Quickdraw failure - "Convicted" at the Mother Lode

Post by **weber** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 7:44 pm

If any reader believes he/she has more credible information about this incident, please PM me and I'll update this posting.

The best information we have at this time is summarized below:

DMM quickdraws like the one shown in the first photo were left hanging from hanger brackets on "Convicted" at the Mother Lode for an unknown period of time. A climber from Quebec clipped into one of the draws, climbed above it an unknown distance, and unintentionally (not a VW) fell. Instead of arresting his fall, the top biner in the draw broke. (This biner is shown in the first photo along with an intact draw that was removed from "Convicted" after the incident.) No one was injured.

The climber reportedly fell a long way after the biner broke, coming very close to the ground. Persons in his climbing party then removed all of the remaining draws from the climb, as they were deemed unsafe. The draws were given to Barry Brolley, who gave me the ones photographed here.

The second photo shows the fracture point on the biner.

The third photo shows the rope wear on the lower biner of another quickdraw that was removed from "Convicted."

The last photo shows the stress risers on the upper biner of this same quickdraw caused by engagement with a hanger bracket.

One undeniable fact - climbing gear DOES break from time to time!

Post by **DKing** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 7:52 pm

There goes my head again........hahahahahaha.........Glad everyone is ok.....

Post by **Overcammed** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 8:01 pm

Well, they always tell you never to trust fixed gear outright. Funny that an old piton or fixed nut is considered "dicey" when trad climbing, but a draw that has been hanging on a route for 3 years is considered bomber...eh?

What's surprising to me is that the biner broke before that poor tattered nylon did. Interesting pics Rick!

Post by **Wes** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 9:28 pm

That is the 4th or maybe 5th fixed biner I have heard of breaking at the red in the last three or four years. Wonder if if was crossloaded? I nearly died at solar one day when a fixed draw gate didn't close, I didn't notice, and made a big move to the next draw only to look down and see the rope was outside the biner. Check that stuff!! And replace fixed draws when you can.

More really good info on fixed draws here:

http://www.redriverclimbing.com/viewtop ... highlight=

Post by **Legion** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 9:55 pm

Looks more like the biner was gouged out from the hanger and that is where it failed.
Anyone have any gouged out biners they would like to pull test? I'll break 'em and share the results here.

Post by **roots** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 9:59 pm

That biner looks a lot like the majority of the fixed draws at the load. Maybe it takes someone decking or launching some big air to get routes re-equipped. Have you noticed the bling on Convicted now? Rest at ease my children.

Post by **weber** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 10:17 pm

Wes wrote:
...More really good info on fixed draws here:

http://www.redriverclimbing.com/viewtop ... highlight=

"Really good info?"

Perhaps yes... if "good" equates to reminding the climbing public that gear blows from time to time.

But, if you define "good" as "credible from an engineering point of view" -- then NO!

Neither Greg Rueff's photos nor mine, posted above, provide any credible engineering information. They merely offer up curious anecdotal stuff for contemplation. Assigning strength numbers, as Rueff did, to biners that are described as "they looked like shit" is far from objective S.O.M. testing.

It bothers me a bit that, near the end of that thread, Greg wrote: "If anything, these tests should put you completely at ease."

I wonder if the Canuck who fell on "Convicted" will, in the future, be "completely at ease" on some of the crap left hanging on steep RRG routes.

Wes wrote:Check that stuff!! And replace fixed draws when you can.

Now, THAT's good advice!

Post by **Wes** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 10:20 pm

Then maybe you should take down every fixed draw in the red, test them, and report back. Otherwise, I trust Nick, Greg, and my own personal experence. Or just don't climb anymore, 'cause there is always something that can go wrong.

Post by **ynot** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 10:26 pm

The rope wear mark is a pretty good idicator of how old or heavily used those draws are. Even my belay locker isn't that worn after 5 years.

Post by **weber** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 10:33 pm

ynot wrote:The rope wear mark is a pretty good idicator of how old or heavily used those draws are...

Not necessarily. There are a lot of factors that go into causing wear. We've seen 3/8-inch quicklinks worn half way through in less than a year on some of the more popular climbs at Muir -- mostly due to top ropping through them. Sand in a rope makes a pretty good abrasive lap.