GroundquestMSA wrote:I've another question. How can I leave my bolts and hangers in the cave, but discourage people from using them? Would it be bad for the anchor to cover it in mud? The cave in question has recently seen a big increase in yahoo visitation, and I think the only reason someone hasn't been stuck in the pit is that there is no natural rig point. The last time I was there someone had left a 1/4" polypropylene rope rigged to a rock and snaked through the passage about 70' to the drop. Fortunately, it was obviously much too short, so I don't think they climbed on it.
The point I was going for is that we should just make solid, redundant, safe anchors. It should be assumed that anything we place or leave behind someone else will use. To my knowlege, in TAG the yahoos tend to (mostly) avoid vertical caves, so typically anyone accessing our bolts hopefully knows what they are doing. With that said, I'm sure most of us read about the guys dying on rope in Ellisons a few years ago.
I also agree that if an idiot wants to get hurt in a cave, they will find a way. About three years ago I rappelled into McClendon's Cave in Alabama. It was a short rappel, maybe 50ft, but I was surprised to find the bottom covered in graffiti. I was later told that before it was gated locals would lower an extension ladder down onto a ledge about halfway, all climb down to the ledge, and then repeat until they reached the bottom.
I just want to be rappelling off of multi point anchors that make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I have encountered bolts rock climbing that I could pull out with my hand.
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