Westside yesterday

[F4?]

It was great. Not too cold and was nice if you climbed in the sun. Brad and I gave Icarus an attempt.



Mr Mud, Munge and salad, little did you guys know but 20-30ft to the left is Icharus. Did anyone ever notice the bolts?



I got to lead the bolt ladder pitch above dropzone. Pretty fun. The free  moves sucked because there is some serious loose shit up there.

[The Big]

Actually  I was aware of the route.  Clint had mentioned the route a couple of times.

[Brad Young]

It is two pitches from the digger pine to the ledge where the bolt ladder starts. The bolts are 30 feet, or a little more, left of Drop Zone, and , in the right light, are visible from it. Just goes to show how your concentration then was on the route you were making.



Couldn't figure out the fourth pitch past the first two bolts (20 and 40 feet up from the belay). Got about 50 feet out on 5.6/5.7 or so climbing and couldn't find any other sign that someone had been there. CC confirmed afterward (second hand, from Bruce, who got it from Glen) that I was going the right way, but I wasn't willing to go much farther without some indication then that I was going the right way. I think I was making Erik nervous. Downclimbed.

[The Big]

We looked while putting up Drop Zone.  Just did not see them.  I even looked once on rappel, did not rappel over there, just looked while heading back to the ledge.  I stemmed up the try and looked also.  Those rusty leeper hangers can be just about invisible sometimes.



If the upper part is 5.6 or so I supprised Glen Denny put in any bolts.

[Brad Young]

They're actually SMC hangers, and, except for the two CC replaced, all Star Dryvin bolts (but uniformly well placed and in good rock). From the tree/chimney it is 20 more feet to one bolt and then 40 or 50 feet more to a two bolt belay. Still, just enough rust to make them hard to find (we rapped over it so I could tell if bolts were even there). This belay is just about even with the 6th bolt on Drop Zone. One bolt protects the lead up to the ledge.



The fourth pitch starts with some 5.8 which eases to 5.7 up to the second bolt. Then a few 5.8 moves lead to sustained 5.5 - 5.6. But I was way out there, and could see even further. No sign of nothing, and it was about to get 5.7 or so again. I wasn't willing to commit to possibly 80 or so more feet with (possibly) no pro. And actually I got in a good #2 Camalot, right where I backed off, but had no idea if that was going to be it for 80 feet. I think I'll go rap in and look for bolts before I lead it again. I suspect there is one more two bolt belay, because from the top of the 4th to the top of Machete looks like more than 150 feet.



Clint called it "full value" adventure.

[mungeclimber]

We looked while putting up Drop Zone.  Just did not see them.  I even looked once on rappel, did not rappel over there, just looked while heading back to the ledge.  I stemmed up the try and looked also.  Those rusty leeper hangers can be just about invisible sometimes.



If the upper part is 5.6 or so I supprised Glen Denny put in any bolts.

I rapped the Drop Zone and looked in a range about 20-25' left. Just not far enough.

[Brad Young]

You know, its a lot easier to see something if you know it it there. You were both probably focused more on new route possibilities than on looking for existing bolts. The first two pitches are in and just left of a faint water streak, and your eyes were probably on that and its potential. No squeeze job issues here either, BTW.



What are you jokers going to do then, regarding adding bolts or not?

[F4?]

What are you jokers going to do then, regarding adding bolts or not?

Well, I'll just have to bring the old bolt kit with me next time and take care of them.



Just let me know where.



Yah Brad, I was a bit nervous. Lets see, 50 ft out on an old bolt, I'm belaying off of old bolts as well. Crumbly rock. Good potential that the rope might not make it to the top.



It's different when you are establishing and have a drill, than when you are trying to find those elusive bolts.



I'm going straight up.



PS, using the tree sucked. Sap and splinter, ugh. It won't last long with people shaving the bark off. I'd say put in 2x bolts to get started.

[Brad Young]

Actually, you're going straight down - to hell, if you add bolts to either route without permission. And, although the sap was a pain, I don't see more than one or two ascents of this route being done per decade, and I doubt those few ascents would hurt the tree. Actually, after Mr Mud does the route who in the world would do a fourth ascent? No one I know is likely to repeat it.



Still, it was tons of fun, and thanks again for clearing the day to go with me at the last minute.

[mungeclimber]

I suspect you can start on Drop Zone and traverse across at some point. Only 30'.



skip the damage to the tree, annotate for the first ascent. Trouble is someone has to link it first.

[Brad Young]

The tree is fine and will be long after you're farting dust. Look at the tree at the start of Machete Direct, and that's had hundreds of ascents. No-one other than Mr Mud will ever climb the route again anyway, so its a total nonissue.

[mungeclimber]

IYO