Anchor Maintenance: Maple Canyon

During the week of September 8–12, 2025, the Anchor Crew headed down to Maple Canyon’s Left Fork, focusing efforts on popular crags such as Orangutan Wall, Shapeshifter, Engagement Alcove, and The Pipeline. Left Fork offers some of the most accessible climbing in the canyon, with routes ranging from juggy 5.6s to steep and powerful 5.12+, making it a great destination for groups with varied abilities.

We first worked at Orangutan Wall, where the crew had previously completed rebolting and bolt maintenance in 2022. This visit, we removed the remaining mechanical bolts and replaced them with stainless steel glue-ins, making the crag a true “maintenance-free zone.” All routes at Orangutan Wall are now updated and equipped with modern lower-offs.

At Shapeshifter, the crew rebolted two of the area’s classic testpieces: Cobble Reality (5.12c) and Power Trip (5.12b). During the work, crew members discovered evidence of a previous, unfinished rebolting attempt with glue-ins—abandoned holes containing uncured adhesive and even a single glue-in that could be removed by hand. This is an important reminder that installing glue-in bolts is a highly nuanced process requiring proper training, mentorship, and experience. Please do not attempt this work without the necessary knowledge and skills.

The crew also updated most of the routes at Engagement Alcove, including Wet Itchies, Choose Your Weapon, and An 80/20 Ratio. Additionally, we refreshed some of the ice anchors in the area, such as those on 4 Pin Variation (WI4), just left of Bowling Ball Head (WI3).

On our final day, we moved to The Pipeline, where we replaced outdated lower-offs and installed mussy hooks on all routes lacking proper lower-offs. As of now, all routes at The Pipeline are equipped with sustainable and safe lower-off anchors.