What's going on with Fresno Dome West Face?

[wingnut]

Anyone know what the deal is? Suddenly there is a proliferation of bolts all over the west face.

Looks like maybe people are having a bit of a race to see who can bolt the most?

Some of the routes are pretty close to that Peregrine nest, seems like a bad idea to have a collection of sport climbs near a nest that has been used by the birds for the past 30-40 years.

[mike a]

Morning, I was there last Sunday climbing on the new routes Grahm and Sean put up last Dec. At first glance one would say (wow lots of bolts)!!! but climbing the new routes, they a pretty fun and did not skip any on the clips. Last Dec Bill Price and I put up one of the route on the West Face but only got the first pitch in because snow block the road, so with what Grahm and Sean and Bill and I put up on the West Face since last Dec, their are 4 new route there for now. Grahm and Sean's routes are 3 pitch sport routes that go to the top of the dome in the 5.10+ range, the route we put up the first pitch is 5.9- and we named it Bumping Heads, and can read Sean's comments about it on MP LOL :-) and as far the peregrine falcon's go, they are not nesting up on the wall where the new routes are in question. Hope that up date was helpful, happy climbing Mike A.

[sloeagle]

The new routes were put up by Grahm, Mike Matheson and Que Lopez.
I had no part in the FA's over there. However we have put up some new lines over on the Zippidy Do Dah Buttress, for more info see Mikes comments. LOL

[wingnut]

Its spring and the birds will be nesting. Disturbing the nest can cause the birds to abandon their eggs. This is why there are falcon closures in Yosemite, Indian Creek etc. It does not matter that the routes are not going right near the nest, climbing within several hundred feet of the nest could easily cause them to abandon the site.

My view is climbers really need to be a little less selfish and think about their impact on the environment. I have personally always avoided the west face in the Spring out of respect for the birds that live there, so they can nest in peace.

Why not just put the drills down and return in the summer or the fall when the birds are done nesting?

[mike a]

Hi all, I go and climb at Fresno Dome more then most, their has never been and is not a problem with climbers disturbing any hawk's nest a Fresno Dome, your trying to make a problem out of a problem that does not exist! I have never seeing climbers ever disturb the hawks ( paragon falcons)nor their nest in all the years I have been climbing at Fresno Dome!!! I have 55 years of climbing history climbing in the area and if I thought for a minute I would never endanger wild live or a climbing area I would just climb else were!!! calling me (selfish) is careless and ignorant at best!!! Look, I am not here to have a big old debate about things that are not happing in the area, but just to help your lack of knowledge on what is really going on at Fresno Dome with nesting birds, I will not finish my route until this Fall just to keep the peace!!! Goodness. happy climb Mike A.

[susan]

I appreciate your points Wingnut. Thanks for posting up.
"Anyone know what the deal is? Suddenly there is a proliferation of bolts all over the west face.
Looks like maybe people are having a bit of a race to see who can bolt the most?"

How bad is it? Can you tell which route is which, or clip a neighboring route while climbing another?

Reminds me of the movie Field of Dreams mantra, 'if you build it, they will come.'  How desirable is this practice even to those establishing climbs? Someday these places could draw crowds that require permitting.