[Hide Comment] I'm going to burst your bubble, this route originally only had the last bolt before the anchor. It was done on gear. Stark bolted it without my permission, as he seems to have a habit of doing. He said he was going to remove those bolts, but obviously he didn't. I haven't had a chance to get out there and do it myself. It actually starts by stepping off the big boulder. Nov 4, 2020

[Hide Comment] A tricky, thought-provoking, and engaging route the entire way! It isn’t an obvious, aesthetic line like Dracula, but I think this route requires the most varied technique and movement out of any route that I’ve climbed. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that this would be an impressive onsight for a 5.13 climber. Your beta may vary, and will be somewhat height-dependent, but there’s potential for just about everything!

stem, chimney, layback, finger jam, hand jam, traverse, pinch, undercling, gaston, knee bar, toe hook, high step, crimp, sidepull, smear, compression, deadpoint, mantle, jug, sloper, flake Apr 11, 2021

[Hide Comment] Climbing politics aside, this is a stellar route! More fun than Dracula, IMO. Aug 28, 2021

[Hide Comment] I was inspired by the pissing match in the comments, so I climbed this today and protected the shared start with a 0.2 X4, black Totem, and 0.75 X4...all bomber! The only big difference between clipping bolts and placing gear at the start is that you can't get a solid piece in by standing on the boulder, but you can clip the first bolt from the boulder. While I agree that chopping the first three bolts would make this route less accessible, due to the style of climbing at the start, you don't have much hope of sending this if you don't have a solid trad background to get through the stemming, fingerlocking, and handjamming. This route is great whether you only clip bolts or make it mixed! Sep 4, 2021

[Hide Comment] I had a lot of fun working the beta out on this. Quality route for sure! Oct 14, 2021

[Hide Comment] Having done both The Hunger and The Thirst, here's my 2 cents: The Thirst is essentially a variation of The Hunger, Dave Sowerby's OG 1992 route. Both routes share the first 20' of climbing and the last 20' of climbing. They have the same start and the same anchor. The Hunger goes straight up after the initial dihedral/crack and follows cracks and seams for gear. The Thirst breaks left and follows cool features for about 15' of new terrain before rejoining The Hunger. Unfortunately, this variation went overboard and not only bolted the start but also added a bolt between Dave's two original bolts at the top (Dave's 1992 era bolts have since been replaced through the ASCA). Jul 12, 2022

[Hide Comment] I finally got around to removing the first 3 bolts, sadly I couldn't drag my old butt up to the top and remove the bolt that was added between my original ones. Sorry to anyone who was working this. Anyone who has a problem with this action please feel free to email me. Jun 26, 2023

[Hide Comment] IIRC there is a bit of good rock just to the left of the start to The Hunger that is unbolted, in between the Tombraider start and The Hunger start. Instead of bolting over an existing line and calling it a new line, why don't we bolt a new line and call it a new line? It'd probably be a bit of a squeeze job, and it'll probably link into The Hunger eventually, but that wouldn't be unlike most of the other lines on the wall (e.g. Bloodline/Predator).

Re: accessibility for The Hunger: The start is very fun and worth trying out, even on gear. The placements are bomber and Bat Wall climbers are very capable of pulling off the start in this style. And you can still reach the entire route on TR by reaching the anchor via Tombraider, to rehearse, pre-place gear, etc.

I think these ethics questions are worth discussing, but I'm not sure if this particular hill is the one to wager on, given the circumstances. Jun 29, 2023

[Hide Comment] I have removed all comments not specifically related to this route. Any further comments about Dave’s removal of Stark’s retro-bolts at the shared start will be deleted. What this episode underscores is the importance of creating a local forum or mechanism by which these kinds of issues can be discussed and conclusions drawn in order to maintain a balance of challenge and accessibility, tradition and modernization at Portland-area crags. I would encourage all involved here to put their energy into such productive endeavors instead of adding - belligerently, thoughtfully, or otherwise - to these pointless comment chains… which are supposed to be about the route! Jul 1, 2023