Allison pulling hard on the mono through the crux....
Description
Step up to the small roof and clip the first bolt. Pull the roof with a tenuous mantle-type move to really get going. Climb the thin, slabby face past a couple more bolts to a nice no-hands rest ledge. Then gun it through the steep, technical face climbing, using a nice mono pocket along the way through the short, pronounced crux past three more bolts to the anchors. Definitely a sequence to it.
Location
This is the right-most route on the main wall. Shown as route number 29 on the Overlook route topo photo.
Protection
Used to be just two bolts then a small gear placement in a horizontal crack before the steep, bolted face with three more bolts to a bolted anchor. However, sometime in the past few years (early 2000s?) a third bolt near the horizontal crack was placed by an unknown driller.
Just curious if whoever retrobolted this climb bothered to ask the first ascentionist for permission? Funny, it was a safe lead before retrobolting since the horizontal seam took gear just fine! Next time I see Brian I'll inquiry as to any solicitation for permission. If not, that bolt ought to come out!
Thanks to a hardware donation by the ARI, the anchor on this route has been replaced with some quality Fixe hardware, January 2009.
By J. Albers From: California Aug 7, 2009 rating: 5.11d
The bolt above the crack has been there for a long time (8 years at a minimum). Roger, this is a sport climb and I really don't see any good reason why that bolt should come out. Can you put a yellow TCU in the horizontal slot? Sure, but the quality of Thorazine as a route comes from the beautiful line and the face that it goes up and having to bring along a cam to plug a runout between bolts seems pointless and in my opinion would detract from the route. I would vote for the bolt to stay.
By Daniel Trugman From: Los Alamos, NM Oct 21, 2009 rating: 5.11d
While I agree with you J. Albers that Thorazine is a better route with the bolt in place, I think Roger brings up a valid point about contacting the FAs before the modifying their routes. I think it is disrespectful to retrobolt a route that has a recorded FA party (Tom and Brian) without first soliciting their permission. Please respect the vision of the FAs by not tampering with their hard work behind their backs.
To be clear - this is not a personally directed toward J. Albers. I'm sure you had nothing to do with it. I think this should be obvious but so much of what is said on the internet can be easily misconstrued, so I feel compelled to include this disclaimer.
By George Perkins Administrator From: Los Alamos, NM Oct 23, 2009 rating: 5.11d
For this specific climb, please do not remove the controversial bolt.
The first ascentionist (Tom MacFarlane) has provided his guidance. While he was not communicated with prior to the retro-bolting it is Tom's preference that no further destruction of the rock occur by removal of the additional bolt.
Feel free to skip the 3rd bolt, and/or place protection in the horizontal crack, if you want to climb Thorazine as it was originally established.
By Daniel Trugman From: Los Alamos, NM Oct 23, 2009 rating: 5.11d
Awesome. That is exactly what I was hoping to hear. To clarify my previous post, I do not condone chopping bolts. I think it is equally destructive (as far as the rock is concerned) to remove a bolt as it is to place one. I was merely pointing out that Roger had a valid point in saying that the FA should have been contacted prior to the retrobolt.
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