Bolt/Anchor issues on Altered Scale & Trouble Clef

Post by **Don McGlone** » Mon Mar 15, 2004 7:39 pm

I was climbing these new slab routes at Roadside Saturday and noticed some bolt/anchor problems. On Trouble Clef, the anchors are postioned so that when you clip them - either through the rap rings or the actual anchors - it creates a dangerous lever effect on the biners clipped to the anchors. When this route is top-roped - as I'm sure it often is - the biners could potentially break. One way to avoid this is to tie the anchors off with long slings. On Altered Scale, the same lever effect problem is found on the bolt below the bulge at the top. At the anchors, there is a hairline crack that runs from the hole of the original left anchor (has been replaced by moving up) across to and through the existing right anchor. The right one probably needs replaced. I am certainly not meaning to diss anyone's routes, because I thought all the new ones were quite good and a lot of fun, but I thought I would bring this up because of the heavy traffic these routes get. Great work on the base of these routes, too. I hadn't been over there in quite a while and had a lot of fun Saturday.

Post by **Johnny** » Mon Mar 15, 2004 10:42 pm

Are you saying the biners lever against the rock when clipped to the rings? Didn't notice that, but if so, you can always just hammer the rock away a bit. I don't get up that way much, but I'll try to bring a drill next time.

The rock up there is a tad soft, but I never thought the anchors would have the problems they seem to be having. Sorry about that folks.

God forbid, maybe I'll have to use chain.

Post by **The Pirate** » Mon Mar 15, 2004 10:47 pm

"just hammer the rock away a bit"... that does not sound like the most ethical way to solve the problem. Chipping should not be allowed !!!

Post by **Don McGlone** » Mon Mar 15, 2004 11:33 pm

Johnny,
Yes, the rock is acting like a fulcrum against the mid-section of the biners. Several links of chain or quicklinks might fix it, but you wouldn't know for sure until you got up there and tested the possiblities. Those routes seem to be getting a LOT of traffic - at least they sure were Saturday.

Post by **Eagleman** » Tue Mar 16, 2004 2:27 am

Don't even think about chipping rock! Where the hell did you learn climbing ethics? If it is possible to fix these anchor problems with quick links and chains then that is the best choice, if it really is a dangerous situation, then as a last resort the anchors should be redone.

But are these the slabs at the far end if you follow the crag to the right? I've been up a few of them and I didn't notice any anchor problems, but is was too crowded when i was there to do them all. But in realtion to the problem, if anyone knows whether or not chains will fix the problem pm me or post a message and I would be happy to add the neccssary things to make the anchors safe. I'll be goin back down there pretty soon so if anyone know how long the chain sections should be let me know.

Post by **ynot** » Tue Mar 16, 2004 2:33 am

The anchors on those 2 need to be moved to more solid rock.That would alter the route so I left it to Johnny. Adding chains to manky bolts isnt going to make them safer.

Post by **Eagleman** » Tue Mar 16, 2004 2:38 am

Alright, well I have a bunch of bolts and hangars and can get a drill...if next time Im down there and the anchors are still in the same place, i'll take a look at those routes and see what i can do.

Post by **Wes** » Tue Mar 16, 2004 3:44 am

You sometimes have to take a hammer to the rock to get the draws to sit flush. I don't really think that is chipping at all. It is a good idea to pound the rock flat a bit around where you want to bolt to go, so the hanger will be flush. Not un-ethical at all. I think sometime people take the whole "the rock is sacred" deal a bit to far sometimes. It is just rock, and cares not if you flatten out some edges where the rope runs or whatnot. You are not changing the moves or the climbing, just doing a better bolting job.

The over under set up that Climbing sent works really well, as it gets the bolts in different rock bands. I think that is the best set up I have seen.

Wes

Post by **Eagleman** » Tue Mar 16, 2004 3:59 am

The whole pounding of the rock isnt really and issue anymore if the bolts are in shitty rock as ynot said. The anchors should be moved somewhere nearby where the rock is more solid.

Post by **The Pirate** » Tue Mar 16, 2004 12:07 pm

I have been involved in quite alot of route development and have never altered the rock just to suite my route. There is always a alternative to bashing the rock,but I agree with Eagleman...the rock bashing isnt really the point here,the anchors should be safe.