Right Wing - bolts are back

[Optimally-Primed]

Interesting discussion. I am not inclined to respond to criticism or voice my opinions over the forum. If you (a) have climbed Right Wing, and (b) really want to discuss the bolts, then let's meet up for a coffee at the Zeph.

I will however, fill in factual information that has been missing here. To quote one of my earliest posts here:

Climbed Right Wing yesterday... and was to find it licheny. A friend and I rapped in today and gave Right Wing another quick scrub down.

In 2007, I chopped the mid-way anchor because it was not a natural stance. The hope was that it would see enough traffic to stay clean nonetheless. The route seeps until June/July so once it gets dry, it needs a steady flow of traffic. By 2011, the right-hand face (on which one smears the right foot constantly) had a fuzzy layer of lichen. Every foot smear felt greasy. My primary rationale for reintroducing the bolted belay was not to make the climb accessible to me. (I have made the hanging gear belay several times and find it to be perfectly adequate and safe.) Comparisons to places like Yosemite and other places that have naturally clean rock don't seem to apply.

I reintroduced the bolted belay to get more people on it. If it grows over, it is of no use to anyone.

[Fre]

I climbed Right Wing Tuesday. That beast of a route does not feel like 10c or 10d. The first wet streak was not annoying though before getting on the route, we were wondering why the first 3 bolts were so close to each other. Once we got on it, every bolt placement made total sense.
Whoever does the Filibuster pitch in one go, gets my unrelenting respect! That thing is massive: both parts are gigantically burly, and the second part does not feel like 10c/Exasperator etc at all! That midway anchor is great: take it away and you're left with a 60m pitch that 5.10+ or 5.11- climbers think they can climb, but is massively sandbagged. Who, with a max onsight leading capability of 10.d, can onsight this giant beast?
I saw 2 maybe 3 tickmarks on the second part of Filibuster, didn't really use or notice them I think since by this time I was sweating and grunting like a pregnant rhino. I may have rubbed some of it off.

Anyhow, this route doesn't have a single pitch that doesn't deserve 4 or 5 stars. It ain't your average 10d. Thanks for retro-cleaning it and putting those bolts back in and for supplying a plank to stand on at the hanging belay.

[jipstyle]

I saw 2 maybe 3 tickmarks on the second part of Filibuster, didn't really use or notice them I think since by this time I was sweating and grunting like a pregnant rhino.

I'm offering you props for using perhaps the best simile I've ever seen on a climbing forum.

[quantum7]

Climbed this today in the blazing heat of the day...not so smart. Filibuster was fantastic and pumpy as expected. Thank sweet baby jesus for the hanging belay. It would have been brutal otherwise. For those who can handle it, easy enough to pass it by. Found the toughest pitch to be the last. Quite an effort to get up that. Great, strenuous climbing overall.

[solojourneys]

route is in beautiful condition; climbed it twice this month. Blew the onsight, then almost got the redpoint - but the '10c face' is sandbagged all to hell. I thought the laybacking was easy enough, although the gear is awkward to place sometimes due to body position ...

thanks for the mid-belay and bolt on the filibuster Jeremy, that makes thing a lot more casual ... and great job cleaning up this crusty old route! Jesse James

[Optimally-Primed]

Glad to hear of all the adventures on the route. The 10c face pitch is 10c once you figure out how to do the crux. Check out the latest topo... I spray all the beta.
J