Tags on bolts- you need to know this

Tags on bolts - you need to know this.

Ever seen a first bolt on a route with a short piece of “tat” on it? It could be a piece of tape, cord or string - usually in a diameter that would not hold body weight. Often (but not always) it is coloured red. We have seen all sorts of things tied to bolts to mark it as tagged - including frying pans!

This is a long established tradition in the international climbing community that marks the route as “closed”. The reason for the closure is often because the route is in the process of being equipped with fixed safety hardware (bolts) or the route has not been completely cleaned of dangerous loose rock. Critical holds may not be reinforced with glue and unsuitable for climbing. For the reasons above a tag may also denote a route that has not yet had its official “first ascent” - a lead ascent without falls being the generally considered gold standard in Australia. 

The generally understood ethic in Australia is that the person who discovers and equips a route gets to do the first ascent - even if it takes weeks/months/years to complete. This has been the standard for half a century - and mirrors what many climbing scenes across the globe do - including the British, American, New Zealand and Canadians. In some European nations this is not the case - which does lead to confusion (and project “stealing”) when these climbers visit Australia.

The most important thing to consider is that any bolts on a tagged route may not be safe. They may be temporary short “doggers” designed only to hold body weight. Low quality bolts have killed climbers in the Blue Mountains. The glue holding bolts into place may not have hardened (usually a 24 hour process). Or the bolts could simply not even be there in some sections! A tag on a bolt signifies the route is a construction site - an unfinished job with dangers present that may not be obvious. Inexperienced climbers beware.

Tag on a classic route?

If you see a tag on an established route listed in the guidebook - then it may be because bolts on the route may be old and dangerous - and the route could be in the process of being renovated with new bolts (we call this rebolting). Do not climb a tagged established route! Thecrag often lists warnings which may give you more info on why the route is tagged. A tag on a bolt midway up a route may signify that that particular bolt may be dangerous and to treat it with extreme caution. Lowering off a single bolt is always a bad idea - but if it’s tagged then consider not even resting on the bolt. The bolt may in fact have no glue at all (the rebolter may have run out of glue and had to duck home to get a new tube). Take a look up a route before setting off to make sure you can’t see any tags present - before climbing!

Still want to climb a tagged “project” route?

The simplest thing to do is to seek advice and permission first from the person who equipped it before climbing. Most “in progress” new routes won't be listed on thecrag or social media - so you may need to ask someone local and knowledgeable to find out whose route it is - and the status of the project (open or closed). ACANSW may be able to help you connect with the relevant persons. Ignorance is no excuse to get on “tagged” routes without permission. It's an international standard and expectation to respect the tag. Your safety (and personal reputation) may be at risk if you climb tagged routes without seeking advice.

Abandoned projects - the open/closed project debate

We don't want to open a can of worms here - there is no “official” time period where a “closed” project goes into the public domain and is “open” for anyone to try it. Even if a route has been unclimbed for decades you need to check the condition of the bolts before attempting it! Dogger bolts can rust quickly and be deadly. 

Respecting others work and vision

Why do we have thousands of amazing routes in the Bluies? Unpaid individuals have spent considerable time exploring and preparing these routes for others to enjoy. All anchors (bolts) are entirely self funded for new routes. Bolts cost around $15 each  - so a short route at the Glen could have cost the equipper hundreds of dollars to equip. A multi-pitch would be thousands. Some rebolting hardware is funded by donations from the community through organisations such as SRC Rebolting and Safer Cliffs. There is no big pool of government or corporate money paying for bolts.

But it’s rarely about the money - it is more the time and emotional energy that goes into projecting that can feel “stolen” by someone else getting on a tagged route. Some of the most infamous public spats in the climbing community have occurred from project stealing. We are blessed with an incredible amount of unclimbed rock in Australia so is it worth aggravating other climbers by not seeking permission from the person who equipped it? 

Most projects that have been sitting around for years unloved are open to attempt. If the route is tagged, chalked up, quickdraws on it etc and clearly being regularly attempted - then stay off!

Climbing ethics around projects is an ever evolving and controversial subject. We will leave it to others to argue the merits online! There is plenty of discussion around this subject if you dig around. For some more info about tagging and projects (with an American flavour) check out this article from climbing.com - It’s Mine! No, It’s Mine! The Ethics of Red-Tagging

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