So we called it Abuela Cochinita. We thought 5.8 * on good rock. The name means grandma piglet; it comes from a play on the next route over to its left, Miss Piggy and a nickname Bob's grandma had her whole life. I'll post a more thorough description on the New Routes "sticky."
Strange ending though. We did the route because the rock looked good. And it was good. But we climbed up and left and then up because that was the line of weakness. But straight up, instead of left, the face looked like even better rock. It also looked like it would be much harder climbing. Certainly no drilling from stances to be done. Maybe hooks in holes? But all-in-all the face looked very thin, even slightly overhanging at the top. I thought about placing a "second second" bolt, moving up and right on this steeper face from our first bolt to at least get started on another project. But we were running out of time.
Then, after I led our route and was belaying up Bob, I glanced around. (I didn't place the summit anchors, Bob did them last week since we knew where we were going to end - and he nailed it spot on.) Over the years I've trained my eyes to spot bolts. And, glancing around there they were: two bolts, with modern hangers, 15, farther out on the ridge than our bolts. Directly above the really steep face. I couldn't believe it. Had we missed bolts on the face itself too? I had Bob belay me over and leaned way out off of them. No, no bolts on the face, but two right on top. Both are 3/8' compression bolts with modern, Petzl hangers with silicone seal. One is rust free, but the other is rusty enough that I'd guess they are vintage early 90s. Bob couldn't believe he'd drilled our summit anchors for nearly two hours and missed these. But that's what happens when you're focused.
It appears that someone at least tried this face, obviously on TR. Did they get it clean? I doubt we'll ever know. My guess is that it would be 5.11; leaning way out, the top looks very steep and very thin. It could still be done (or attempted) ground up on lead, and the anchor bolts are already in. Or should we just TR it and leave it at that? Or different sets of climbers could do both.
Two further comments. First, the finishing headwall is one of the route cruxes. I was fairly intimidated heading up there. We needed another bolt, but it didn't look stanceable and I couldn't see many features. Got to go for it though, and, as I started above the 5th bolt, a few holes started to appear. Then, when my feet were about two feet above the bolt, my hand went into the perfect hole. Deep, solid and slanted in and down. It was the perfect Fish-hook placement. I'm usually pretty sketched hanging on a hook as I drill, at least until I've gotten going and the hook's still holding. Not this time. I plopped right down on this one and got to the drilling. Sweet.
I ended the day by hiking from the High Peaks straight down to The Citadel. There are about 5 pinnacles in an area well below Egg Shell, I had plenty of daylight and so off I went. I got a lot checked out (after some truly epic brush crashing). Lots of new-route potential, which I may be realizing (in spite of the nasty way I got there), because... I found an old, never reported route. Looked like 5.7 or 5.8 face to a big lodestone which would take a sling. Then a ledge with a bolt above it, then, who knows, but it clearly went to the top. The bolt had an SMC hanger, so vintage 70s or 80s? Who's in for a recon, a re-bolting, and maybe, also, a new route?
