Saturday Joel and I had intended to get on a climb that turned out to be running water. So, after he led a route in the sun, and since we had the bolt kit along, we went over to rebolt a bit of Icarus.
I'd brought only a very light rack, so he also led Shortly Tooloose to get up onto the top of the Machete first tier (this route takes less gear than the real first pitch of Icarus). It's been a long time since I've done this route, and I'd forgotten how loose it is at the top (just like the first pitch of Icarus). He did well, and we then did the easy, but also very loose traverse left to the base of Icarus' second pitch.
I hadn't brought aiders or any other aid gear, but I rigged slings to work. I got up to the fourth bolt and hung on that while I stood on the third bolt with my "aiders."
I then proceeded to start the rebolting process, which is the entire purpose of this post. Glen Denny is very tall and his bolt ladders (this one included) require wicked-long reaches. These reaches give this bolt ladder interesting "character." I had previously replaced the second bolt in this ladder, and, to protect this character I'd carefully placed it at the same level as the replaced bolt, 10 inches to the left. Yet when I started "tap tapping" to find good rock for this new replacement bolt , all I heard was "tunk tunk" sounds - like hitting styrofoam with the hammer. Every place I tested at or near the same level as the bolt sounded dicey for a new bolt. I even tested the rock an inch from the bolt - and scared the crap out of myself: "yikes, one more hit and the whole chunk of rock will come out!"
I'm never willing to put replacement bolt in questionable rock. What's the point of replacing an old, reaching-the-end-of-its-lifespan bolt with a new one in poor rock? But I also didn't want to alter the long reaches on this ladder. What to do? I didn't see a choice: I decided to place the replacement up and right 18 inches in good rock. But this new bolt would be impossible to reach (I had to really stretch to clip the original from the bolt below as it was, and there's no way anyone could reach 18 inches more). When I made my decision I knew I would also have to place a second replacement bolt lower. I did this. So I replaced the third bolt with two bolts, both in good rock, both less distant from the bolt below. When I replace the old fourth bolt, I'll likely go up several inches above it and in the process fill the distance once taken up by two bolts with three (but three in good rock).
Long explanation for a hard compromise. I'm comfortable that I made the correct decision, but thought I'd post up so it was clear that what I had done altered the route slightly (but doesn't most Pinns rebolting alter the route slightly?).
