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While climbing at the Great Wall on Saturday, I topped out on Int. Route of Pancakes and noticed something that concerned me. There is a crack about a 1/2 mm wide that runs from the left anchor bolt to the right one, and extends a few inches past the right bolt. This is an accident waiting to happen. I checked the Muir Valley website and nowhere on there could I find Rick or Liz's email address. If someone could give it to me, or the email of an overseeing route setter, it would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Actually, email Tim Powers (tbone) or Jared Hancock (J-Rock) or Karla Carandang, all of which are regular posters on this board.

JonnyC,

Thanks for the report on Int. Route...

We'll check it out next weekend and replace the anchors. As you know, it is impossible to know what is happening behind a rock face. It is possible that the fracture occurred after the bolts were put in and possibly the whole portion of rock is weak. The person who bolted this route is very experienced and would not have placed two bolts in an existing crack.

In the meantime (the next 5 days) everyone please stay off this route until we can check it out.

Our contact info is on the Muir site at: http://www.muirvalley.com/rules.html

Thanks for pointing out that the email address is "buried" in the website. We'll add a "contact" link on the main page to address this problem.

Rick Weber

J.J. and I went up Intl Route of Pancakes today and replaced the two existing anchors with a new cable/rap ring anchor located well away from the originals. Really weird. The original anchor bolts were place in as nice a bulge of rock as you will find in the Red. Yet a hairline crack appeared between the two bolts a few months later. Despite the crackm the bolts were rock solidly attached to the wall. Of course, there was no hesitation in repacing them. A crack is a crack.

This route has been up just about one year.

As a point of interest, the year-old zinc-plated Dynabolt gold bolts showed no corrosion except for minor surface oxidation on the outer sleeve near the head of one bolt. The bolts, bolt heads and cone were rust free.

Thanks for letting us know of this problem. This nice Squeezindlemon arete is re-open for business.

Rick

THANKS RICK!