RRC Archives

Cool, thanks much for the feedback. I, personally, enjoy some spiciness, as long as the fall isn't contrived to be dangerous. I also try to keep things pretty close to how they are when I can, but sometimes it can't be help, or maybe moved a little bit to make a clip easier, let the rope run better, etc. I rebolted Hen-ry last year, and kept it pretty much the same, because the fall, while exciting, isn't all that dangerous, as I took it.

Hugh, I think runouts up high are fine, like with Primus Noctum. But, the thing I will say about Big Sinkin' is that once you clip a bolt, you might as well have the one below you uncliped, as it won't do you much good if you fall and the higher bolt/draw fails, where with primus, you have a couple below that would still help keep you safe if the last bolt/draw where to fail.

Bill, I understand the FS rules, and will keep them in mind for sure.

And, Chris, no way would I add a bolt to the creep! We got on it again yesterday, and it is one of the best at the wall, no doubt. It does maybe need new anchors though, and I will probably replace the bolts then as well, but they will go as close to the current ones as I can get them. I know everyone is sketched going to the 2nd, but it isn't that bad. Esp. if you pre hang a draw.

One thing that I do think about though, is when a not so good bolt job becomes a big part of the character of the route. I haven't been on it yet, but I hear Ball Scratcher is a killer line, but the bolting was just not all that great. So, it is a great route, that more people would do and enjoy if it was rebolted. But, rebolting it might take away what is cool about it. Tricky for sure.

Thanks again for the feedback,

Hey Wes, One of those bolts at the anchor on the Creep is 7/16" stainless all thread rod 5 inches long and glued in. The other one is a nice 3/8 threaded shaft job. The bolts are 5 piece Rawls and should be fine unless you reckon that they have gone bad.

A couple of the bolts lower down are pretty rusted on the head and washers, but it might just be surface stuff. The one anchor looks fine, was just going to replace the 3/8 with a new powers. And draging the drill up there, might as well replace whatever might need it when there. Just in general, we have been replacing the threaded 3/8's ones with newer bolts, esp. at the anchors. Sometimes when we break the old ones, they are in good shape, but sometimes not, and it is near impossible to tell from looking at them.. The 4th on mercy is a good example, along with the lower bolts on super dario.

I am interested in hearing anyone's views on camouflaging hangers?

spray paint just flakes off SS. The only people that notice bolts are climbers and rangers. Your average touron doesnt even see them unless you point them out.
Still it might be worth the trouble.

Bob Bergman, a Canadian who has done his fair share of bolting swore by baking his hangers in an oven after painting them. He said they never flaked after.
Wes, if BSBD seems unsafe please do what you need to.
Thanks for asking.
Hugh

I have a decent, cheap contact for powder coating. That could be a possibility. I also remember him doing aluminum (even though I always thought it couldn't work on aluminum). So you could powder coat the hangers and the fixed draws.

aluminum powder coats fine. I have had plenty of powder coated aluminum bike parts and they held up up fairly well and never flaked.

the lurkist, I don't think it is unsafe, really. Just that you are betting an awful lot on one bolt in several places, which is kinda common in the red, esp. the 3rd/4th of a lot of routes. Most of my bolting experience is kinda influenced by one of, if not the, most OCD developers out there. So, I got to hear everything that was *wrong* with just about every route out there. I was only on BSBD once a few years ago, so, I can't say for sure if it needs anything, other then maybe some new bolts.

As another "what is the right thing to do" example, there is this killer slab route at a remote wall. Amazing movement, spicy but safe bolting, pretty rock. But, rather then ending at an obvious break, you have to drag along a 3.5 or 4 cam, then top out onto a dirty and rock coverd ledge while trying not to kill your belayer and anyone else at the base of cliff to clip the anchors. Once you top out, then you put some serious wear on your rope trying to lower, or even worse, top rope. Would the right thing be to lower the anchor to the break? Or would lowering the anchors take away from the route?

As for the camouflaging hangers, I don't think it is worth the effort. Unless, maybe, you were putting up remote lines that would see very little to no traffic.

Johnny was always putting his anchors up over the top, engineering rope drag into his routes. He liked top outs (and didn't give a fuck about what I thought!). I think putting anchors in the spot where the rope runs good is key.