February 2009

In addition to voting for the 2009 board members, a lengthy discussion was held
regarding the process and actions of the anchor and bolting committee, which is
in charge of monitoring the process of route repair performed by the BHCC.

There has been concern within the bolting committee itself, and also by the
coalition membership at large, that the guidelines put in place in 2007-08 by the
bolting committee have made the work process too slow and cumbersome. This
has been especially problematic at Rushmore, where a number of the routes now
in need of work have been designated as prime candidates for possible retro-
bolting (adding additional bolts to the original route).

Retro-bolting is done primarily because of two issues. The first is safety, as in the
case of the recent work on Too Easy For Hardmen, which had two places with 20
—30 foot fall potentials. Retro bolting is also done when it allows climbers to
follow a more direct and much more aesthetic line, as was recently done on
Pointy Little Devils, which now begins with a 30-foot climb up a fun arête,
instead of a 30-foot scramble up an easy but crumbly, unprotectable, and lichen-
filled gulley. (Both of these repairs and the retro-bolting involved were also
okayed by the original route developers).

Rich Barry, the head of the bolting committee proposed two options for retro-
bolting. Option 1: If the route repairs are done the same day as the initial
recon,three people from the bolting committee should be present to agree on the
retro-bolting. If the recon is done one day and drilling occurs another day it is
only
necessary to have 2 bolting committee members input. Option 2: All recon must
first be posted on the BHCC website to allow for comment from the general
membership. Option 1 passed by a nearly unanimous vote.

It was also agreed that both Rushmore and Custer State Park have a designated
repair kit, with an inventory of bolts, chains and anchors, allowing bolting
committee members to do repair when they have the time and energy. Once the
documentation is given to Rich as to where and how the repairs were made,
additional hardware will be given to restock the repair kit. This was also passed
by a nearly unanimous vote.

We all hope this will help streamline the bolting process, and yet still keep the
critical aspect of documentation intact. More than a few BHCC members have
been frustrated by the perceived bottleneck in the route repair process the last
few years.

It is important to remember that two years ago the general membership voted to
stop all repair work, and review the entire bolting process, from how the work
was being documented, to the hardware we were using. Those of us on the bolting
committee, Rich Barry, Ron Yahne, Jason McNabb, Chris Spellmeyer and
Bruce Junek, have not been wrestling with these issues just for our own
amusement. The fact that the membership is now voting to speed the process
forward shows a general confidence, that for whatever reason was temporarily
lacking, and is now no longer an issue. Hopefully this fine-tuning to the repair
process will smooth out the final bumps and get us back on track 110%.

Climb Hard and Climb Safe

Bruce B. Junek — Newsletter Editor