Desert Drilling

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Here's another one. I am putting up some FA's in a desert area, and am wondering if anyone has hints or tips to give me regarding drilling in varnished Windgate, and some Navajo. Other routes in the area have predominately 3/8 bolts, and the occasional drilled angle. Which is better? I know that in the Navajo, drilled pins are favored, but is there anything else I should take into consideration when drilling the Windgate layer? Any tips will help, as up to now all these routes have had great natural belays, and I have not needed to drill. Also these are pretty remote, and mixed free and Aid, so it's not like they will see 20 repeats a day or anything. Thanks, and keep headed up!

-- Mike T. (mtea@ptc.com), April 20, 1998

Answers

I think in any kind of soft rock such as sandstone, a drilled pin is actually stronger than a bolt. Cheaper too, which is always nice.

-- Steve Waydo (waydo@u.washington.edu), May 04, 1998.

Either option is adequate in my mind. However, I tend to favor the drilled angle over the bolt because I took a 20 footer on one and it held! Otherwise, the recommended size for a bolt is half inch Rawl piece bolts with a length of 3 3/4". For the angle, the only drilling consideration is for the hole to be on a slight downward angle and slightly deeper so future parties can pound the peg in deeper as the rock erodes. No consideratons between windgate vs. navajo that I know of.

-- Ronnie Miller (dylan-miller@juno.com), September 16, 1998.

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