Bolting Clinic at RRGCC's "Rap n Rawkus"

Post by **squeezindlemmon** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 1:03 pm

pics from clinic this weekend:

Post by **weber** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 1:23 pm

For those who didn't attend the clinic, the first pix is of a quicklink failure. Only two threads were engaged instead of it being fully threaded close. The failure occured at about 4200 pounds. The safe working load for this link is 2200 pounds, and the ultimate load it can withstand, when properly closed, is about 9000 pounds.

The rope in the photo is a non-climbing clothesline type rope that is used merely for holding the end of the pull chain up during testing. (Either that or it is JJ's main climbing rope.)

Rick

Post by **J-Rock** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 1:29 pm

I'll take a stainless steel Fixe ring over a single quicklink anyday! Besides the rope doesn't always run over the same path each time thus creating a groove (since it freely rotates).... and they last much longer... (no need to replace them so often). And of course, there is no potential for them to unloosen either, or rust, or get cross-loaded, etc. etc. I've seen quite a few quicklinks (and chains) with grooves in them at the Red, but I still haven't seen a groove on a Fixe ring anchor. Yet there are still people out there who think that our anchor set-ups are inferior to theirs...

Post by **dhoyne** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 3:13 pm

J-Rock wrote: Yet there are still people out there who think that our anchor set-ups are inferior to theirs...

Noone is forcing them to climb at Muir.... I for one like the anchors at Muir.

Post by **Wes** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 12:30 am

They are cool for seting up TR's and Raps, but kinda suck for trying to clean while being lowered. Since the rap rings are so far apart, it puts a wicked twist in your rope. The over/under with rap rings works way better or just chains with quicklinks and/or rap rings.

Post by **J-Rock** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 1:54 am

Hmm... this is interesting. I'm not trying to argue here, but we've been using this set-up for quite a while now and I have found the opposite to be true. I'm very familiar with both set-ups. I find the rap rings to be MUCH easier to clean (besides those large rings are considerably easier to clip than a single quicklink, a chain link, or a hanger with a chain coming out of it) and... I have yet to have a twist put into my rope (new ropes, old ropes, thick ropes, thin ropes.. not even once). I can't say the same for the over/under set-up or the chains with quicklinks though. And... the longevity of the rings are superior as well especially since the rope is not always running over the same part of the ring (unlike a single quicklink). So, I still don't understand why the over/under set-up works way better or just chains with quicklinks.

Post by **Wes** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 2:08 am

I think that all those setups work just fine for TR'ing and for Rapping. But, it seems to me that if you have the anchors in the same plane and more then a few inches apart, it will put a twist in the rope if you "clean on the way down" after leading the route. The indy wall isn't too steep to rap and clean on the way down, but the solarium is to steep for that, and I found my rope was kinda twisted on the far two routes. The far left (air ride) is cool, because it only has one lowering point (although it is kinda hard on the rope becuase of the roof features.) It is true that best case would be for someone to clean on TR then just rap, but that isn't always pratical.

Post by **J-Rock** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 2:14 am

Ah, I usually climb the steep routes again on TR (after leading them) to clean the draws since it requires so much effort to tram or swing in on the way down and sometimes there are large obstacles or trees that I might strike while taking a big swing. Other times there is somebody else who is willing to TR the route and clean it on the way up for me. 8)

Post by **Wes** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 2:18 am

Yep, that is best case, but when you are just climbing with one other person (who may/may not be able to do the route on TR) and you are trying to get a bunch of new routes in, cleaning on the way down is the most common thing. That is the only place where the side by side rap rings are not so great. Maybe you can think about equiping future step routes with something like air ride equiped? That is a good setup for cleaning on the way down. Not a big deal, and you all know I am psyched to climb the cool stuff at muir. Just some feedback.

Post by **J-Rock** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 2:22 am

Cool, thanks Wes. I understand what you were saying. By the way, I think we are going to start equipping more routes like "Air Ride Equipped". I'm glad that you guys are enjoying climbing at Muir. I was beginning to get worried there for a little while. There is lots of hard stuff now! Enjoy!

Also, I have got to check out Purgatory one of these days. Those photos looked stunning!