Chipping or cleaning
I have for a long time been thinking about the ethical boundaries concerning cleaning and brushing new lines.
When I began developing a new area in Heby a couple of weeks ago these questions became even more disturbing.
The boulders I am cleaning are situated in a forest that was ravaged by fire a hundred years ago and as a result the outer layer of the rock is in places quite flaky.
This creates a situation where I can pretty much deciede how hard the problems are going to be.
But where to draw the line?
Is it ok to smoothen the surface of the holds to create a nicer hold?
Is it ok to remove all flakes or none?
Is it ok to glue a flake back if you need another hold?
Which tools are ok to use?
If a line is brushed and deemed to easy/hard, is it ok to "clean" a little more.
Let the discussion begin. Here.
//Chrille
Hi everybody
SvaraRaderaI'm gonna give my opinion Christer and sorry for not leave it on the forum but it's in Swedish and it's pretty diffciult for me.
As you know, rock from Castillo de Bayuela is softer than in Pedriza or Escorial for example. Both Lega and I, as some other who are brushing and cleaning new lines in Castillo de Bayuela, we use to remove all the moving flakes.
We prefer remove all the flakes and holds pontentially dangerous for two main reasons:
1st If we remove at the brushing moment we avoid a F.A. and anyone more or a possibly S.A. with different beta. We think that it's better leave the new line just ready for climbing and we use to test all the holds.
2nd to avoid a possible accident.
If you don't break the moving holds, once somebody climbed for first time the boulder maybe if breaks a couple of holds later could be impossible to climb.
I don't know how is the rock you are talking about...
But I state that we don't chip for new holds, that's forbidden in our religion. If the boulder is harder for me I have two solutions: get more power or move to another softer.
Finally, we only remove broken holds but never create new holds.
If there is just a moving hold or the crux hold we use to glue with sika.
Very few times we use to modify a sharp holds and I remember that I've removed a knob from a painful crimp twice.
Finally, the best procedure, in my opinion, is doing the same than the people do in that crag.
But never create new holds as a 2 finger pocket or something like that.
Thank you Carles
RaderaI will copy/paste it into the forum if it is ok with you.
//Christer
Yes Christer, OK
RaderaI agree with Carles 100%
SvaraRadera