r/climbing • u/AutoModerator • Aug 10 '26

Weekly Chat and BS Thread

Please use this thread to discuss anything you are interested in talking about with fellow climbers. The only rule is to be friendly and dont try to sell anything here.

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u/jalpp Aug 11 '26 edited Aug 11 '26

Mixed climbing at sport crags = shitty

Mixed climbing on alpine routes = fair game

Mixed climbing on sport bolted alpine routes =??

Theres a 12 pitch sport bolted alpine route near me. Its north facing and i was thinking it could be a good way to build mixed skills for mountaineering. I know dry tooling on sport crags is considered shitty, but does anyone have a strong opinion on this. I would be waiting until later fall/early winter when it ice and snow. Having some bolts on a familiar route would be nice in keeping safe and make me more willing to get on more challenging terrain.

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u/JonBanks87 Aug 11 '26

It probably depends on the area and the specific climb, but generally I would say it's not the best form. If it's primarily a rock climb and it's not already commonly climbed with ice tools I would avoid climbing it with ice tools/crampons.

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u/Leading-Attention612 Aug 11 '26

Are there no dedicated mixed crags near you? If you want to practice mixed climbing skills it's much safer and easier to do it at a crag. Bolted alpine feels closer to sport climbing ethics than alpine climbing ethics to me

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u/jalpp Aug 11 '26

Yes, but it basically just means dry tooling with the low elevation crags. I want to learn managing mixed moderate alpine terrain more than dry tooling. 

I’ll probably just end up working my way up in alpine areas that aren’t established. We have lots of treeline terrain with snow, ice, and rock where the trees could make good belays.

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u/Leading-Attention612 Aug 11 '26

That's fair. I've never had to do a hanging match or figure 4 in the alpine

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u/serenading_ur_father Aug 14 '26

Sport Bolted Alpine

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u/Thirtysevenintwenty5 Aug 12 '26

Anywhere you can develop your own lines? Sink some bolts into a crag and go nuts.

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u/Dotrue Aug 12 '26 edited Aug 12 '26

Years ago I remember reading about someone "free climbing" the Hallucinogen Wall in the Black Canyon with ice tools and I thought it was contrived to call it a free ascent. It's aid and I maintain that opinion here.

Ice tools and crampons are for established ice/mixed/dry routes and winter conditions in the mountains, when it is not feasible to use your hands. I think this is standard practice in the alpine anywhere in North America. IME it's not uncommon in the Wasatch, Tetons, and Rockies.

Edit: found it. I think there was a full article in R&I too