Quest for Mud (Special Edition)

[JC w KC redux]

Just to show that all 5.9's are not created equal (I already knew that )
Tuesday I got shut down on the Smokestack - Swept Away 5.9.
I was actually glad that I did after I climbed Clean Sweep (again) to top out and then replace the top bolt on Swept Away and get a good look at the tree and flake it is growing behind. All three points - the tree, the flake and the bolt were total garbage (the tree and flake still are).

At the stance for bolt 1. The tree above is supposedly the next protection point. The first bolt seems too low and too far left to offer any protection for the crux (other than to keep you from bouncing all the way to the ground). At least three sizable patches of rock have been torn off to the right of the bolt from people trying to go that way. This climb has likely "evolved" over the years.

 



Here is the tree and flake from above (the tree trunk really blends in).



The tree is set to lever out on the rotten flake. I "tested" the right edge of the flake - you can see the result. A couple quick yanks will likely dislodge the entire thing. The tree growing behind the flake is a nice example of a type of physical/mechanical weathering I used to teach in my intro geology classes - known as root penetration (insert joke here). It's a simple principle really - as plants grow, roots expand, lengthen, penetrate deeper and eventually dislodge the rocks they grow into. 
I seriously doubt this tree is going to hold a fall and using it as a hold to make progress on the climb will also very likely result in disaster. A fall from this height past the first bolt will definitely be a crater situation - not to mention if someone pulls off the flake and hits their partner. The topo shows the route going directly to the tree.

The park does not want us using trees as pro or anchors. The route is almost 37 years old.

The old 2nd bolt was also a time bomb/accident waiting to happen (I'll cross-post on the rebolting thread). It was a 2 1/4 inch long wedge bolt that was bent by too much hammering into an underdrilled hole and the cone never engaged the clip. The only thing holding it in was the two little bumps on the sides of the clip. It was pointed down (no shear strength) and pulled out with disturbing ease.

The old bolt



You can see how bent it is and the lack of any clean metal on the cone - no engagement of the clip.



The replacement bolt

[JC w KC redux]

Wednesday I replaced the lead bolts on April Fools Route (on Papa Bear) and then just had time to try it on TR before sunset.
It's a highball boulder problem with a tough/thin/tricky upper section past the 2nd bolt.
Nice rock, cool moves but super runout/bold (old Higgins route - April 1976).
Also jazzed about getting that rebolted since the first, critical bolt was a 1/4 inch split shaft (2 inches long) on a Leeper.

The bolts were well placed and both produced a nice "pop" when I cranked down the puller tool.

Here are the old bolts (top bolt on the left, bottom bolt on the right)




and the beautiful replacements

bolt 1 - 30 feet up





bolt 2 - 15 feet above bolt 1



The bolts are no longer hard to see (as described in the guidebook)

[F4?]

Nice!!

[JC w KC redux]

Yesterday we had a super enjoyable day finishing a route with clink that he placed the first bolt on in December of 2016. Short But Well Hung 5.8*

We hiked out to get started and found the crag (Chalkpaw Ridge) fairly quickly. The temps were perfect.
We got set up and I went up to see what I could do.
After hooking a few not so great holds and having the hooks pop off repeatedly (after I pulled up too high), I realized I was not going to be able to get high enough for the next bolt. I decided to just go for it. I got up nice and high and was totally strung out but I managed to get stable in a stem and get the hooks on some "good enough" spots to allow me to hang/stance. I was too sucked in to the rock to be able to grip the drill in the normal way, so I rolled it with my fingers and just kept tapping at it steadily. Poor clink was down there ready to run to keep me off the ground.
We had joked on the way out about starting a thread  "The brightest thing about Cook is his clothes"

I got the bolt in and lowered off.
clink went up but felt like the next stance was too close to the top to warrant another bolt and wanted to keep my "flavor".
He moved up to that last good stance (feet at the bolt), cleaned off a few more holds and then downclimbed.
He said after what I had already done I'd have no trouble with the finish.
In other words...he set me up in his usual fashion. Thanks dude 



clink places the first bolt many moons ago (and he tells me I have a reach!)





At the hang/stance for bolt 2 (from a couple different angles)









clink's view





clink goes up to explore





moving past bolt 2 on the redpoint





clink follows




End of another great day with the clinker and Kat 

[Brad Young]

Sorry Gavin. But at least now we know. WAY down the list of things to do.

MUD, we were pretty inured to totally, totally shit rock back in the day. I’d really forgotten how bad the first two pitches were. Can rock get any worse at Pinnacles??

[F4?]

Looks a bit short?

[JC w KC redux]

Looks a bit short?

Thus the name.
It's good climbing if you're out there doing other stuff.

[JC w KC redux]

Sorry Gavin. But at least now we know. WAY down the list of things to do.

MUD, we were pretty inured to totally, totally shit rock back in the day. I’d really forgotten how bad the first two pitches were. Can rock get any worse at Pinnacles??

Could you be any more cryptic?
What did you do - climb Herchel Berchel?

[Brad Young]

You’re good dude; you know your Pinnacles climbing. But no, we did Where the Birds Hang. The thought was that we’d finish the upper part of its chute. And I’d remembered Dennis and I looking up and wondering why they didn’t go higher ( and it looks good higher) but really forgotten how TERRIBLE the first two pitches were.

I’m posting from a phone, which is part of the reason for cryptic.

[Brad Young]

Gavin read the brand names from the bolts in the chute. Started with a “d” but I don’t remember the full name. Never heard of them before. And really, if one were going to push higher in the chute, those lower bolts ( in the chute) would have to be replaced too. Too much.

The bolt that Dennis and I added to the second pitch top anchor looked as if it had just been replaced though ( it hadn’t, but it looked that new and clean). And we pulled the other one there and replaced it with ASCA 1/2 inch stainless. And equipped it with chains.

Probably a waste of metal though - the two carabiners that MUD and I rapped from 15 years ago were sitting there below the bolts on the ledge. With some fallen apart tat. They were my gear with my tape. No one has been there since he and I did it and noone will likely ever go there again.

[NOAL]

Looks a bit short?

Or that brush is really tall.

[Brad Young]

Or the brush is above the photographer and looks like it is high.

[F4?]

Where the bird hang, oh my....I remember going up that route with you Brad.

Please peel off the loose stuff.

[Gavin]

Brad - the old bolts had "Dorman" printed on them. Mostly 1/4" but a couple of 3/8" too.

F4 - I don't think it would be possible to remove all the loose stuff from the first two pitches; there is too much of it. Especially the first pitch had an amazing amount of bowling ball sized loose rock... I removed some but there are many more set to topple.

It's a shame because the water streak is very nice and looks like it could be pushed higher.

Oh well, on to other adventures.

[JC w KC redux]

Thanks for shedding the light Brad.
I just read the description and looked at the topo.
We may have seen a bolt or two on that (sparkling in the sun) when we did Bongloadash.
The lack of pro and long traverses look terrifying - especially with all the loose rock.

Biners caught by a ledge and still perched there after the tat rotted away - wow.

Gavin nailed it with "It's a shame"

How many routes at Pinnacles could be renamed that?

[JC w KC redux]

Wednesday I replaced the lead bolts on April Fools Route (on Papa Bear) and then just had time to try it on TR before sunset.
The bolts are no longer hard to see (as described in the guidebook)

I forgot to mention that I was whimpering like a little baby while leading the Regular Route to get to the summit - so embarrassing.

In addition to being easy to see, those two bolts are among the highest quality replacements I have ever done - perfectly flush, torqued and both in excellent rock. The Fixe PLX hangers the ASCA sent are beefy too.
Sometimes the original bolts aren't in the greatest rock but these were both stellar.

Now I just need to man up and lead it. 

[JC w KC redux]

Looks a bit short?

Just for the record it is 37 feet (6 of my pulls which may actually be 6' 2" each) on a direct line from the anchor to the ground.
The climbing is a bit longer though, since the moves lead you left, then back right, then left again at the exit.
The bolt spacing will get your attention. 

[JC w KC redux]

Noal and I got a new route rolling yesterday. It started out pretty sweet (on gear) and then went south a bit.
The rock quality dropped off significantly and the climbing was harder than it looked from below.
I don't think either of us was particularly shocked but maybe a bit disappointed.
Pinnacles...where dreams go to die 

We live in the hope (or the delusion) that the quality will come back once we get past this next section.

Here is Noal in Dorf's house of pain - getting the second bolt drilled.
Which position looks more painful?

This one?





Or this one?





Noal's bolt allowed me to get out and get myself in a pickle to drill bolt 3.
The next part should prove to be quite interesting.

[NOAL]

Dorf's house of pain 

The inside of the chimney was super featured and sharp.  After drilling for awhile my knees were killing me.  I had JC send up one of my approach shoes to put on knee like DORF.

[F4?]

Gavin 😢 to crush the dream!!
1st Brad crushed the Pigeon crack dream and now where the birds should hang.
Yeah it was pretty damn scary with Brad all of that loose rock.

Was at the E-side today crushing routes, except POD, which crushed my fingers!
I even ran into our beloved site Admin Mudworm crushing some hard routes.