Munge:
Would you call his attention to the following please:
There is an old two or three bolt anchor on top of The Balconies that is generally above Premeditated. As explained below, I have no idea about it's source, or what function it serves or served. Clint and I found this years before the new guidebook came out and thought it might be the "top anchor" for the route. That same day he and I each rapped off the anchor, looking for any sign that the route went beyond the top of the second pitch (the bolt anchors at the top of that pitch are easily visible from the ground). In several rappels, covering a width of about 60 feet of rock (jugging up/out in between) we found no evidence of any human activity of any type above the top of the second pitch. We saw lots of loose rock, and several possible places the route could have gone in a third and or fourth pitch (but NOT without lots of bolts - large areas of blank rock), but no evidence of any type that it had gone. And we could see a width of over 100 feet of rock while hanging on the rope in the multiple places we rappelled.
Then, when Dennis and I climbed the route we also found no evidence that any other pitches has been done, other than a few apparent pin scars extending some feet left from the second pitch belay, and then very blank rock past that.
The above facts caused me to describe the route the way I did in the book, namely as a two pitch climb where more pitches had been intended but never done.
So, to get to his question, can one rap in from the top of The Balconies to the top of the first pitch? I agree with Dennis. I think the existing anchor at the top of The Balconies is too far to the side of the first pitch anchor to allow such a rappel. And pulling the ropes after rappelling might be tough too. And there are no other anchors anywhere near the edge (such as trees or cracks) that might allow a rappel.
But it's been about seven or eight years since Clint and I did those rappels, and my memory is a little vague on the relative postions of the first pitch anchor bolts and the anchor on top of The Balconies. I can't even recall which is to the right and/or left of the other.
So, maybe it's worth hiking to the top of the formation and finding that top anchor. That's really the only way to find out for sure. There is a bolt anchor and it's visible from a safe distance back from the edge, although it's a little scary getting down to it.
Tell him also to continue the trip report here when he's done!
