Outer Cove-Cobblers Path

Jan and I were playing on the Cliffs at Outer Cove. Very easy slab climbing from 100 to 200ish feet high. I put in a couple of top bolts for safe escape.
Today Jan, Quinn and I were climbing these.
The top bolt to the left (closer to the point) was over a line I thought would be stupid easy, and it was. I didn't count on the runout at the top. I had 4 pieces in on a 100 foot route. I guess the belay was optional.
The other set of bolts are over a couple of cool cracks, but one in particular was wide and deep. This one also got a little thin at the top. Jan describe being 'in' the crack as needing total body engagement.

Access: Take Cobblers Path to the point. The path leads down to the right. Carefully pick your way along the ledges. **You can access the top bolts on the path above. Take note and find the base of each climb.

Belay is Optional 5.2 R
(Trad 30 meters: Top bolts; FA J. Peterknecht;  N. O'Regan)
Start up easy slab to a large ledge. Head to the 'nose' like feature (points to Lt). Limited placements for last 40 feet.

Total Body Engagement 5.4
(Trad 30 Meters: Top botls: FA A J. Peterknecht;  N. O'Regan)
Follow the ramp feature until you see a 6-12 inch wide crack that goes up then left. Come back right and continue up to the left of the bulge. Use the hueco features to get over the bulge. Top bolts straight up from there.

Jan (in orange) at the bottom of Total Body Engagement (5.4) belaying Quinn.

Scar Face and Stumped

Beautiful morning today. Jan and I have continued to work on Marine Slab. Last week we bolted two more lines and today we sent them.
We had a discussion on what to grade them. They feel stiff but they are slab climbs. Slab climbs typically feel stiff because of the fall potential. Instead of a nice clean fall it is more like sliding down a cheese grater. I didn't want to inflate the grade and once the routes are dialed in, it doesn't 'feel' as hard. I thought they climbed similarly and close to what Marine Slab is like.
Please try these climbs and comment on what you think the grades should be.

Scar Face 5.9
(Sport 10Meters. 4 Bolts plus anchor: FA J. Peterknecht &  N. O'Regan)
Starts on ledge above the start of Marine Slab (can use same start if you want). The first bolt is quite low. The climb starts with a pair of vertical 'cracks' that lead out to the left. If someone falls unprotected at this point, it could be a 15-20 foot fall. This is the reason for the first low bolt! At this point you are below a scar on the face. There was some pretty rotten flakes here that we had to chip off. Find the finger pockets on the horizontal ledge and work to the right to the next vertical 'crack'. Gain a nice foot ledge and then an easy scramble to the top.

Stumped 5.9
(Sport 10Meters. 4 Bolts plus anchor: FA J. Peterknecht &  N. O'Regan)
Starts just to the left of a large stump in the base of a crack. Work you way up the blank face til you gain a right hand in the 'crack'. There are three equally spaced foot ledges that allow for good clipping stances. The crux is the top and one crimp helps unlock it.

It got hard really quick!

I am talking about RedHead A7+ epoxy for gluing in bolts!!!!

Jan and I were out bolting today. We put up two new lines but didn't have time to send them (yet).  I was drilling and Jan was cementing the bolts. There was a small chip that was keeping the bolt from sitting vertical. Jan took a bit of extra time to get the bolt to sit correctly. When he went to place the cement, it had hardened inside the nozzle. It was maybe 10 min since the last bolt. It setup really quick.

It was warm on the face and that certainly can speed up the hardening of epoxy. A7+ is known for a fast cure time (35 min), maybe too fast. I used to use Hilti Hit ICE which had a 12 hour cure time. I never had a nozzle clog.

If you have used other 'glue', let me know what. I am curious about other brands now.

Marine Slab 5.10a and Shark Bait 5.7

Finally a bit of news on the development of Marine Slabs. Yan and I have been out gaining access to the top, putting in top bolts and cleaning the face under a couple of lines. We identified several lines with potential and top roped the shit of them and chose two line for our first sports lines in the area.

Marine Slab 5.10a 
(Sport: 15Meter. 6 bolts plus top anchors: FA J. Peterknecht & N. O'Regan)
This was the first obvious line we found and it follows the arete on the first prominent face. As we were cleaning the face, we found a few good features very close to the arete which are glued together with thin slab moves. When we were deciding on bolt placement, I had a certain flow of the climb I was trying to capture and good clips from good stances.
The first three bolts are on easy terrain and they bring you out to the arete on your left. The 4th bolts send you out towards the arete with classic slab feet, smearing on barely positive features. There is a vertical crack that has been eroded to a flaring feature that allows you to gain a upward facing triangular jug. You clip the 5th bolt off this position. Traverse to the right where a 1 inch wide ledge waits. The 6th bolt is clipped standing on this ledge. This bolt is a bit run out. Follow the small crimps up to the top anchors. There is an easy finish by going back to the right.
This climb has features that we have noticed in the area, thin slabs and big features. It is a good representation of what to expect out of this area.

**Grades** Neither Jan or I have a lot of experience on slab but I have always been surprised by how stiff the grades felt. As well, we cleaned these routes well but a lot of the pebbles in the sandstone pop out when fully weighted. Over time, these climbs will become 'smooth' which may affect the grade.


Shark Bait 5.7
(Sport: 11Meter. 5 bolts + Top Anchors: FA J. Peterknecht & N. O'Regan)
We climbed this little face on our first day exploring the area. A fun but deceptive climb. After we cleaned the base, we noticed how a low angle slab led up to the line we were looking at. We put the first bolt at the top of this slab. Don't take it for granted, it is a little trickier than it appears. The second and third bolt are quite close but this is to prevent a ground fall onto the slab below. Once the second clip is secure, a high step to the right gains a couple of knobs to grab for the 3rd bolt. A couple of cool looking features lead up to the 4th bolt and then over the nose to the 5th bolt. The top is easily gained from there. Lots of jugs with thin feet at times.


Now that we have the first couple of lines up, more should be going up soon. We have another 5 lines planned and we are find more stuff all the time. Fun!

Marine Slabs Update July 1

Jan and I have been working on the Marine Slabs. One thing I can say is that it is deceiving.

I currently have 3 sets of top bolts placed over a potential 5 lines. I thought there was one section was was really easy, about 5.5ish. We were toproping the face looking to put together a couple of lines and it climbed much harder than I anticipated. We are now looking at bolt placements for 2 lines on that face.

Just over the aret of this corner is the main slab I initially noticed. We have cleaned and TR's the left side of this face. Along the aret, there are some nice bigger features. If they we consistent, it would be stupid easy. They are spaced with slab moves between. This one will be fun.

Up the middle is very thin. There are a couple of eroded seams than allow you to smear but only one or two places that would be secure for clipping.

Further right on the face are a couple of seams or crack lines than will swallow pro. That's one nice thing about putting put trad lines, little bolting.

Homemade Bosun Chair

Developing rock climbing routes generally means spending lots of time hanging in harness. I try to find good thick adjustable harness but you still get uncomfortable after awhile.

I was on the MEC website when I came across a Black Diamond Bosun's Chair. At first it struck me as odd, but then I realized just how genius it was. Bosun's Chair was originally from the word 'boatswain'. It was a plank used to allows sailors to work on rigging at heights. I used a Bosun's chair when I was a kid on my Dad's sailboat.

Did I mention the Black Diamond product was 80$? I figured I could put something together using some scrap plywood and some newly retired 7mm cord. Here is how I did it.

1. Get a piece of 3/4 inch plywood cut to the dimensions of 6x18 inches. 
2. Using a 3/8 drill bit, drill a hole in each corner about 1 inch from each edge. Have a scrap piece of wood under the plywood to prevent tear-out.
3. Chamfer or round all edges using a hand plane or course grit sandpaper.
4. Sand the inner edges of the 3/8's holes so there isn't a sharp edge chewing into the rope. 
5. Sand the plywood using a random orbital sander. Start at 80 grit and then work through 150 and then 220.
6. Finish the wood with a polyurethane or varnish. This protects the wood and stiffens it.
7. Take 2 pieces of 7mm climbing accessory cord (not the crap you buy in a hardware store) approximately 5 feet in length each.
8. Feed the cord through the holes, one cord on each end, so ends are on the 'up' side of your bosun chair.
9. Tie opposing double fisherman's knot like you would to create a sling or prussit.

1. Tie one side first and place the end of a shoulder sling over the remaining loose end.
2. Finish the second knot, capturing the sling between the two opposing knots.
3.  Repeat the same knots on the cord on the other end of the 'seat', again capturing the other end of the shoulder sling between the knots.
10. Now you will have two loops of cord on either side of the seat. Rotate the cord so the fisherman knots bring the sling to the level of your lower back. The sling provides a backrest.
11. Now to customize your Bosun's Chair.

1. I bought a cheep leather tool pocket (17$) that was the same width as my chair. I put an eye screw on either end of the seat. The eye was just big enough the accommodate the 7mm cord. I threaded a piece of cord through the pocket's 'belt loop' and then through the eye screw on each side, securing it with a simple overhand blocker knot.
2. On the other side, I place 3 eye screws, one on each end and then one in the middle. I thread another piece of 7mm cord through all 3 eye screws and tied it off with blocker knots on either end. This makes 2 gear loops on the opposite side from my tool pocket.

To use the Bosun's Chair, it is very important that this is only meant for comfort and it is not a piece of your safety system. It is all retired cord and slings. Set up your rappel system using your personal anchor system (or equivalent) to extend your rappel devise and a prussit as a back up off your your belay loop. Take the chair and clip the two loops with one carabiner into a loop on your personal anchor system. If it is clipped to low, you will be still hanging in the harness. Clip it too high and you will not be able get into it. It should be just high enough that when you sit on it, your harness becomes slack. If any part of the Bosun's Chair fails, you fall back onto your harness/rappel system.

Ouch! I did it again.

I decided to build a new volume for my bouldering wall. It actually turned well but unfortunately, I had a bit of a mishap. I decided to power plane my left index finger. It hurt like hell and I sprayed blood all over the garage. I don't recommend anyone to do this.

Not my finger but similar.

A power planer (for those who aren't sure) is used to take very thin layers of wood off a piece of lumber, usually to make it flat (remove high spots). The planer has a set of two blades that rotate very quickly and shave off wood as you slide it along the piece of lumber. I can't remember exactly what I did, but it was along the lines of almost dropping the planer and trying to catch it before it hit the ground. I am now missing a good chunk out of the side of my finger.

Power Planer

It reminders me of the time that I was pruning our bushes and I nearly cut the top of the SAME finger off. I spent hours in the ER waiting to get it sutured back on. The tip ended up drying out and it fell off. Well this time there are no edges to sew together, just a wide open wedge of flesh missing. All I can do is keep it clean and covered. It it starts looking funky, I will get someone at work to look at it.

This is a mixed blessing (of sorts). I won't be able to train for awhile and climbing will be difficult. It won't stop me from setting moderate routes and clearing brush.

Galvanic Frustration

I hate to think that Newfoundland is the only place placing bolts on sea cliffs in Canada, but apparently so. If you had noticed, most of the routes in NL are bolted with stainless steel (SS) glue-in bolts. This is awesome as they are very low risk to corrosion, the bond between the rock and bolt is stronger than the rock itself and finally there are no voids or compression points that could result in bolt failure. But they are kind of a pain in the ass to lower off.

I have been to areas where they have fixed draws at the top of sport routes and it makes life so much easier (and safer). The future routes I am going to put up, I intend on placing fixed draws. My challenge is Galvanic Corrosion! It is accelerated corrosion that occurs when there are 2 different metals touching in a wet salty environment (Newfoundland). It is basically the same principle batteries use. Two different metals with a difference in electrical potential (high school chemistry) can generate a current and break down the anode (more negative) of the battery. The two metals must be connected by an electrolyte solution ie-salt water. So, if I use a SS bolt and place a zinc plated chain for the draw, it doesn't last long (pic). I believe there are one or two routes on Main Face that are badly rusted out because of this.

Mountain Equipment Coop is my 'go to' place to get my fixed gear. I have always used either SS 3/8 compression bolts (inland) or SS 12mm glue-ins bolts but I have either placed rap anchors or just the glue-ins. I used to get SS carabiners thru MEC but they don't carry them anymore. What they do carry is a SS Cold Shut that fits a 3/8's bolt. This can't be used with a glue-in (preferred on the ocean). I could use a SS 3/8 compression bolt but less than ideal. I tried to order 10 tonight but it will take 6-8 weeks for delivery.

I had planned on using Fixe Gym Carabiners to retro fit routes that I had used glue-ins. The problem is that they are a zinc plated steel and the will suffer galvanic corrosion. Let me stress that they will be safe but they will only last 3-5 (or longer) years instead of 10-20 years. I am going to use a SS quick link between the bolts and the draw to assure that no damage occurs to the bolts. Once the carabiner are suspect, the carabiner can be switched out. That is a lot easier than re-bolting.

Of note, Fixe does have SS carabiners but they are 31 USD each plus duty (50ish CAD). A bit too steep. There are other types of SS carabiners but they are for marine use and not rated for climbing. There are also other fixed draws available but they are zinc plated steel as well.

Just remember, you are responsible for your own safety and if you feel something is suspect, don't use it or back it up.

Marine Lab Slabs

Yan and I went out Saturday morning to check out a face near Marine Lab. I am always looking for climbing that is close to home and an easy approach.
I had been considering checking out the slab/nose that is right beside the road. It's only about 15 feet but maybe a bit of slab climbing.
I thought I could see some short faces above but never paid much attention to them. I took my drone out one day to try to get a better look. I was pleasantly surprised to see another wider face above.

The Marine Lab Nose

I had a bit of time after work on Thursday and curiosity got the better of me. I started bush wacking up to where I thought the face was. I am glad I did because what I saw had potential. The face was higher than I expected, 30 to 50 feet and about 50 feet wide but of pretty much blank slab. I began to walk along the base to find that it kept going. It was shorter and hidden in trees but I came across some interesting features that would make for cool trad climbing.
I snapped this picture of the first face I saw and sent it to Yan. He wasn't long in asking where it was and when were we going.
We went up there Saturday morning and had a look. After checking out the entire line of rock, we came back to the first face. There were two lines that looked like easy trad. I had just received 2 new larger cam and was looking forward to using them so I asked to take the sharp end.
There is something extra 'spicy' about being the first to climb a route. There are loose rocks that you don't want to drop on your belayer. Handholds break away, footholds crumble and everything sounds hollow. It is times like these when you think saplings could handle a lead fall.

First Face of the Marine Lab Slabs

The first 15 feet follows flake with a wide gap behind it. It would have been perfect for a 'Big Bro', which I don't have. I managed to find a few placements that allowed me to get to a sizable tree which I slung and then on to the top. It was easy climbing but scary because it was so dirty. I will give it an accurate grade when it is clean but it is probably about 5.5. Regardless I am going to call it "Big Bro".
Yan came up behind me and we made are way to the top of the face, exactly above where the picture is taken. Yan set up a top rope and we checked out this little section. On the far left is a fun easy section that will be a great sport route (5.7ish). We tried two lines up the middle of the face. It was much harder than I expected but it was probably because it was not cleaned yet. It will be moderate slab but not sure where in the grades as we were pulling on little pebbles that were coming off. I like it because we don't have many 'slab' routes on the Avalon.
So it looks like I found myself a new project!

Marine Lab Slab from drone. Smaller faces continue on the right.

Hollow Rock

I was out at Blood Bath last night putting in some top bolts. I really wanted to get something over Grunt (5.11a) as I want to work that route. It is tricky to place bolts at the top as the cracks from the climb continue on top. The bolts should be 6 inches from any edge or obvious cracks. It took a fair bit of trial and error to find placements. I placed one hole and then realized the second spot was over an in-cut...not great. This reminded me to check the stone where I placed the bolt hole. It sounded like a bongo drum! Grrrr.... Shitty reminder to check the rock BEFORE I drill. I filled the hole and left it alone. I will have to climb Grunt to decide which side of the cracks to put the bolts.

Of note, there are new bolts above Little Jack's Corner (5.7) and Sue Be Doo (5.8).

New Cemetery Face Topo

I managed to get a good shot of Cemetery Face today. I created a topo that should be easily downloaded.

Cemetery Face

Flat Rock Route Ethics Summary

I am blown away by our climbing community. The feedback and comments generated by the post on bolting ethics was great. I had no idea my post was going to generate the discussion it did.

I am going to attempt to summarize some general points that were made but also add my own 2 cents.

Top Bolts: There was good agreement that top bolts on single pitch climbs would be a benefit for the community. It will improve access to routes for top roping and prevent some uncomfortable top-outs or awkward raps. David made a very good point of assuring that routes that get new top bolts are cleaned of choss as some trad routes don't see much travel.

 Mixed Routes: This was a bit of a polarizing topic. There was some strong opinions as to whether a routes should be fully bolted, use natural protection when available or keep as traditional as possible. Regardless of opinion, everyone emphasized that they wanted safe route setting. There were some good points made about the benefits of having a variety of route styles; sport, mixed and trad. For example, Candy is a great route to plug your first piece of gear.

Noel's 2 cents: The developing ethic of Flat Rock has been established. It includes all styles of routes and we should be grateful for that. It used to be more hardcore trad but many routes are sport over possible features which could take pro. Whatever is developed in the future, regardless of style, should be able to be safely protected. Dave stated that he will fully bolt a route if less than 1/3 relies on natural pro. My cut off is about half the route. Manuels was established with a different ethic. Some say it is over bolted but I set it for something between the gym and Flat Rock. I will likely continue to bolt Manuels in the same manner.

Developing for the Community: Everyone felt that  further development should have the community in mind. There isn't room for big egos and setting deliberately dangerous climbs is not appreciated. This topic was interesting in that it seemed that when people spoke of the climbing community, they were not necessarily thinking inclusively. The some pro-trad comments didn't consider the challenges of a new climber having to depend on one piece of pro.  The some pro-sport comments didn't consider the benefits of learning to place that one piece of pro. It was great to see a number of comments which considered both sides of the equation.

Noel's 2 cents: I think most importantly we need to be inclusive as a community and this should be reflected in our climbing areas. There should be something for everyone. I love a day of just clipping bolts but there is so much to be appreciated with trad climbing. There is a place for mixed routes as well. Most important is that we are responsible for our own safety. On every piece of gear we buy, there are obvious warnings about how climbing being inherently a dangerous. It is our own decisions and actions that put us at risk. It is up to the individual to skip bolts or to climb a trad route with only a set of nuts. Darwin was on point with natural selection.

Noel's 2.00$: Route authorship. Route authorship is a pretty well accepted concept nationally and internationally. This is different than  a first ascent. The author is the person who cleaned and bolted the route. It is not uncommon for the FA to be done by someone other than the author (ie: open projects).

The amount of time and effort that goes into a route is significant, but it is more than that. This sounds cheesy, but it is kinda like a piece of art. A lot of time is spent visualizing the line, deciding where to put bolts to guide the climbers direction, seeing what features are available for pro. It is the developers creation, their art or their 'story' (hence being referred to as the author). I develop routes for very specific purposes. It maybe to force a run out but above a very safe fall. I deliberately want it a bit spicy. Sure that route belongs to the community, but it is that 'spiciness' that also belongs to the community. Some may love it and others may hate it. It is their choice to climb it or not. As far as altering it to make it more acceptable to some in the community yet ruining it for others, that is not okay unless the author of the route agrees. Imagine grid bolting Maggie or Yellow Fever. The route may be in open climbing area but the spirit of the climb will always be the authors.

With that rant out there, things change with time. Beaches wash out, rock fall occurs, what was once
safe is no longer. As well, authors of long established routes may no longer be available or they set a routes in a manner that is no longer acceptable. There are times when consulting a route author is neither required or possible. If a bolt I placed was damaged by rock fall, please replace it. If someone were to chop my bolts on German Engineered, I will so angery. When ever considering altering a route by placing permanent protection, please make every effort to discuss that with the route author. If someone went around changing the routes I bolted, I would not be bolting much longer.

I think it all comes down to common sense and being inclusive. We need to use common sense when approaching route development and when climbing. Variety is important. We have a growing community and it is great to have something for everyone. Main Face is pretty much played out but there is still other faces that could be developed. My 'take-away' is that Flat Rocks ethic really is inclusive. I am confident now that if I set a new route, I can set it in my preferred style and the community would respect it.

Flat Rock Bolting Ethics

My first post in a very long time is going to revisit a controversial topic, the ethics of bolting and route development.

Whether you realize it or not, the ethics of route development affects all of us. Have you ever been on a route and wondered why the bolts are run out? The flip side, you may feel as if a face has been 'grid bolted'. Both are perfectly fine, even if you don't agree with how the route developer bolted a route.

Some developers bolt for themselves. They put up routes and don't care what others think of it. They may enjoy long run outs or can't be bothered to clean off the choss. They don't consider the danger that other people may get into. These are typically rated as R-rated (injury likely if fall occurs) or X-rated (death likely if fall occurs). There are many people who like this type of climb, it is considered 'spicy'.

I develop routes for both myself and the community. I don't want to put up dangerous routes. I want routes that are well protected yet appropriate for the grade. I want routes that help climbers grow. I have never been a big fan of mixed routes (half bolted and half pro) because I don't have the same confidence in a small nut as I do in a 3/8th bolt. It is much worse for someone who doesn't usually place pro and potentially very dangerous.

Climbing areas may already have a strict development ethic. The Gunk's in NY is almost strictly trad. They do have some bolt anchors but all bolts are place by park rangers. Other places such as Rumney, NH are know for their sport climbing routes and your will never place a piece of pro. There are many reasons behind local ethics. Some are good and some...not so good.

Flat Rock route development began back in the 1990's. Sport climbing was very young and most climbers still had the traditional style ethics (use natural pro if at all possible). As well, many of the first routes were hand bolted. It takes about an hour to drill one 3/8's hole by hand. This would be motivation enough to minimize placing bolts. This has resulted in mixed routes with fair distances between bolts. They can be quite intimidating.

More classic sport routes began to go up in the mid 2000's and that was about the time I bolted 'Candy'. I really wanted some moderate well protected routes at Main Face. Candy has one crack which can take pro but I wanted to place a bolt near it. This is when I learned about local ethics and that I shouldn't place a bolt because at Flat Rock 'you use natural protection when ever possible'. So that route requires a single piece of pro. I am very happy with the route but I wonder how many noobies have either placed a shitty piece of pro or thought it was a run out.

Main Face has been pretty much played out. There are other areas which could support more lines but I believe that the same ethics would be expected. There are current lines which could be improved with a set of top bolts. There are several nice trad lines that could be top roped if there were top bolts. I have a lot of respect for the developers of those routes and likewise the local ethics. I also believe that some well placed bolts could improve the safety and accessibility to the larger climbing community without threatening local ethics.

I would be curious about the communities thoughts.

Noel

Craphouse Bouldering

Saturday was a beautiful day here in St. John's. My daughter asked me to take her and a friend out bouldering. Neither had bouldered outside before. I looked at Joel's pre-release Bouldering Guidebook for Flat Rock. Craphouse is describe as a 'warmup' area as it has many jugs and nothing very difficult on the wall. This was perfect for a couple of young gals cutting their teeth on real rock.
Once the girls got comfortable, we moved up to Crabhouse and tried a V0 and V1. These were much more difficult but inspired them to get out again.
Included is a bit of drone footage before we started bouldering.