Robert Machina leading the last pitch (5.7). There...
Description
Jokingly referred to as the "overbolted route", this multipitch sport route offers an ideal climb for exposing beginners to the many facets of climbing on big walls. The entire route is bolted, but can also be lead with traditional gear. This makes the route ideal for a sport climber breaking out into the realm of trad climbing. The climbing is fun and varied, a mixture of cracks, slab and face moves. Some may find bolts placed next to good trad placements distasteful. Don't climb it then, there are plenty of pure trad lines up the checkerboard wall.
Location
This route climbs roughly straight up the middle of the Checkerboard wall. To find the base of the climb look for a large cairn supporting a dead yucca stalk. The base of the route is in a bushy alcove.
Protection
there are seven belay stations on this route, each with 2 bolts and rappel chains. The entire route can be rappelled with a single rope, although it is faster to walk off or use double rope rappels. Many of the pitches are easily combined making for faster climbing. Bring lots of runners to avoid rope-drag.
By Aaron Hobson Administrator From: Las Cruces, NM Nov 17, 2006
Jim Campbell is credited with equipping the route with bolts. he set it up as a good route to teach folks climbing skills. It certainly offers many opportunities to learn multi-pitch skills: rope-drag avoidance, gear management, route-finding. I thank him for his effort.
By boulderkeith From: Boulder, CO Apr 1, 2007 rating: 5.7
This route has some things to recommend it AND some things not to recommend it.
First the good: - the rock quality is quite good - the route was NOT a great gear lead so you won't be thinking, gee what do I need all these bolts for, I want to place cams - the upper portion of the route is pretty darn fun - the route has a nice mix of a bit of crack, some face climbing, and plenty of slab. - Most of the bolt placements are o.k. for protecting the climb. - The approach from Pizza Boulders is good and the descent back down from the top to Pizza Boulders is also good. Don't rap the route. Don't leave stuff at the bottom. Carryover like a real man.
Next the bad: - The route really is overbolted. I don't mean overbolted in that you can use cams because the gear placement just aren't amazing. It just has too many bolts. Doesn't make it less fun, just less aesthetic. - Many of the anchor placements are just plain silly. Bolts below sweet ledges instead of above. Really silly. Might encourage a novice leader to belay above bolts instead of below (DANGEROUS). "educating" a new leader doesn't justify bad belay station placements. - There are too many anchor stations. This is a distraction for the novice leader. - Some of the lead bolt placements aren't very well thought out or don't provide the right protection for the 5.7 leader.
Finally the ugly: - The anchors are new but setup old school. Long single chains. A chain link as a hanger. - Worse, at least a couple of anchors take the chain angle between the bolts to an extreme. The final anchor has a 180 degree angle chain!!! DANGEROUS. - Additionally, the quick links used to connect the chain to the hanger (when there is a hangar) are undersized, especially on the final anchor. DANGEROUS.
I applaude Jim Campbell for making the effort to create this route but hope he'll work on his anchor placement skills before his next project.
By Jerry Cagle From: Tucson, AZ Apr 30, 2007 rating: 5.7
FWIW: We did this in 3 pitches. The route isn't inherently bad, but this is hands-down THE most poorly conceived route I've seen in more than 20 years of climbing. What's with all the intermediate belay stations? The belay stations that are more appropriately spaced are in incredibly asinine locations (immediately below bivvy-grade ledges), the chains at the top of the route describe a 170 degree angle (ever heard of force multiplication?), and a number of the protection bolts are on top of bulges making them difficult to see from below. If this was done to make them less likely to pull out, it's fatally misguided. Bolts in properly drilled holes don't pull out. Shear forces are what cause bolts to fail and placing them in this configuration focuses the force in that direction. These aren't trade secrets... this information is readily available to anyone with a 3rd grade reading comprehension skill level who bothers to take the time to seek it out. It's irresponsible, at the very least, to create a POS like the job that was done on CT. I hope no one gets seriously hurt when this bomb blows up. The locals in LC should take his drill away and send him to his room with a good spanking. Oh yeah, and do something about those 60 mph winds while you're at it, would you.
Jim, your heart may be in the right place, but your head is somewhere else...
This is a good route for training first ascensionists in how NOT to bolt.
Bolts serve not only as protection, but as way markers. So it's best not to place bolts on top of bulges where they can't be seen from below.
What's the excuse for anchor bolts without hangers (only chain held on with a wee washer and a nut)? There is a hanger on a useless, unused bolt on the summit...it should be moved to one of the lower anchors that are hangerless.
Finally, bolts should be placed at 90 degrees to the rock. Do NOT drill diagonally into the rock.
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