Bad Bolt List
Nominate a bad bolt for replacement.
- Cosmos, second bolt. A third-hand report said it is loose
(removable with fingers??). After the report, Mike looked
at the bolt from the ground. It wasn't possible to confirm
or deny its looseness. So a close up inspection is needed.
(5/8/01, Mike Deamicis-Roberts)
In November 2002, I (Clint) did the route, and the bolt
didn't appear bad, although I forgot to inspect it closely.
3/17/04 - Bolt appears to have been replaced. (Clint observed)
- Roof (Discovery North end), right hand anchor bolt. Chain is
nice but bolt is a somewhat rusty/bent 1/4".
(3/17/04, Clint Cummins)
- Monolith - Indirect Traverse, first 2 bolts. Not necessarily
bad, but old and could be replaced.
(11/17/01, Robert Behrens)
12/05 - first bolt on Hawaiian Noises (second bolt on Indirect
Traverse) replaced by Karl Aguilar, with 12mm x 75mm Fixe Triplex bolt.
- Subterranean Tango 10a start: The second bolt (after the first relatively
new bolt): the shaft/bolt moves generously!
(1/22/03, Doris Karp)
3/29/04 - this bolt and the Indirect Traverse bolt replaced, by
Chris Kurrle, Chris Ackerman, and Mike McCabe. 3 hangers on existing
bolts replaced, too.
- Monolith - Lower North Face, third bolt. It's a rusty 1/4".
The original 3/8+" hole is just above it, and could be deepened for
a good bolt. (It might have to be widened past 3/8", too).
(2/04, Chris Kurrle, 3/17/04, Clint Cummins)
3/29/04 - this bolt and 3 other bolts replaced, by
Chris Kurrle, Chris Ackerman, and Mike McCabe.
- behind the Monolith - The Druid, 3rd bolts. The nut is
loose and needs to be tightened with a wrench. The bolt itself
might be OK.
(2/12/02, Rob Moellering)
- Relayer (Upper Crust): Book shows a 4th bolt, but no 4th bolt on it. Been
doing this climb for years and love it. But now we're thinking twice
about the run out at the top. The moves are waaayyy easy, but some of the
rock is of questionable solidity. If a hold were to pop, its a grounder.
It really needs a fourth bolt.
(1/22/03, Doris Karp)
(checked out, 1/29/03, by Steve and Dora Karp)
They found the sleeve for the 4th bolt, 6 feet directly above the
third bolt.
(3/2/03, Clint Cummins)
bolt replaced
- Ali Baba: 4th bolt (before crux): shaft/bolt wiggles, in addition to the
rock being not solid--not a good combo. 5th bolt (shaft)--? need to
recheck.
(1/22/03, Doris Karp)
- The Shaft. Some, but not all of the protection bolts should
be replaced (it is an old bolt ladder, so they are close together).
An new anchor bolt should be added. The anchor could also
be moved closer to the edge and/or add chains to make the rappel
pull better.
(1/17/03, Dennis Erik Strom)
Rebolted, 1/27/03, by Friends of Pinancles
[We] re-bolted The Shaft today. All 1/4" bolts except for
#2 and #9. And, one of the aluminum hangers was delaminating, it looked
like compressed alluminum foil. Also, we left the 6th bolt of the 7th bolt
ladder in place. It is a 1/4" split shaft, the hanger is drilled piton.
You have to preserve a bit of the old Pinnacles history! Nice new bolts
and chains on top for the rappel.
- Hummingbird Spire, both routes. Bolts are old and apparently 1/4".
The anchor could use chains as well.
(2/10/03, Henri Hein)
(3/9/03, Clint Cummins)
all protection bolts replaced; anchor left as is for now
- 289a. Adam's Apple, sixth bolt. A modern 3/8" bolt, but
"poorly placed", possibly removable by hand?
(11/5/01, Gary Verhulp)
- Destiny, anchor bolts.
Destiny/Dos Equis (Machete Ridge): there are three old bolts with
deteriorating SMC (I think) hangers at the top of the pitch. Chains on
two are in decent shape, but the hangers and bolts are not happy!
Someone has left a (bright purple) sling with rap ring on the third
hanger, which is loose on the bolt.
The four bolts on the route look much newer and are in decent shape.
(6/5/01, Chris Kantarjiev)
This last Friday, November 25 I climbed "Destiny aka Dos Equis"
on Machete Ridge Wall and noticed that the left anchor bolt at the
top moves considerably in the rock. The hangers and chains are in
good shape and the second anchor bolt is in good shape. This left
anchor bolt will probably need replacement at some point.
(11/29/05, Mark Fletcher)
- Desperado Chute-Out, several bolts.
I hadn't been up Desperado for several years. I climbed it with two
friends (relatively new climbers) on Saturday and was more than a little
horrified at the rusty quarter inchers on the first and second pitches.
The initial bolt has been replaced. The one above it, after the 5.10
moves is especially important and needs to be replaced soon. The anchor
bolts for the first pitch are so-so. I put in a rawl about ten years
ago. The second bolt on the second pitch is of a variety I've not seen
elsewhere and is possibly the smallest bolt on Machete. The old
star-dryvin at the first tree in the chimney could very much use a
friend. It would save wear and tear on that tree.
(1/13/02, Bob Walton)
Rebolted, 2/9-10/02, by Clint Cummins and Chris Sheldon
All the 1/4" bolts were replaced. We left 2 3/8" Star-Dryvins -
the third bolt on the first pitch (10' of 5.5 to the next bolt), and
the belay bolt by the tree at the end of the second pitch. We left
a large stopper in a good crack there to back up the belay bolt.
Additional gear could be placed there as well.
- The Hatchet (north ridge). All bolts are missing/stolen, except
for one at the base. They were Rawlbolts, so the sleves may be
intact, and 5/16" machine bolts plus hangers might be enough to restore the
route. Perhaps the anchor on top is still there.
(2/02, reported and confirmed)
Mark Fletcher was observed replacing the bolts since then.
- Machete Ridge, Old Original, rappel anchor into gully to east
one bolt is moving, the other is solid
(11/03/04, Daniel Preda)
Please send any corrections or additions to:
clint@leland.stanford.edu