Comment from David Riggs
AnonymousSupportIndividual
Summary: The commenter suggests that the proposed guidance should explicitly include "removable bolts" as a category of temporary protection. They argue that these bolts should be considered distinct from fixed anchors because they are removed after use, allowing for specific aid climbing techniques without leaving permanent hardware behind.
This guidance should explicitly cover the case of "removable bolts" which require a drilled hole and serve as temporary protection, but are then removed so that no fixed anchor or fixed equipment is left behind. The remaining drilled hole may be re-used by future parties, or may never be utilized again if it was temporarily placed in order to attain the placement for a fixed anchor or fixed equipment. For example, a "bolt intensive face climb" could be undertaken utilizing removable bolts, and a fixed rope could be attached to a natural feature at the top of the climb; the removable bolts would be removed, and any subsequent climbs or rappels would exclusively use the fixed rope. This is an aid climbing technique has been used to access otherwise inaccessible areas.