This is from the section of the Suggested Ethcis and Etiquette from the trad climbing specific Guidebook I am writing for Raogodlu located about 40 km to the south of Bangalore. Raogodlu is an old climbing location with a legacy that stretches back to 1980s with its relationship to climbing.
***The objective of this blog is to get opinions from various folks, on the suggested ethics and etiquette for climbing at Raogodlu, from the perspective of trad climbing (while acknowledging that the area is also a popular bouldering destination). Please do read, and help make suggestions to below, if you have any. You are welcome to leave the suggestions in comments, or you most likely know how to reach me, so please do.
Climbing is a self-regulated activity driven by a set of ethics and etiquettes that are largely common sensical, and the more nuanced elements are consensual. There is no legal mandate on how one should conduct while making claims about with respect to their climbing abilities.
The climbing eco-system is ever evolving; what was once the primary way of climbing (using only removable gear) is not the only discipline today.
Bouldering and sport climbing are overwhelmingly popular and are largely driving the changes in climbing related thought. Folks are climbing harder, climbing movement has been redefined, thanks to bouldering, sport climbing, and gym climbing. However, the essence of the outdoor climbing ethics largely remains the same, though open to changes depending on the context and changing times.
For example, while Raogodlu is suggested to be a no-bolts’ zone; with the new areas such as Avathi, the attitudes are more flexible as the area is a more recent addition to the climbing areas, explored and discovered by a generation that is open to the idea of having bolted lines co-existing with gear only or bouldering lines.
Below are a few generic and Raogodlu specific suggested ethics. These are what consensually the more experienced folks who have climbed around Raogodlu or Bangalore, or in general agree with.
THE NO-BOLTING ETHIC
Raogodlu has been uniquely a no-bolt zone. This sentiment was suggested by the older generations (suggested to us via Dinesh Kaigonhalli and Nipha Venkatesh), and this ethic continues to be respected amongst the current generation.
PITONS
To murky up the above ethic, how should one treat pitons and aid climbing techniques.
Pitons are semi-permanent and yet removable gear and could be acceptable form of placing clean to semi-clean protection what is closer to permanent protection.
Blade pitons probably are more useful than Angles, especially for ultra-thin cracks and seams where no removable protection could be placed.
Usually, the Angle piton sizes would mean that removable gear could go into such places. Unless it is a flared crack.
However, once a piton is placed, suggested not to remove it, as removing and placing pitons often does create piton scar, which is unseemly to the rock, and unfair to the route and the future climbers.
STYLE OF CLIMBING
All forms and styles of climbing are to be respected; Top Roping, Aid, BAM (by-any-means), Free-soloing, High-balling, Bouldering, Ground up On-sight trad, Head-Pointed leads, or Pink-Pointed (pre-placed gear) Trad lead!
The caveat being any claims being made basis the style of climbing is not to be exaggerated or perverted to make claims on First Ascents or capabilities.
In essence, every style is to be respected.
ON FIRST ASCENTS AND PROJECTING
There is a certain charm to being the first person to have explored, identified, and opened a new line. However, the competitive nature of claiming first ascents can pervert behavior.
Below is suggested etiquette for the same.
Raogodlu is an old area. Claiming a first ascent is anyways beset with the ambiguity about claiming so. Unfortunately, there is no definitive documentation that has been passed on from pre-2008, other than word of mouth in some cases. For example, Pine-Apple Express, Red Sea, High Noon and the Higher Noon routes have older history going back to the 1990s. The names themselves are more recent (late 2000s onwards). Any attempt to identify the older names have not been successful. Hence, the more recent names stand for the purpose of documentation.
Another source that has been referred to is the Dreamroutes.org, which has some documented routes, going back to mid to late 2000s, including routes such as You or I or Pinkathon.
So, throughout the guide, the term, FKA or First ‘Known’ Ascent, is used often to accommodate for this ambiguity, until more information is available.
Here are some suggested list of ‘rules’ to claim a first ascent.
- Respect the climb, in whatever style.
- Make honest claims.
- Research to see if anyone had climbed the line previously.
- Any free style (bouldering, high-balling, fee-soloing, trad, or pink-pointed trad) for single pitch routes implies a First Ascent
- Some routes in Raogodlu might lend themselves to aid-climbing than free climbing of any style. Any routes opened in that style and not capable of being free climbed, allows the First Ascensionist to make a claim on the line.
- Do not change the nature of the route in any form.
- Respect the project of other folks. Give them adequate space and reasonable time to complete their projects, especially if they are new lines.
- Only if one has put in significant effort to identify, clean the line, and make it project ready would it be considered a project
- Claiming lines as projects is an ambiguous topic and highly subjective. Just use common sense.
Trails:
Right now, this may not be the situation, but as climbing gets more popular, there is a need to ensure trails are marked clearly to avoid creating spider trails and destroying the local flora.
Vegetation.
Raogodlu is part of the old kaval systems, which are grazing grounds. Do not disturb the local flora (unless cleaning up invasive thorny shrubs). Do not plant non-native or invasive plants and trees.
Beehives.
The Domes area especially has a whole lot of beehives. Also, the Bare Necessities at Middle Earth has a beehive on the route, which is inactive between late April through June (?).
Other Fauna.
Watch for the bird nests, especially of those belonging to the ground birds. There have been no leopard sightings as yet, but the terrain is very leopard friendly. There certainly are no bears in the area, there have been no reports of elephants visiting Raogodlu (there are no captive water sources on the hillock, other than briefly during the monsoons). I have not had a snake encounter in the decade and half of visiting Raogodlu.
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