Do it Hank.

P.

Sure, trundle whatever is genuinely loose without fanfare. Doesn't require community debate.
And if one of the fixed anchors is crap, pull that pin and replace it with a fatty. However, if there is a belay with a single anchor and there is gear available, why not leave it to be a "backed up" gear anchor anyway? What's wrong with placing gear?
Those are hypothetical at this point though, as I can't perfectly recall the situation up there. What I thought I remembered at the base of the wide spot was clipping a drilled pin and integrating that into a gear anchor.

I'd like to say that if you want to replace an old manky drilled pin with a good bolt, that's fine. But a few caveats:

If the anchor is only ONE pin and gear, don't make it TWO bolts. Also, if the pins aren't set up for rappel, don't install bolts with rings or links.

I really like that there are still a few routes out there that are committing and require you to get to the top to get down - the penalty clause being an epic or having to leave gear. King of Pain is one of those - get to the top and rap down the other side... or else.

So I'm not saying that's what you're going to do Hank, I'm just putting it out there.

Again, one for one replacements are fine, but keep it real.

I'm with Josh. Keep desert towers adventurous, committing and exciting...

Keep it real, Hank. PS Trundle that shiiit.

Replacing shit bolts with good ones seem logical. But I do agree that the route needs to retain its adventure feeling. Don't want folk rapping the route now do we?
Thanx for taking the initative to replace junk.
::-)

I don't give a rip about the anchors....but trundling it would be great. Please do.

why not just pull all the anchors so you have to leave gear or jump off?

My intention is NOT to have a rap route down the existing climbing route. There is allready a designated rap route for Vision Quest. Just trundling and if there is one shitty bolt and a piece of 6' tat stretched over from a pinched piece of sand, 2 bolts(no rings or chains of course). 1 bolt seems silly UNLESS of course there is gear right there. Josh, Tony, Mia, me and most everyone else are on the same sheet of music here.

Hank (and Tony and Josh), I'm not at all opposed to the new bolt(s) and I would surely clip them if they're there. I was just saying that I don't understand the need if there's good gear there already (which people have said there is). Like Tony and Josh have said, the old pin was likely placed back when climbers didn't have #4 cams on their racks, but I'm sure anybody in the creek today will have access to one. I for one kinda like climbing past old fixed gear as a reminder of how the hard-men did it back in the day ('84 in the case of Vision Quest, if the route info is correct). They make me feel weak and insignificant...

Anyways, thanks for actually taking some action! From the sounds of it that route is definitely in need of the trundling! Hopefully I can get on it when I'm in the creek. =)

+1 for this; " Keep desert towers adventurous, committing and exciting..."

For me that means don't create a rap route where none existed before. As for the blocks- well, sometimes it's time for them to go. Precise determination of 'when' is a bit subjective. I haven't been up there recently enough to have a valid comment on that.


My recollection of the #4+pin belay is that most parties will not have sufficient gear at that point to build an all-big gear belay.

Did you ever get around to this job Hank?
I got some heat for mentioning it on the Vision Quest page, so I will let you (someone with a good reputation) take care of it. I'll be there over Thanksgiving if you need a hand. Once again, not trying to piss any one off...