Cheesewring Cornwall

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 Ggilbs 12 May 2022

I’ve been looking to get down to Cheesewring Cornwall,  to have a go on two routes there. Potential Energy 6c+ and Double Agent 7a+ are in the Western Outcrop I believe. Does anybody know much about the bolting down there. The bolts and anchor looked a bit old last time we went down and wasn’t sure if the routes are super old or fairly recently rebolted? Rather not find out the hard way when a bolt snaps or dislodges. 😬

Post edited at 15:35
 deacondeacon 12 May 2022
In reply to Ggilbs:

Bolts don't just snap, and the routes have been climbed a few times this year without any comment on the conditio  of the gear.

Get stuck in 🙂

OP Ggilbs 13 May 2022
In reply to Ggilbs:

Thanks buddy! 👍🏼 Perhaps they don’t just snap but they can fail if old and not properly maintained. 

2
 jimtitt 13 May 2022
In reply to Ggilbs:

What do you define as old and not properly maintained?

1
 deacondeacon 13 May 2022
In reply to Ggilbs:

No offence mate, but they don't.

5
 Paul Baxter 13 May 2022
In reply to deacondeacon:

That is provably false. Bolts do occasionally snap - and when they do it can be very serious.  Suggesting all bolts are implicitly safe is itself dangerous. I'd suggest you have a read of https://www.thebmc.co.uk/bolts-advice-guides

I have personally witnessed a third bolt snap on a fall as the climber was trying to reach the fourth bolt. Amazingly good belaying meant this was only a ground-fall on a little rope stretch, so the injuries were relatively minor, but it was a bit of an eye-opener for everyone who witnessed it.  The warning signs (see the above documents mention) were there for us to see beforehand, but we thought 'bolts never snap...'

1
OP Ggilbs 13 May 2022
In reply to Ggilbs:

Sorry bud but I disagree. As said by Paul, if old and/or severely weathered they can and have done. Not commonly but it’s happened. 

OP Ggilbs 13 May 2022
In reply to Paul Baxter:

Exactly mate. 

In reply to Ggilbs: if you don’t clip, the bolt will be fine!

 jimtitt 14 May 2022
In reply to Ggilbs:

> Exactly mate. 

Yes well but!

As Dan says at the start they aren't checked, YOU have to check them. This is not asking on a forum because it means nothing.

Which is why I asked earlier what you defined as old and not properly maintained since this can only be relative to someone elses opinion, like a perfect stranger on the internet.

I made the bolts in the videos and advised Dan on some aspects as the standard we manufacture to does in fact require us to tell the user how to assess the condition and remaining lifespan BUT nothing is defined in the standard so we don't (same with all climbing gear in fact. The karabiner test is a good assesment for glue-in bolts equalling very, very roughly 1/3rd of the actual standard requirements, for bolt-in not so good but unless you know exactly what bolt you are working with and carry a torque wrench it's just a guess.

Corrosion is a whole different bag of worms, basically you can't see whether the bolt would fail or not, the only real test is to put a tester on it and break it. One persons light weathering is someone else's severely corroded.

Old is relative, plenty of 50+yr old bolts out there.

OP Ggilbs 14 May 2022
In reply to Ggilbs:

Thank you. I totally understand what you are saying regarding the bolt issue. You’ve said “not asking on a forum because it means nothing” …. I disagree. The person or people who bolted these routes may see the post and be able to say if they are 5 or 40 years old, giving a fair representation of how hold and sound the bolts may be. Also, someone else may have had a bad experience there so surely asking on here doesn’t, as you say, mean nothing. ✌🏻

2
OP Ggilbs 14 May 2022
In reply to Stephen R Young:

Loving this comment. 

 spenser 14 May 2022
In reply to Ggilbs:

If you don't like the look of them, don't do the route. 

Plenty of bolts are in decent condition after being in routes for 15+ years, some bolts are significantly weakened by corrosion in shorter periods, particularly if installed near the coast.


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