Have you ever placed a pin?

[Howie Feltersnatch]

I believe camhead is referring to Crack of Doom in City of Rocks Idaho.

[dustonian]

Cool! That was like a climbing trivia game show...

[Howie Feltersnatch]

What do I win?!

I hope its not that lycra Meg had on earlier.

[dustonian]

Meg's Sweaty Lycra (5.11 R/X)

[camhead]

The pin fell out when you pulled the rope huh? Yikes Did you replace it? That's the big question, what to do on those free routes that become popular but have an obviously unsustainable piton like this one. Jim Titt at Bolt Products (Germany) was making a stainless steel piton for a while that could be a good solution... but I think he discontinued it. What size piton? Knifeblade or more Lost Arrow width? Maybe a wider pin is in order or is the rock just not holding up to repeated falls? Sounds like choss!

In the end, I think it's a question best taken up by the local climbing community in that area... some sort of consensus would be ideal on whether or not to give up on the pin and just place a bolt. There is no nut or hybrid alien placement possible where the pin was? My personal feeling is if the pin has failed multiple times over the years and there's no other options available for pro, just give up on it and put a bolt nearby... but that's just me. I'd even consider a little sand-colored epoxy (Hilti RE150) to protect the pin placement in its current form and the history and "spicy" flavor of the original route... this would be ideal with the stainless steel pins. Of course, I know some people would disagree.

Just curious... which route is this & where is it? It sounds familiar for some reason...

It was a knifeblade. A wider piece would not really work, because, like I said, the whole placement is just getting crumblier. Bomber rock on all sides, but the only possible placement for the pin is in the choss! Definitely no alien or slider nut alternatives, either.

And yeah, Howie gets the prize for guessing Crack of Doom at City of Rocks. The community consensus, according to the climbing ranger I talked to, is that because this is a historical route put up by the Lowes in the 1960s, that the pin should just continue getting replaced, although the ranger admitted that it is getting worse as time goes by. The silly thing is, there are several other routes, with similar hard, unprotected starts, which have sprouted bolts that everyone stick clips and loves. But I think that the "legendary" status of Crack of Doom keeps people from putting a bolt on it. Personally, I think that the given is that the piton has got to go. Put a bolt on, and make it safe, or leave it with nothing, so that folks know that they're getting on a dangerous start. The pin is just an accident waiting to happen.

Oh, and, right after the pin pulled on my stick clip attempt, my buddy still wanted to do it. We stick-clip placed a stopper about 5 feet above the bad pin placement, bounce tested it, it seemed fine, but he still wanted to get on it. So, we ran back to the car, got a few boulder pads, & padded the landing. He got a few feet above the stopper, peeled off, ripped out the gear, missed the pads and landed in a bunch of sharp boulders from about 18 feet. Not a scratch.

[dustonian]

Man, that sounds fun (and exciting). I would love to get out to City of Rocks about now...

[Howie Feltersnatch]

Meg's Sweaty Lycra (5.11 R/X)

That sounds like a route where one would want to place a pin. Unfortunately all I have are baby angles.

[dustonian]

well, that's a little better than a rurp I guess...

[megmay]

Oh the horror.

[dustonian]

hahaha classic... Old Pecker, Bottle of Lube, and Meg's Sweaty Lycra (5.11R A4+)