Top Bolts at Marine Lab

It has been a long time since I posted on route developing. Well I guess this means I am back.

Jan and I have been climbing at the Marine Lab Wall on nice Friday mornings. The far left side is a bit too high for bouldering but looked interesting. We set up a couple of top ropes and have played on several potential lines. A lot of fun but quite sharp features on the fingers.

This morning I drilled and placed 3 sets of top bolts. Each line is about 18 to 20 feet high. Going left to right, the first follows a corner. Fairly straight forward, probably about 5.8ish.

The second line starts to the right of a large flake of rock, half way up, that looks like a birds beak. Start with underclings that move out to side pulls. Work your way up and over the beak. Maybe 5.10ish.

The third line starts under a overhanging corner. It goes up to a nice layback and then over a shelf. Again some where in the 10's.

Joel had said that they would love to have some top bolts so these longer lines could be worked. It is a bouldering area so I figure that the FA's ought to be highball boulder problems. I certainly have no interest in trying to send them, so all three are open. In fact, the middle one likely could be done with a stiffer direct start.

If you do send them, post to comments who did the FA, when, the name of the problem and the V-grade.


Addendum: Jan and I got out on the TR routes tonight. We had a great time. The first route is definitely a 5.8. Lots of cool handhold with thin feet. Note: the right bolt is slight angled. I try to create a small recess for the shoulders of the bolt so they sit well when I sink them. This one was slightly off. Still solid, no issues!

The second one with the birds beak is great. We started well out left, almost at the bottom of the first route. Great underclings and side pulls. There is a direct start which stays slight right of the beak.

The third is equally as fun. Start on nice side pulls with thumb catches, then into a wide layback. A nice crimp pulls it all together.

Have fun!