Anaconda 

The extension is excellent. The second pitch is definitely adventurous, and dirty as stated. I guess it is par for the course as most deep Garden cracks go. The drilled angles are not inspiring.

The first part of the first pitch eats up small hexes. Pins after that to the anchors. Nice climbing.

This climb is awesome, far more fun on lead. When going for the cross over, climb up and clip the pin, then downclimb a couple feet and cross over, this way you can protect the moves, and get in a coule extra moves. I found that just a little trad gear makes the climb a little more enjoyable and less frightining, a #7 BD nut for the runout to the first pin, 3.5 to cover just above the last pin, as it is hanging out there a bit.

This is easily the best climb in the Garden and rivals most in the state. It is sustained and smooth. You'll forget you are climbing on the Garden's normally rotten rock. The first part of the first pitch can be a little pumpy on lead, so save your energy for the upper part of the route and blast through this part quickly if you can.

Anaconda now has new stainless anchors at both the lower and upper stations on the first pitch. Thanks to Brad Saren and Brian Shelton for jumaring up and replacing the old gear. The upper anchor has two bolts and one of the original pitons. The lower anchor is the same. Thanks to Climbing Mag and Petzl for donating the gear.

Right Pete, we were certainly "scaring" the rock when those old pitons were removed. Ha. Good one. The rock was sooooo scared. Yep, Brian and Brad crowbarred them out. Now there are good safe anchors at both of Anaconda's belays, and climbers can breathe more easily up there...

Have you ever removed an old piton from sandstone? Have you been going out and replacing all those old dangerous anchors at the Garden of the Gods with brand new stainless-steel state-of-the-art 1/2" bolt anchors? Hmmmm I didn't think so.

As I wrote under your Crescent Corner post the other week, it's best to put up or shut up. I invited you then to be a part of the effort to update the GofG anchors but you, like everyone else on the sidelines who doesn't want to get involved, is willing to bitch and whine and moan and criticize rather than do something constructive.

As far as the Anaconda anchors, they needed replacement. The scarring will disappear within a month or so through an on-going geologic process called EROSION.

Many climbers have told me that those anchors needed replacement. Notably my long-time friend and great climber Jimmy Dunn, who just last week said, "Good, it's about time those anchors were replaced. You should also pull all the pitons too and replace those with bomber half-inchers. I get scared up there when I'm leading that thing and only clipped into 3 or 4 of the pins. I would come out and help you guys but it's my son's birthday that day so I can't." Now I certainly give a lot more credence to Jimmy's ideas about Anaconda's anchors than you or anyone else. I asked him how many times he's climbed it and he said, "Thousands. I've done it thousands of times." And he has, including the first free ascent of it with Earl Wiggins and John Sherwood.

So as I wrote in Crescent Corner, if you want to fill the holes, if you want to be part of the effort, if you want to stop bitching and whining, then let us know that you want to work in a constructive and positive way to ensure that this fabulous local climbing area stays open in the future and that future climbers can safely climb, lower, and rappel from the fixed gear.

If you want to fill in all the old piton holes in the Garden, then go for it. As of right now, I haven't come up with the right mixture to fill the holes or that has been approved by the COS Parks Department. Any kind of cement product or epoxy sets up too hard in the soft sandstone, so the plug is left sticking out as the surrounding sandstone erodes. Caulk and varies kinds of oil-based products are also inadequate. If you have suggestions, then by all means put them forward and we can test them and present them to the city as a viable way to fill the hundreds of holes. And you can certainly be at the forefront of that effort but starting with the 20+ holes on the first pitch of Angle Tangle's bolt ladder.

Thanks again for Brian and Brad for getting out there and replacing those old anchors and for caring about the Garden of the Gods climbing experience and for doing something constructive. Kudos guys!!

I for one appreciate the efforts. The new anchors are great and much needed. I climbed the route again yesterday and the difference is huge. I think those "scars" will be gone by the end of next month at the rate that the Garden erodes, so I'm not too worried. Plus you can't even see the scars until you are right up on them. Thanks again, guys.