New Bolts on the third pitch of the NOSE?

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Bulldog

Trad climber

Yosemite, CA

Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 15, 2009 - 11:10pm PT

Went up their a couple of months ago, on a solo recon, and to my suprise, I didn't to have place my red alien in that square hole, but,(no brainer) simply clip that big fat new, or two, Bolts, and be on my way -- well that didn't feel right, I knew I forgot somthing, I didn't get to place my red alien? So, prior to this recon, I remember a time before, on this same pitch, that fat stoppers were smashed into these square holes/p-tong scars, thinking to myself, It would be quite difficult to free this section, not being able to crank a 2-finger pocket torque with a passive stopper smashed to the hilt in this red aaalien placement. Just wondering if any other Nosey persons have seen anything -different- up their?

Clint Cummins

Trad climber

SF Bay area, CA

Nov 16, 2009 - 12:00am PT

There are 2 bolts there, near the top of p3.
Here's a photo:

The previous time I did it (June 2005), there was at least one bolt there also, but my photo from then is not as clear. I recall doing a harder move in 2005 there, where I had to make a yellow TCU stick in a flaring pod. So, most likely the lower bolt was added sometime between June 2005 and September 2009.

From the upper bolt, I still had to thread a sling around a fixed bashie, then make a free move out of my aider to reach bigger holds to traverse to the belay.

On p4 (9/27/09), I was equipped for some route cleanup, having been tired of the long string of tat slings on the traverse in the past. It wasn't quite so bad this time. I fixed a #1 head (no chiseling done - existing shallow flaring pin scar) to reach the first pendulum anchor (fixed nut), but I left the long cheat sling in place. I replaced the shoelace tat on the next fixed pin with a better sling. I removed a bashed nut with no cable, and fixed a Lost Arrow in its place. I wasn't able to reach the next fixed pin from there, so I left the tat sling on it, but I shortened it.

Lambone

Ice climber

Ashland, Or

Nov 16, 2009 - 03:36am PT

yes there is a bolt there...been there a year or so

mcreel

climber

Barcelona

Nov 16, 2009 - 04:24am PT

Jesus Christ!

Nor Cal

Trad climber

San Mateo

Nov 16, 2009 - 09:19am PT

He will do the chopping:

Roxy

Trad climber

CA Central Coast

Nov 16, 2009 - 10:06am PT

That's funny, looks like the mysterious mullet chopper is chewing on a stick of Nag Champa. Damn hippie.

JuanDeFuca

Big Wall climber

Peenemunde

Nov 16, 2009 - 11:29am PT

I would be glad to chop them after I fix Surprise.

Juan

Ihateplastic

Trad climber

Lake Oswego, Oregon

Nov 16, 2009 - 11:56am PT

Two rings on that guy... does that mean he married BOTH his sisters?

So, I guess the question is... what is worse: a smashed stopper blocking a potential free move that can be done on aid with an Alien or just make the world safer for all and put in two bolts? Now the free lads can go with confidence and the aid boys can just get it done easier. Might be easier if all placements harder than A1+ (plus in this case meaning even better than A1 if that were even possible) get bolted. So much less gear to take.

Lambone

Ice climber

Ashland, Or

Nov 16, 2009 - 12:12pm PT

bullwinkle has been flaming about chopping that bolt for a while. there was a discussion posted here between him and the bolter. i'm not gunna name names. but if you know anything about bolts on el cap then you know who placed it.

personally i'd rather see a bolt then a stopper smashed in a scar. There are many of those on the NA wall, and once the cable rusts out and breaks i don't know how you'd remove it.

bolts next to scars to free up fingerjams would be a bad precedent on El Cap, but i don't think thats what the bolter had in mind.

However when we did the Nose I used a Red/Yellow hybrid, which worked just fine...

Lambone

Ice climber

Ashland, Or

Nov 16, 2009 - 01:00pm PT

link to original thread on this:
http://supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=698472&msg=699438#msg699438

Bullwinkle:
"Why didn't you post photos of the protection bolts you've been adding to El Cap routes too? You know like the one that you added on the third pitch of the Nose? Replacing anchors is one thing, putting in protection bolts where they're not needed and never were is bs. Thank God we've you around to make thoses choices for everyone. Inner journey? try looking in the mirror and say hey to the outter Prick."

I think the reply to this comment was deleted.

Steve Grossman

Trad climber

Seattle, WA

Nov 16, 2009 - 10:02pm PT

How's about a slight runout instead? Who placed the bolt, please?

john hansen

climber

Nov 16, 2009 - 10:12pm PT

Harding when someone told him the Nose had been climbed in such or such a time.

"Yeah well that wasn't the same climb we did" or something like that..

It slowly happens over the years , three feet at a time.

Clint Cummins

Trad climber

SF Bay area, CA

Nov 17, 2009 - 02:02am PT

> Who placed the bolt, please?

According to Matt's reference, Nanook (Erik Sloan).

Steve Grossman

Trad climber

Seattle, WA

Nov 21, 2009 - 07:54pm PT

He's on the hook for some other things bolt related, so I will see what he has to say about this one once he writes me back.

BASE104

climber

An Oil Field

Nov 22, 2009 - 04:10am PT

That is like farting in church.

MattB

Trad climber

Tucson

Nov 22, 2009 - 01:50pm PT

Steve, Do you still want the ASCA to have a power drill exemption? .Matt

Clint Cummins

Trad climber

SF Bay area, CA

Nov 22, 2009 - 01:59pm PT

Erik Sloan is not in ASCA (anymore).

Greg Barnes

climber

Nov 22, 2009 - 02:01pm PT

The ASCA has not supplied any bolts to Erik in years, and he gave us all his ASCA gear back (again, years ago).

When Jack & I replaced bolts on the Nose in May 2001, we worked on 42 bolts. We replaced 24 of them, and we removed the rest. So 18 fewer bolts on the Nose thanks to ASCA, and now one new bolt placed by someone with zero ASCA support.

(and that doesn't include the Negative Pinnacle routes I worked on at the same time - I replaced 5 bolts and removed 3 extra bolts at anchors)