Bolt War Erupts
in Glen Lednock
By Kevin Howett
In the late 1980's, when sport climbing development started, differences of opinion regarding their use led to a cycle of bolts being chopped, replaced and chopped again. The MCofS acted on calls for a debate and this led to a 'Bolt Policy' – guidance which suggested limiting sport climbing to new, low-lying (excluding sea cliffs), unprotectable, high grade standard routes/crags. Since then development has continued, with most new venues being at odds with some of these criteria.
Recognising this, the MCofS started a debate through this website and Scottish Mountaineer magazine (Issue 25, Dec 2004), and at the Ice Factor, to see what it was that defined a 'sport climbing venue'. Leading protagonists commented and a draft 'Scottish Sport Climbing Code of Practice' was suggested (which also covered sport development in winter). This was based on the 'character' or 'feel' of the crag amongst other criteria.
The debate culminated at the AGM in June 2005. It was agreed that the previous 'policy' was no longer applicable, we should accept sport development at all grades, should discourage bolt use in the mountains, and that although the views were split on the 'feel' factor idea there were no alternative suggestions.
 Since then, numerous new venues have been put up. These include Lower Lednock Crag in 2004 by Scott Muir, after removal of loose blocks and flakes, to produce a variety of low to mid grade lines nearly 30m long – a bit of a rarity for Scotland.
However, later it transpired that Craig Adam and Gordon Lennox had previously climbed two routes on-sight on gear here in 1998 but had left them unrecorded. They were finally recorded in the SMC Journal 2006, the crag being named Codger's Crag and the routes: Codger's Corner (VD), the main diagonal ramp, escaping rightwards, and Stiff Rib (HVS), the left aręte. These coincide with The Road to Hell F4+ and Zombie Nation F5+ both led by Richard Eagan (it was later mentioned on the forum that Perth Club members such as Terry Bilham, Roy Williamson or Jim Melrose climbed here in the 60's and left their route/s unrecorded).
The sport routes became popular and seemed to be accepted by climbers, and the crag remained a sport venue until spring 2007 when Adam removed all the bolts and a 'bolt war' reminiscent of the 1980's started.
 Debate has raged in the ether of the scottishclimbs forum: with 51 separate contributors (at 04.07.07), 27 appear to be against the removal, 15 in favour and it's impossible to tell for the remaining 9. However, a majority of contributors wonder why it took 3 years for Adam to remove the bolts.
What is the way forward? Should MCofS open the debate on guidance and try again to find more suitable criteria?
Look at the scottishclimbs forum and the MCofS Pitch-in pages and send your views using the form below
YOUR COMMENTS
from Brian Lloyd:
As long as the bolt is a safety aspect and not a rest aid I see no sensible reason to remove it as one slip from a loose flake and thats the end of your climbing career at least.
from Mark Worsley:
I support the bolting of Lower Lednock and condemn their removal. It felt like a boltable crag to me, & I enjoyed it as such. Like others, I had climbed trad there in the late 80s and thought it was poor as a trad crag and had no future as such. As a sport crag it was excellent.
If the same logic which led to the removal of these bolts was applied elsewhere, then Upper Cave Crag and Tunnel Wall should be debolted too, but I don't see that happening.
Would someone put them back in, please?
Here's a fiver.
from Alan McDonald:
"The newly developed Lower Lednock Cliffs. Dismissed by many as a trad venue, now a roadside low level sports venue offering lines in the lower to mid grades. Past bolts 'policy' attempted to restrict such development to cutting edge grades."
This quotation is taken from the MCofS webpage titled "The State Of Scottish Climbing". This suggests to me that Lednock had been accepted, by the vast majority as a sports venue. Previously I stated in the bolting "pitch-in" that the only way of ensuring you do not offend anyone is to consult as closely as possible, the local climbers. This said, to wait years before holding protest and then to action your beliefs by vandalism of anothers property. Not just on routes climbed previously in a different style, but on all routes set at the crag, surely lacks any sort of time relevance, consideration for other users or the environment.
Whether it is the bolting or de-bolting of a venue. Consultation is a must to prevent this kind of thing happening again. Especially in a more precious venue than Lower Lednock.
Victor Scott:
take them all out, any crag however hard ,steep, or loose should be left for people with an adventurous style: maybe in the future? but look at the history of the bolt and pegging, talented people free climbed ,and got rid of them, now the people reared on walls want to take us back ...
An anonymous comment:
now the people reared on walls want to take us back ... This is a p*** statement
my crew are reared on walls and have never placed a bolt anywhere not everyone is against trad who started indoors -- fool
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