On Thursday last week Kat and I returned to the High Peaks for some more rebolting. I had replaced the anchor on Tuff Dome on New Year's Day and on that same day, I inspected Aliens Ate My Buick and Adagio as I rappelled. Both climbs needed some work. The top 2 bolts on Adagio are 5 pc bolts on modern hangers but the remaining 4 bolts (including the crux bolt) are all stud bolts with the first 3 on SMC Death hangers. All the bolts on Aliens Ate My Buick were stud bolts (presumably split shafts) with SMC Death hangers on the first two. I decided to make Aliens Ate My Buick the priority. The work went swimmingly for the first 3 bolts (5, 4, and 3). I was able to extract the old studs with my puller tool and reuse the holes. The top bolt was a long split shaft (3 inch), bolt 4 was a regular length split shaft (2 1/2) and the 3rd/crux bolt was a garbage wedge bolt (2 3/4) in not so great rock. It was pointing slightly down (toward the ground) and pulled out with disturbing ease (I shouldn't be able to pull a wedge bolt with my tool). I didn't realize it was a wedge until it came out. I recognized something important afterwards, while inspecting the bolt characteristics. Both wedge bolts that came off the route had threads right up to the end of the shaft. The three split shafts have a small unthreaded portion at the tip of the bolt. I didn't notice this important difference while hanging on the climb all day. With a 5 bolt "run" I was intensely focused on moving efficiently and getting the work done before I pooped out. This important visual will help me with better recognition in the future. The other distinguishing feature of some wedges is a letter stamped into the end of the bolt to indicate length. Unfortunately, not all wedge bolts have this and there are also set bolts that look like wedges but aren't - arghhhh!
Here is a picture of all the old bolts (#1 to 5 from left to right). Note the difference in the stud ends.
Here is the new crux bolt
When I got down to bolt 2, I knew the situation was not good. The bolt was severely crooked and the surface was extremely irregular.
The surface disintegrated when the bolt pulled out and the hole was so crooked that reusing the hole was hopeless.
Here is the old bolt. Crooked in the up/down and extremely crooked side-to-side.
The first bolt was a long wedge (3/8 x 3 5/8) - see picture above. I wondered why it was so resistant to being pulled out. When it finally did come out, I wondered where the sleeve was. Of course it was still in the hole and even with a pick tool, I could not budge it. I was not happy, since reusing that hole would have been a thing of beauty. Such is the nature of rebolting.
Old bolt 1 - a bit crooked and with a Death hanger. Strangely, it had a washer under the hanger. The difference in the end of the stud is fairly subtle. I will be watching more carefully for this in the future.
I have to remember to take aiders when rebolting steep climbs so I have a place to stand.
I tied loops in the rope to stand in and get some relief around bolt 3 - after my feet had already fallen asleep repeatedly.
Hanging around on the rebolt of Aliens Ate My Buick. Day 3 of service 2021. Why do I do this? Endeavor to persevere...
I heard the Dawsons led this climb on Saturday. I'll put Adagio as first priority when the closures lift.
