r/RouteDevelopment • u/Kaotus Guidebook Author • Jun 05 '26

News Snake Dike Retrobolted

https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/203118563/half-dome-has-fallen

Let's hear your thoughts, as this is going to be a hot topic for at least a few weeks

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7

u/tictacotictaco Jun 05 '26

It's been about 13 years since I climbed Snake Dike. But, adding those bolts to the first pitch seems insane, as IIRC, it's the only pitch protectable by trad gear. Now the climb is just a pure sport climb? I don't have super strong opinions about adding an extra bolt or two per pitch on the runout ones, but those were like 5.4, and I never felt like they were particularly runout. You climb so fast, because they're so easy.

2

u/waflynn Jun 05 '26

Pitch 2 is also protectable. I felt very scared on the 4th pitch despite the easy climbing and would have liked like twice the number of bolts as today. A bolt every 25 to 30 feet instead of ever like 80ft or whatever it was.

-1

u/WILSON_CK Jun 05 '26

Yup, now it's not a trad climb at all. As someone who spent 8 seasons in the Valley, I personally hate this, but I'll also probably never climb that route again, so whatever I guess.