March 31, 2010 - Sharma Says Stay Off Other Climber’s Projects

Chris Sharma has just posted an interesting article in defence of red-tagging on new routes. The practice of red-tagging, where the equipper claims first dibs on a new line by attaching a red ribbon to the first bolt has come under criticism in North America and in Europe from climbers that believe the rock belongs to everyone. While Sharma acknowledges that hoarding new lines is not constructive, he also states it’s important for climbers to respect the “time, energy and emotion” new-routers invest when opening new lines. More details here.