The rules about "upping the style" have never been written. They have always been a kinda "understood" thing. In order to create less confusion, debate, and bickering among climbers, I present you with the formal rules concerning bolt removal. If all of these rules are followed, the leader may choose to pull or chop the bolts.

1. The climb must be lead, using natural protection (cams, nuts, etc.), from ground to summit, without falling or hanging, while not using any one piece of fixed gear.
2. The natural protection must be placed within four feet of existing fixed protection.
3. Every piece of natural protection must be able to hold a fall.
4. The placing of protection or the clipping of that protection, can not be the crux of the climb.
5. The natural protection can not be preplaced; it must be placed by the climber, while leading.

As with any type of controversial subject, there are exceptions to the preceding rules. They are:

1. If the climb is "over bolted," it is not necessary to place a piece of traditional gear at every bolt. The only stipulation is that a piece of protection must be placed every ten feet, regardless of the climbs' difficulty or the number of fixed protection anchors.
2. Any bolt that can be touched or clipped from the ground (without the use of a stick clip) does not need to be protected by a natural piece of protection.
3. If you can not place a piece of natural protection within four feet of the fixed protection, but you can place a piece while standing in the same position (stance) that the fixed piece would be clipped, the four foot rule can be overlooked.