04/06/2026
Sketchy desert anchors series number 2: Drilled Angles!
Pitons were originally made of wrought iron (hence the name “angle iron”) which is highly malleable though most modern pins are now chromoly steel which is more corrosion resistant. Drilling a hole and hammering in angles was a very common protection method in the soft sandstone desert, such as in Zion, Moab, and Garden Of The Gods, among other places. These anchors were often stronger 1/4” bolts and prominent first ascentionist Ron Olevsky was a major proponent.
However, these pitons are not stainless steel so due to the age it’s likely many are heavily corroded despite the arid climate. In fact, many drilled angle iron pitons have been found to just be held into place by the bonding of the rust to the sand particles despite sounding good with initial hammer testing (sketchy). These pitons are also highly subject to fluctuations in size as the metal expands and contracts with cold desert overnight temps and hot sunny days, this further weakens the bond between rock and metal. Additionally, the shape of these pitons put significantly more force on the edge which is more likely to fracture rock in the event of high forces in a lead fall (yikes).
Still a common sight at desert anchors, these should be backed up with modern bolts or cams and viewed as suspect. Though significantly stronger than knifeblades, you shouldn’t rely on aging fixed gear such as drilled angles, but this piece of climbing history is still neat to appreciate.
