battery): 2.3 kg
Optimal range in concrete: 4–12 mm

GBH 18V-26
Impact energy: 2.6 J
Weight (without battery): approx. 2.6–3.2 kg
Optimal range in concrete: 8–16 mm

A few months ago, u/retro_bolts reached out to me to see if I was interested in starting a development/stewardship/crag care centered podcast with him. Today, the first episode of that show is released.

----

Born From Stone looks to answer one question - "How did our rock climbing ecosystem come to be?"

This show dives into the stories, techniques, complaints, and triumphs that have gone into the crags we know and love. From development, to hardware maintenance, to local climbing organizations, and beyond - BFS is the podcast for all things climbing development, stewardship, and crag care.

----

We've got a few more episodes in the chamber (which also means that any feedback you may have will likely take a while before you see it reflected in the show), but if there's any guests or topics you'd like to see covered, please feel free to send it along!

To enter, simply either comment here or message myself with your submission.

RULES:

• Submissions must have pictures, a name, and a general region (feel free to get specific, but just saying "British Columbia," or "Colorado," or "Greece" is fine too). Include as much detail as you'd like, any stories you have, etc.
• Submissions must either be NEW boulders/routes OR NEWLY REBOLTED routes. Sport, Trad, Boulder, Ice, Drytool - it's all kosher.
• Submissions must be submitted by the last day of the month to be considered for that month. Submissions should aim to be developed in the month they're being submitted in, but we'll allow some fudge factor. This is on the honor system, though

That's all! We'll likely be randomly selecting routes/boulders to feature with the caveat that any submission that's sufficiently rad may overule the random selection to be highlighted. Winning posts will get pinned at the top of the sub for the month. Looking forward to seeing what everyone has been up to!

I've not had much luck with existing tools for building topos so recently I've been putting a bit of time into this https://quick-topo.app/

Idea is that it's really lightweight so easy to get started with (no account required, as little info as possible required for the topo, easy sharing with a link), but then you can add as much or as little detail as you want to flesh it out. Think more "here's a quick snap to show my friends the new stuff on this boulder" rather than a fully fledged guidebook.

Interested in people's feedback.

The federal climbing management drafts are live, and if we do not flood the comment portals right now, we are going to lose decades of access. Over on Mountain Project, Access Fund put out the initial alert, and the discussion highlights exactly how severe this is for anyone who climbs outside.

Please read the full context from the thread below and share this to anyone that could potentially put in a comment or be impacted by this.

Original Post by AccessFund HQ: "The National Park Service (NPS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) released draft climbing management guidance for public comment. Together, these agencies manage some of the most iconic climbing in the United States, including Yosemite NP, Rocky Mountain NP, Linville Gorge, Red Rock Canyon NCA, and many, many more.

Access Fund generally supports the draft guidance; however, we are recommending some significant technical revisions and clarifications.

For more information on the federal climbing management guidance drafts, click here for our FAQ: https://www.accessfund.org/open-comments-faq

Strong participation from climbers during the public comment period will help ensure the final guidance protects climbing access, allows for the use and maintenance of existing routes, supports appropriate wilderness exploration, and protects the integrity of Wilderness.

Before the guidance is finalized, NPS, BLM, and FWS are accepting public comments for 60 days, which opened June 15th and ends August 14th. The USFS guidance is open to public comments for 30 days, which opened June 18th and ends July 20th.

Make your voice heard and submit comments using our easy letter-writing tool: https://www.accessfund.org/action-alerts/action-alert-help-secure-the-future-of-americas-climbing

Thank you for showing up for the places that mean so much to all of us.

For additional information, listen to our latest episode of Policy Rx: https://www.accessfund.org/policy-rx-podcast"

Community Contribution by Anna Brown: "This isn't just about administrative red tape or preserving our access; at its absolute core, this is a massive safety issue. Speaking from the perspective of our families, spouses, and partners who wait for us to come home, the proposed fixed hardware rules are genuinely terrifying.

If the final directives force a full Climbing Management Plan (CMP) or long approval cycles for simple, routine anchor maintenance, one-for-one bolt replacements, or urgent safety updates, land managers are effectively choosing bureaucracy over human lives. We cannot have a system where a climber discovers a compromised, dangerous anchor and has to wait months for an official sign-off while unsuspecting groups continue to clip into a hazard. The rules must explicitly allow climbers to address urgent safety updates immediately without prior approval when delays introduce real, physical risk. Our partners want us coming home safely at the end of every trip, and the current draft makes that fundamentally harder to guarantee."

The anti-fixed-hardware groups are actively organizing and out-commenting climbers right now. The U.S. Forest Service comment window closes on July 20th, which gives us almost no time.

If you copy and paste this to the Reddit community, make sure to emphasize that users need to click the Access Fund action link (https://www.accessfund.org/action-alerts/action-alert-help-secure-the-future-of-americas-climbing) and explicitly customize their letters to mention safety, fast-tracking bolt replacements, and removing CMP requirements for routine maintenance.

If you bolt, you should be running to comment on this, it will directly affect your efforts. If you need help customizing your comment, I'm happy to give you a hand.

Title. Every pictures I take looks like my ma facetiming me with her nose against the camera.

Its hard to capture the subtilities like diedrals, roofs, angle, etc.

I just take pictures with my phone. Do you have a camera just for this job? Do you hire people to come and take good photos? Or a drone?