But please, climbers, keep it to a minimum. The days of long bolt ladders in the desert are long gone. Bolts placed next to cracks would seem anathema to most climbers, yet a disturbing number of bolts can be found next to bomber cam placements. If you don't have the gear, go hit up your friends and come back later. When bolts are placed, they should be placed well, whether to give you the extra courage to do a few more free moves or to prevent the eventual formation of an ugly and unusable hole when the bolt comes out.
Power drills have no place in the desert.
Not only can holes be quickly hand-drilled in sandstone, but a major part of the desert climbing experience is the feeling of quiet and vast open spaces, and the sense of high adventure. The use of power drills not only runs counter to this ideal, but leads quickly to over-bolting. All rights reserved. Please report any broken links or typos here . You need JavaScript enabled or a newer browser to view this page.