erikn

Maybe the title on this thread was inflammatory to y'all. Sorry. I agree with JosephH that "it would be better not to start with an end solution in mind and then set out to ask for folks to support it versus trying to gather the history and facts first and then figuring out what might best be done if anything." I'm not making the decision on whether to add a bolt to this climb. I'm leaving that to Peter Croft. I'm merely trying to gather some information to present to him. So far I have 2 or 3 data points, but I'd like to have more. I certainly won't be adding a bolt next week... I'd wait a year or more to make sure I heard from everyone. I'm not out to make the climbs of the world safer for me. I just saw a great climb (that was dirty and filled with vegetation, so likely not being climbed) with a crap bolting job and I'd like to make the world a little better. I think it is one of the truly great cracks of the Index/Leavenworth area and deserves better (there is an incredible overhanging flaring fingertip layback section). Just my guess, but to me it looks like ancient (buttonhead 1/4 inch) aid bolts placed before the route went free (I will ask Peter if he remembers the history). I just want to know, from people who have done the climb: is the risky start (and awkwardly placed bolts) an important and valuable part of the climb in your experience? Is that why you do this climb? Or is it more about the crack climbing above that short face climbing section? FWIW, Peter Croft clearly remembers that flaring fingertip layback. He said he was pumping out, looking at a certain fall, and just barely managed to get to the hand jam above it. He didn't remember the face climbing start. One more thing: hard and scary I can live with and often do. I can appreciate insecure climbing well above my pro, but not when there is a ledge or boulders below. The way this particular climb is set up just seems dangerous for no good reason. There are already bolts there, so why not place them where they make sense for a free climber?

I (and the first ascensionist) am more interested in hearing from people who have actually done the climb. I can live with it the way it is. I can stick clip the first (badly placed) bolt. Or I can rehearse the first moves and do them without the stick clip. It just struck me as a great climb that deserves a better bolting job. IMHO, there are climbs that are bold and terrifying and even dangerous to lead, and that is part of the experience, maybe even the main attraction. There are other climbs that are just great climbs, where the danger is not the point of the climb; then having a dangerous start just keeps people off the climb. I'm just trying to find out if there is some consensus about this particular climb, whether the dangerous start is an important part of the climb or not. So far I've gotten a private email from one person who has done the climb over 20 times and agrees that a bolt would improve the climb. My understanding about adding a bolt in this situation is to check with the first ascensionist and the community, that's what I'm doing.

Summary: I am seeking input from folks who have done the climb Stevens Pass Motel at Midnight Rock. The question is whether to add a bolt at the start. If you know of anyone who has done this route, please contact me. Details: I recently was at Midnight Rock, had a great time climbing Sting and ROTC and Easter Overhang. Initially I tried to lead Stevens Pass Motel (rated 12a), but backed off because the start seems dangerous. After doing ROTC, I cleaned a bunch of ferns and dirt from SPM on rappel, and then tried SPM on toprope. It is a fabulous climb, but I feel it needs an additional bolt at the start. I talked to Peter Croft, the first ascensionist, by phone this morning. Bottom line: he asked me to get more input from others who have done the route. Peter doesn't remember the start very well. He agrees that it could be that some key flake has come off or whatever to make the start more difficult than when he did it. He is against unnecessary bolting, but in favor of minimal bolting to make the climb safe. Here is my experience: There is an initial exposed bit of climbing (maybe 5.10a) on sloping rock (maybe 60 to 70 degrees?) up to a bunch of jugs and wide (3 inch or so) horizontal crack running under a small roof that juts out about 3 feet. I got some gear in under the roof, but being a roof the gear needs a runner. At this point you are looking at pulling up onto some very thin face climbing on thin flakes. You have a couple of thin flakes for face holds, you are going for other thin flakes, and there is only a slight bump for your foot at the lip. I cranked up there, and was standing with my foot on the lip. At that point my feet were a good 6 feet above my pro. The first bolt is still a good 4 feet above my hands. I tried to make the next move, but didn't find the 'better' flake (its a little hidden, I found it later on TR). I then realized I was unable to go up, and also could not down-climb because of the roof nature of the climb there. So I had to jump. Jumping at that point is scary. As I said, my pro is 6 feet below my feet. Normally, I would be OK with that. But this is near the start of the climb and there are two hazards: the sloping rock below you, and just a little further down are boulders at the base. So I jumped, and my right foot impacted the sloping rock a bit hard. I shrugged it off and proceeded to climb and hike the rest of the day with no problem. The next day however, I was limping a bit as my right foot sustained a bit of damage. Three days later the foot is pretty much OK. Later that day I did the climb on TR. I was able to do the initial move over the roof, and get into the crack. This is pretty hard insecure face climbing past two ancient button head bolts (which need to be replaced BTW). I give it 11c/d in that section. (There is a wild move where I was pinching the bottom of the dihedral to get into a layback to get up into the dihedral crack). So, I'm proposing to place a bolt about 3 feet above the lip of the roof, roughly 5 feet below the existing first bolt. Given how dirty the climb was, I don't expect that many people have actually led this climb. But please contact me if you know of someone who has. Thanks! --Erik N

Weekends have more hazard. On April 3rd 2004 (a Saturday) I had just gotten off Lamplighter/Heaven's Gate. We were just walking out when several objects fell around us, exploding like mortar fire. Terrified, we sought cover. Then we heard a bottle breaking from above, so we knew it was bubbas tossing stuff off. We had just started hiking out, so we were probably below or slightly right of HG. I now usually wear a helmet whenever I'm up there, even when walking out. There is a lot of junk further left. I packed out several fresh cans and other garbage. One item had a date from earlier this year on the packaging. I was there when TomTom was trundling the camper shell. I guess there is a trail that leads up there? Anyone know more about that trail? How popular is it? What kind of vehicles go there?

OK, I admit it. I am so nerdy-dorky that I keep records of all my climbs in a database. I use FileMaker, and can sort by location, date, rating, number of pitches, stars, etc. Its pretty useful for keeping beta for climbs I want to go back to, or to tell friends good climbs to do. And also fun sometimes to look back at all the stuff I've done. Hmmm... maybe I should carry a Palm and make entries while climbing?

I was on Terminal Preppie at Index a week ago. I can see much of it being 11c, except for the slab section before the thin roof crack. Are you really supposed to friction slab climb there? Is that what 11c slab is like? It just doesn't seem at all likely to go. The climb also was very dirty, so not a "popular route" as the Sky Valley book claims. Any suggestions on easier slab routes to maybe learn how to do this?

Anyone know what the deal was with the helicopter rescue yesterday (Sat Apr 3) at Index? We were on the Upper Town Wall and around 1pm a chopper dropped a rescuer in the area below Centerfold. It then landed at the gun club and a half hour later picked up a rescuer with a stretcher at the end of a 100 foot line. They landed at the gun club and then took off. Seemed like a real rescue, not a drill. Also, we very nearly got hit by rockfall at the Upper Town Wall. We had just done Heaven's Gate (new route by Lamplighter) and were walking when several chunks started landing around us. We ran for cover and then heard a bottle breaking as well, so we suspect it was someone trundling.

I have 3 or 4 used climbing ropes I need to get rid of. Could possibly be used for top roping -- at your own risk! Or weave into a rug, pull your car, etc. Email me at erikn@myphysicslab.com.