Holds breaking at Kelly Canyon

On a recent trip to a local bouldering area on a hot sunny day my friend and I were surprised to find many of the problems had changed a bit since our last visit here.

Several holds had been broken off one problem in particular. The hold for the first move, a fist size side-pull was just gone (well we found it covered in chalk a few feet away), what remained was a shallow 2 finger slot. Looking closer at the route we realized that there were at least five other newly broken holds. Needless to say this problem is going to be a lot different to climb.

After a good 10 minutes of bad mouthing the punks that did this we realized that the problem was still wet more than a week after the last rain.So we moved on to the sunny side of the canyon where the rock was warm and dry.

This experience has prompted me to spread the word a little bit, the “word” being DON’T CLIMB ON WET SANDSTONE!!!!!!

When it rains rock gets wet. If it is a porous rock like sandstone it actually adsorbs the water like a sponge. Every time you pull or stand on a hold you could break it off. When sandstone is wet, it loses much of its strength. If this were just a safety issue, you could climb after a storm and maybe you would blow a piece or two. You probably wouldn't die. Wet rock, however, is an environmental and aesthetic issue. Climbing on wet rock eats up cracks and key holds blow off. You will degrade the route. So how long should you wait after a storm? When the days after a rain consist of 80 degree heat, and the rock started out hot and dry, you can climb after a day or two.Wait at least a week in winter and early spring and when there is high humidity, cold temperature and already moist conditions. If you walk up to a wall and it feels wet, then it is, even if it has not rained in a while.

The reason why most sandstone is so dangerous to climb on is that the hydraulic conductivity of the rock is very high and when saturated, it loses approximately 80% of its cohesion.What that means is that if something seems sketchy on a hot sunny day it will be 80% more sketchy if it is wet. You are 80% more likely to break a hold and take a fall. Forget about the fact that you are 80% more likely to change a route or problem forever, think about the fact that you are 80% more likely to get hurt!!!!! Surely this knowledge would stop most in their tracks, and have them taking another rest day or heading to the climbing gym. But I guess that is not the case.

We as climbers should be aware of the impact we have on the outdoor areas we visit. We should take responsibility and do our level best to make good choices, choices that are good for everyone including the rock.

Having said all this I know holds break, erosion happens, things change I get all that. My point is just think before you climb, what type of rock am I heading to, what is the weather like. Do a little research before you head to a new area ask the locals what’s what. There are some climbing areas across the country that actually close after rain or snow because they feel that strongly about protecting the rock.

Peace
sam