Proposal for a bolt anchor at the top of the routes, Peanuts and Blows Against the Empire, Lower Peanuts Wall: Both of the above routes end in the same place, at a fixed anchor (although the guidebook description, and the traditional end of these routes, is to traverse along the band of rock to a fixed rappel anchor at the top of Just Another Girl's Climb). The fixed anchor consists of two bashed stoppers in a shallow crack, connected by a sling. This anchor has been used as both a top rope anchor and a rappel anchor. Because there is an existing anchor, the traditional exit seems to be unused. The existing anchor is a poor example of a fixed anchor, and probably should have never been placed as such. The safety of such an anchor is questionable. Webbing placed around fixed wired stoppers is not recommended. The existing anchor is not permanent. I would like to place two stainless steel bolts as near to the existing fixed anchors as possible, where the best stance can be had. I have not attached a topo, as I have not been up there recently enough to make a recommendation about exactly where the bolts should be placed. I would like the exact location to be determined with other FHRC members.
Information from FHRC
Information from the Fixed Hardware Review Committee: (The FHRC is required to provide information on various factors related to proposed new fixed hardware. The guidelines spell out whether a factor is in favor, neutral, or against the proposal. Note that most of the factors to be considered to not apply because this is a rappel, not a route.)
Factors in Favor:
1) Quality of route. n/a.
2) Safety. The proposed anchors would replace two fixed nuts linked together with webbing, which goes directly through the wires on the nuts. The nut placements are not in sinker parts of the crack, but have been used as an anchor for at least 4 years.
Neutral Factors:
1) Dangerous route. n/a.
2) Distance from existing routes. The proposed anchors would be at the beginning of the brown band (lots of loose rock) on Peanuts and Blows Against the Empire. Rossiter guide mentions the fixed nuts at this location as a possible place to lower off. The other option is to continue up the band (about 5 feet of climbing no harder than 5.7 followed by much easier climbing along the brown band with loose rock) to rappel anchors at the top to Just Another Girls Climb.
3) Difficulty. n/a.
4) Ability to toprope. The proposed anchors are a full 30 meters above the ground, so with care it would be possible to toprope Blows Against the Empire. In order to toprope Peanuts one would need to move up to a ledge (3rd class) and also (possibly) put in a directional. However, one would have to climb something in order to get to the anchors in the first place.
Factors Against:
1) Altered routes (e.g. chipped). n/a.
2) Distance. n/a.
3) Rock quality. The rock in which the anchors would be placed is solid. Above there, the rock deteriorates. 4) Protection reachable from Neighboring Routes _ The only routes affected are Peanuts and Blows Against the Empire. At the point of the proposed anchors, the climbing for either route becomes significantly easier (2-5 grades).
5) Natural Protection Possible. The two fixed nuts are not sinker placements. Although they have been used for many years, their safety as an anchor in and off themselves is questionable.
Additional Comments: There are two separate aspects in the FHRC guidelines that apply to this application in a seemingly contradictory way. One the one hand, according to the guidelines, it is favorable to replace visual eyesores, e.g., wads of slings attached to pitons, fixed nuts, etc. On the other hand, the guidelines note it as not favorable to put anchors in the middle of pitches, i.e., anchors that make it easier to retreat before the traditional end of the pitch. The existing anchor of nuts with webbing has been in place for at least 4 years but was not part of the original route.
