RRC Archives

Thanks Andrew!!

Team Wilson is next.

Some of you complain about people using steel bolts, not SS... Then these guys that are doing great work, are reporting that less then 2" bolts have been used and have held for years! I think a 1/2" by 4 3/4" steel bolt is plenty safe. Sure SS is better but it also cost three times as much.

If you want to keep development an elitist, rich cub only thing... Then listen to these people... If you don't, then go do your thing!

Fortunately most people know you are not the sharpest tool in the shed and tend to do the opposite of what you would advise. Thx

I place stainless steel bolts for less than or equal the cost of zinc-plated Powerbolts. You just have to be resourceful and want to place stuff that's actually going to last and not lead to a manky nest of holes on down the road. It's getting old trying to find real estate that's not manked-out and corroded, or killing batteries and rebar bits while core-drilling old holes on some of the older routes that have already been through 3 or more rounds of bolting with the non-stainless stuff. For some reason this is one of the few major climbing areas left in the US where plated hardware is still considered "acceptable." In the long run this is a big mistake and a short-sighted approach, especially given the humid environment, seepy porous rock, and the rate at which new routes go up around here. Better to put up fewer routes the right way than tons of them the wrong way.

Question to developers: If you could place all-stainless bolts and hangers for approximately the same cost as the current plated options, would you do it? Stay tuned, as there is hope that this will become a realistic possibility soon. However, this would probably require some degree of community support.

of course... I am looking forward to new opportunities.

Yes, if it was the same or even close to equal I think everyone would use SS. It is a better product, but I think in no way should you consider plated steal unsafe.

Certainly not unsafe at first, but frankly their lifespan is pitiful, not to mention the extra holes and damage to the rock at crags prone to rust leaching. As a community, we are spending a lot more money per bolt with subsequent rounds of rebolting (not to mention the hundreds of hours of labor) than we would if all climbers just offered a small amount of support for developers in the first place to use longer-lasting hardware.

dustonian wrote:As a community, we are spending a lot more money per bolt with subsequent rounds of rebolting (not to mention the hundreds of hours of labor) than we would if all climbers just offered a small amount of support for developers in the first place to use longer-lasting hardware.

Truth

Yeah you are right. What do you think the life of a plated bolts is in the normal, dry rock in the red? 15 years?

The problems lies in the fact that not all developers have people donating money to them... They are self funded.