Today I went down and climbed both, more or less onsight (ie I saw one rapping from the other) and did them back to back for comparision sake.
I really don't care about either route on a personal level, but here are my mostly unbiased observations based on an in person onsight evaluation (my opinion follows, in my next list hahhahahah for anyone who wants to personally attack me
).Facts, more of less
1) I did both routes starting from the stumps, as they are in the way, they should be cut to the ground if anyone has a chainsaw. Starting from the slab itself adds no difficulty, but maybe one more easy move in the case of anubus.
2) Both routes are about 12 ft long after the 5.0 slab leading to the cut stumps.
3) Both routes lead to the same point where they join the existing older route (sweet patatoe pie?)
4) Both routes go onsight on gear, the crack maybe at 5.7, Anubus maybe 10b (one move)
5) On Anubus the piton may be the reason there is a perfect pod for your fingers at mid height
6) You cannot (except maybe the first piece), use gear in the crack to climb anubus, without going out of your way.
7) However, there is sufficient gear on anubus to climb it without any fixed hardware. It is far less intimidating then puf the magic dragon, its neighbor, which I also climbed today, but is a couple grades harder.
Here is my opinion
1) Both routes are fun varations, key word variations, they are so short neither are worth naming, they join the existing route after a few feet. Dont get me wrong I enjoyed them, but they are not independent lines worth argueing over.
2) Anubus goes on gear and solid gear, but if you blow the one move above the lowest cam you might skim the slab and for sure hit the stump (which is easly resolved). I think it can be climbed safely once the stump is gone.
3) I don't think bolts on anubus are in keeping with welsford style, when they were put in they were one shade of grey, but after the tree was removed they became another shade of grey.
4) I like the idea of reevaluting a bolted route (especially one people dont agree with), after an event changes the character of the climb (cutting the tree, rockfall, a fracture opening up, aid climbing altering the rock etc.)
5) I don't like it when people chop routes without talking to the fa'er in person (if its possible).
6) I hate it when people don't cover their chopped messes, at the time of chopping, if you have time to chop do it right immediatly, don't leave it for a while and make people deal with your decision. If you don't have time or don't know how to fix it dont chop the bolts.
6) I like that people care enough to argue.
john
