Midway Direct Direct, 2nd bolt?

[chucK]

Hey!

I climbed Midway Direct Direct at Castle Rock yesterday. It's a cool pitch but there appears to be a bolt missing. In the topo there are two bolts. It looks like the first one is new, and I found where the second one WAS (just broken shaft now). Next to it was a nice-looking hole. I figure someone was replacing the bolt and then something happened to interrupt the process (drill bit broke?, dropped bolt?). Anyone have any information on this? Whether or not someone is planning on finishing the job?

It's still a cool pitch, but at the moment, quite runout. That second bolt was in a very key spot. A 3/8" removeable bolt might work for you there.

By the way, the first (replaced?) bolt was a little botched too. It's a spinner.

Chuck

[Retrosaurus]

I climbed that route back in the enlightened dark ages when it was called "Upper Dan's Dreadful Direct" and didn't have any bolts on it. It doesn't have a bolt missing, it has an extra bolt.

How "key" can it be?

 

[chucK]

Well, I guess I lived.

Are you saying that those guys listed under the FA in the Kramar guidbook retrobolted an existing line?

You think maybe it was chopped?

Chuck

[This message has been edited by chucK (edited 04-23-2001).]

[Cpt.Caveman]

Chuck,

Upper Midway Direct has good tcu's so you don't need the bolts....

[erik]

chcuk

i thought that midway direct direct was the one with bolts 5.9 and then miday direct was naturaly protected. when i did it ac ouplw weeks ago i felt the climbing and protection was all there even without the bolt(s).

fun route though eh?!

 

[Andy_Bourne]

Sorry this doesn't directly apply to your question, but I didn't want to submit a whole new post for it. There is another missing fixed piton on a route where the topo says there is one.

It is on the last pitch of the Regular Route on Careno Crag. It is a 10b that links two dicontinuous crack systems and the crux is in between the crack systems where the piton used to be, apparently. Anyway it is definitely a little more committing now, and I wanted to post it so anyone going to try it would have a heads up.

[This message has been edited by Andy Bourne (edited 04-23-2001).]

[chucK]

To the Captain,

Are you talking about Midway Direct or

Midway Direct DIRECT? I think there was a spot where a #00 TCU might have fit on the direct direct. I didn't have one though, so don't trust me on that.

 

To everyone,

It IS a fun route, even with the missing bolt. I think with the second bolt, it would be pretty casual. In it's current state, it's thought provoking. If the bottom bolt weren't there, I wouldn't lead it.

I am not trying to make a case for retrobolting existing routes. I am just reporting what's out there now, and am wondering what might be out there the next time I'm there.

Chuck

[Cpt.Caveman]

Andy this is a well known issue described on Jeff Smoot's site and here previously.

I climbed that route yesterday morning. It can be pro'd up with gear.. and is more committing.

[Retrosaurus]

Are you sure you don't mean the first pitch.

[chucK]

re: Careno Crag regular route p4...

Isn't there a good horizontal crack right next to the (former?) piton that you can get a cam or tri-cam in?

Chuck

 

[Cpt.Caveman]

It is the last pitch. And there are horizontal cracks... to pro up Reg route.

Chuck,

I meant on the 5.6 there are horizontal cracks up there. Sounds like we are talking about different routes.

[This message has been edited by Cpt.Caveman (edited 04-23-2001).]

[OCK]

Hey chuck,

I climbed that route in 1970's and Mitch is right about all the bolts not previously being there on that route.

Below, there were a couple of well spaced 1/4's on Dan's.

P.S. On a seperate note;I heard tale of someone recently retro sport bolting Dan's historical test piece?

And for what it's worth - Andy,

regarding the upper pitch of the standard route on careno, I did not see a fixed pin up there 2 weeks ago, but the pin looked like it was missing on the route to the right.

ock

[pope]

Back in the day, one could step off Jell-O Tower and work out left to a face climb that is quite dirty now. This was called Upper Dan's. Never climbed it but I've seen it done. Lots of nervous whimpering, peeing in the pull-ups, etc. About a decade ago, Jim Nelson bolted a route right of that, calling it Midway Direct Direct. I think it was a mostly independent line, but as such, it was certainly squeezed in between old Upper Dan's and Midway Direct. Midway Direct is a climb that diverges left from Midway about 30 feet up from Jell-O Tower; it goes 5.6R.

Recently, Dan's Dreadful Direct (starting from Logger's Ledge, left of Damnation) was retro-bolted, inspite of at least three leads in its historic condition. I've heard that six bolts were added and that the pitch is 100 feet, terminating at a new bolt anchor. Unless other modifications occurred, the grade should be about 5.11, but toward the lower end.

[Drederek]

Led P4 Regular route on Careno crag last wednesday. Saw a 1/8 inch rust-colored slot about an inch long right where I remembered seeing a piton a few years back. With 2 TCU's in the horizontal 3 feet below and a bomber RP about a foot above I went for it. I was a bit pumped after fiddling in the RP and was happy to move up and plug in another cam. I don't think this one needs to be replaced.

[Drederek]

Led P4 Regular route on Careno crag last wednesday. Saw a 1/8 inch rust-colored slot about an inch long right where I remembered seeing a piton a few years back. With 2 TCU's in the horizontal 3 feet below and a bomber RP about a foot above I went for it. I was a bit pumped after fiddling in the RP and was happy to move up and plug in another cam. I don't think this one needs to be replaced.