Shiny new bolt on Castle Rock

[pms]

As someone who appreciates the climbing at the Pinnacles, and has led Slender Thread a number of times; I sure wouldn't mind seeing a bolt added to the start of Slender Thread.

 

And for Midway DD. I believe there is a bolt missing? Above Jello there is the old bolt with homemade hanger, followed by a good 3/8" bolt, followed by a hole where there used to be a 3/8" bolt which protected the crux. I believe as a result of poor bolting by the FA. Hole too deep for the type of bolt used, and therefore not tight and now gone. Anyone else remember two good bolts above the old one?

[sobo]

As someone who appreciates the climbing at the Pinnacles, and has led Slender Thread a number of times; I sure wouldn't mind seeing a bolt added to the start of Slender Thread.

Unacceptable. I, too, have led ST a number of times, on-sighting on my first go. And on at least one occasion that I can vividly recall, I popped at the first bolt while trying to clip it and cratered onto my belayer (got up and finished it). Even though I fell a good ways, I still cannot condone retro-bolting a climb if that entails adding more bolts than were installed on the original climb. It's just not cricket. That's my tuppence.

[AlpineK]

Great pic Off! here's a picture of Peter as Peter...separated at birth maybe?

 

 

70s Peter

[Pilchuck71]

You guys are so uptight you could take the fun out of a blowjob.

[RJRiha]

As someone who appreciates the climbing at the Pinnacles, and has led Slender Thread a number of times; I sure wouldn't mind seeing a bolt added to the start of Slender Thread.

Unacceptable. I, too, have led ST a number of times, on-sighting on my first go. And on at least one occasion that I can vividly recall, I popped at the first bolt while trying to clip it and cratered onto my belayer (got up and finished it). Even though I fell a good ways, I still cannot condone retro-bolting a climb if that entails adding more bolts than were installed on the original climb. It's just not cricket. That's my tuppence.

 

Is this a situation where erosion has significantly increased the distance to the first bolt and made the landing worse? I know there are climbs at Peshastin that are like that.

[sobo]

As I recall that crash-landing in 1997, there were also a large number of exposed roots from the small pine tree below the climbs in that area. Those roots didn't help things none.

 

If the roots/tree are/is still there, then I would say erosion has been minimal over the past decade +.

If the roots/tree are/is gone as a result of erosion, then your position gains merit.

[mattp]

I believe that tree has been gone for at least 5, maybe 10 years. When I first climbed that route the "ground" extended above the tree. For a time the root that Sobo refers to was hanging out there ready to break a leg. Now that problem is solved but the groundfall is significantly farther than it was when the route was established.

 

Even when I first climbed it I thought that move about 15 feet up was scary. It was probably it's most dangerous when the tree was eroded out so as to expose the root, but I think it is more dangerous now than when the route was established. Somebody please correct me if they think I am wrong (am I confusing this route with another? I don't get to Peshastin much these days).

 

This still doesn't fully answer Sobo's concern, though. Maybe we still don't want to see the route "retrobolted." I tend toward PMS' position myself, but I realize others will disagree and I wouldn't take it upon myself to change the situation.

[sobo]

Matt,

It's been quite a while since I've been to PP. I didn't know that the erosion problem along Austrian Slab was that significant to cause the loss of that pine. I do remember the Killer Root of which you speak. That thing was a leg breaker waiting to eat. So how much airtime has been added to the fall by the erosion that caused the tree to disappear? 2 feet? 5 feet? More? You said "significant"; I wonder, how much further to the ground from the first bolt is it now? I may not want to get back on ST if it's that serious...

 

And I don't thing you're mistaking ST for another climb, I'm pretty sure. There is a very scary move that must be made before you can get to the first bolt. It still haunts me in my dreams...

[RJRiha]

I don't know how high up the first bolt is on that particular climb, but in my opinion, an additional 5 feet is enough to make a bold start downright frightening.

 

It's amazing to walk around PP and see the line on the rock where the ground used to be. I personally don't want to see PP become an area where there is a bolt every 5 feet, but would like to see some of these death runouts tamed a little bit. IMO there are too many quality looking routes there that appear to have gone into obscurity because they are basically free solos on insecure, crumbling slab.

[sobo]

When I first did it in '95, and when I cratered in '97, I thought it was at least 15-20 feet off the ground, with a scary move that had to be made before you could get in position to make the first clip. From what Matt says above, it sounds like it may be more like 25 feet away now. Having literally caught Dane in a no-pro, 20-foot crater at Castle Rock a couple of years ago, I can see where ST is now in a position to fade into obscurity without a lower bolt. Is Rich Doorish still around? Anyone asked him if he would mind if it got retro-bolted?

[Peter_Puget]

Doesn't ST share an anchor with a better protected route right next to it?

 

Isn't the anchor one of the easiest to get to(for setting a TR) in the park?

 

 

[markwebster]

Slender thread was a "safe" lead back when your belayer and a spotter could catch you by standing on the tree. Now that the tree is gone, you start probably about 10 feet lower. I've not had a tape measure there, but it's become a climb that only suicidal, or very confident soloists do. Raindog says he still does it...

 

Is it worth a bolt, yes, in my opinion. I won't add the bolt because I do have some respect for those sickos who still have the balls to solo up to that bolt.

 

Anyway, you can still TR it from the anchors above....though top roping is for sissies. For me, it's one of those climbs where I look up at it, remember how fun it was when it was "safe", and walk on by.

[sobo]

Doesn't ST share an anchor with a better protected route right next to it?

ST shares the anchor with Fakin' It and Cajun Queen. Both are a number grade higher, although I thought them easier than ST, perhaps because they are less runout before the first bolt. So yes, Peter, you're right, because FI has 5 bolts to ST's 4, and the first one is much lower.

 

Isn't the anchor one of the easiest to get to(for setting a TR) in the park?

If TR-ing is your thing. I was into leading all of the climbs at PP at one time. Got quite a ways along, but never finished...

[pms]

I wonder how often SL is climbed these days? I don't mean TR.