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Been bolting some routes and was curious about thoughts on hardware at top anchors. I'm using 5" SS Powers expansion bolts. Using 3/8" zinc plated quick links at the chains. I know I can go big and purchase SS links, but I was curious about any feedback on the links I'm using as noted...size and finish.

Also, has anyone noticed on the SS Powers bolts (recently) that the end piece (the small threaded head at the end) looks like it's zinc instead of SS? I've been planning to call the manuf about this to confirm but the finish looks different than the rest of the bolt.

Thanks!

Fuck SS powerbolts. How many have fallen out now? My guess is atleast 15. I would not waste money on ss quicklinks. Rant over.

There falling out because people are too lazy to ever tighten a loose bolt, repeatedly. There have been literally at least 3000 placed now. This would largely be a none issue if people could keep a 9/16th wrench and tighten them. Also, bolts weren't being re-torqued and I suspect many not torqued tight enough.

Routeriddler, message me or shoot me an email at rrgfgi@gmail.com

climb2core wrote:There falling out because people are too lazy to ever tighten a loose bolt, repeatedly. There have been literally at least 3000 placed now. This would largely be a none issue if people could keep a 9/16th wrench and tighten them. Also, bolts weren't being re-torqued and I suspect many not torqued tight enough.

Routeriddler, message me or shoot me an email at rrgfgi@gmail.com

I think 99 percent of climbers will never carry a wrench or be confident enough to use one. The myth of overtightening with a standard ratchet needs to be addressed.

Cromper wrote:

climb2core wrote:There falling out because people are too lazy to ever tighten a loose bolt, repeatedly. There have been literally at least 3000 placed now. This would largely be a none issue if people could keep a 9/16th wrench and tighten them. Also, bolts weren't being re-torqued and I suspect many not torqued tight enough.

Routeriddler, message me or shoot me an email at rrgfgi@gmail.com

I think 99 percent of climbers will never carry a wrench or be confident enough to use one. The myth of overtightening with a standard ratchet needs to be addressed.

Next year at Rocktoberfest I want to set up a torque station. Mock set up for hanging and torque a bolt with them gripping a calibrated torque wrench 6" from the bolt.

I think that's an awesome idea!

climb2core wrote:

Cromper wrote:

climb2core wrote:There falling out because people are too lazy to ever tighten a loose bolt, repeatedly. There have been literally at least 3000 placed now. This would largely be a none issue if people could keep a 9/16th wrench and tighten them. Also, bolts weren't being re-torqued and I suspect many not torqued tight enough.

Routeriddler, message me or shoot me an email at rrgfgi@gmail.com

I think 99 percent of climbers will never carry a wrench or be confident enough to use one. The myth of overtightening with a standard ratchet needs to be addressed.

Next year at Rocktoberfest I want to set up a torque station. Mock set up for hanging and torque a bolt with them gripping a calibrated torque wrench 6" from the bolt.

An excellent idea! But I think cromper has a point.

I have a 9/16th wrench, and I have used it. Overtightening is not my worry, I do however think that I might not be tightening enough... But I figure that it is still better to tighten it some, instead of not tightening at all.

Strangely though, all the loose bolts that i have noticed and tightened have been on easy routes. When I'm climbing something harder (harder for me, LOL, not in the grand scheme of things), I'm less likely to even notice that there is a loose bolt. Even though I obviously need to pay more attention, bc I'm more likely to fall on those. I don't know why. But take the last Rites, for example. Pretty sure I had fallen on that bolt that pulled out. Pretty sure I have taken on that bolt... relatively recently... and I did NOT see it being loose. Or take Starry Night. The day I sent it, someone posted a comment about the bolts being loose/bad. And I didn't even see it. I don't know why. Maybe with perma-draws I'm not getting close enough to the bolt to see that it is loose. maybe I'm just so freaked out when I'm just thinking about clipping that next draw that I get tunnel vision.

Whatever it is... I bet you anything that with the bolt on Last Rites it worked itself loose not because there were dozens of climbers who climbed past it, saw that it was loose, shrugged, and said, oh well, good enough. Or becuase they noticed that it was loose, but didn't have a wrench with them. I think it is they didn't even see that it was loose.

All of the ones that have fallen out to my knowledge have been from rope flutter while the climber is being lowered. We need more folks willing to spend 10 minutes to re torque bolts on the routes they're on, and more developers willing to take on the extra effort of using glue-ins.