If i'm correct:
Fred nicole preclipped the first 5 quickdraws on bain de sang back in 1993. As reason he gave that it was too difficult for him to clip the quickdraws, and he couldn't imagine anyone being able to clip them.
Is this correct?
Does anyone know how much quickdraws the repeaters have preclipped?
Am I wrong but more and more I read about preclipping! I mean, preclipping 5 bolts? Isn't that nearly more toproping a route than trying a redpoint? I can easily go along with the first bolt preclipped if there's a dangerous landing or a considerable danger aspect. I think that wouldn't be a problem for anyone. But 5 bolts? I don't want to reduce the performences and achievements of those climbers climbing 9a or something like that. Personally I'm far away of being able to do such a route ;-) but my opinion is that preclipping so many bolts isn't the true and real origin idea of climbing!
Postmasters idea is that preclipping is acceptable if ground fall potential is in existence. But he is sure that Matt Behrens is OK to pre clip all bolts except anchor to claim free red point.
Mandallaz Drive, the last 9a from Rouhling, has also a lot of preclipped draws. He also argues that it was too difficult to clip.
Should there be two grades - preclip and no preclip, or should it be written on the topo : "9a with 5 preclipped.." ?
An ascent with five (5) pre-clipped carabiners can never be a redpoint. It is a tope-rope ascent. If he claimed that it was to difficult to clip, it means that the route was to difficult for him to redpoint! Tope-roping a 9a is still very impressive!
In the future, there will be a climber who can clip the carabiners and who will make a First Ascent redpoint of the project!
Dave Graham just did it, two days ago. Did he have any preclipped quickdraws, maybe no.
A friend of mine David Hohl also did Bain de Sang and I don't think that he had some preclipped draws.
Also about Fred Nicole having 5 preclipped draws is not sure, right, it's more a rumour!
I understand arguments like clipping the first ones is too difficult in the sense that i don't see the point of falling in a route because of clipping, i mean, you climb for the rock and not for the bolts.
But if you do pre-clip, then its sure that there is a problem saying you redpointed a route, but pre-clipping is not a harm! you climb the way you want to climb until you don't tell things you haven't done
Preclipping on bain de sang