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General Climbing Discussion

Topic Date User

ADVISE ON LOWERING FROM A BOLT. 10-Sep-2007 At 10:56:50 AM skink

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How did you get two quickdraws into one bolt plate???

My opinion:

Your way of thinking was good (redundancy, backup), but the most uncertain link in the chain is almost always your connection to the rock, in this case a bolt. So that should've been your focus for backing up - the bolt, not the quickdraw.

To reduce the uncertainty around the integrity of the bolt: a good old fashioned outward jerk using the quickdraw and a bit of a bounce test (all while on belay from a bomber anchor).

By bounce test I mean: clip to the bolt with your cowstail, personal anchor system, or even the climbing rope (think clove hitch), and kinda slump heavily onto the bolt - no big drop, just dynamic enough to load the anchor up with more than bodyweight.

One of my climbing partners has this habit when he gets to the loweroffs on sport-routes, he clips into both anchors (or the mainpoint if the chains are already equalised), gives them a bit of a bounce test and only then commits to trusting them for rap or a lower. I think it is a good habit and try and remember to do so myself.

After this I'd be happy considering the bolt the only anchor for the last person down, but would still follow the suggestion of backing it up for the first (and heaviest) person, and if there's any doubt (even just a gut feel something isn't as good as you'd like) then leave some backup gear - you can always find something if you look (and think) hard enough.

Even if you have no trad gear or don't want to leave your favourite (now out of production) HB Offset - slings can loop flakes or chickenheads, be knotted to make a 'nut' for a constricting crack, or find a small rock and chockstone it in a crack. There's almost always something - you just need to look far and wide.

I like one quote I read somewhere regarding abseil anchors, something like: If there's any doubt, there's no doubt - back it up.

Additionally, I don't think lowering was the best option either - rapping smoothly and slowly (no movie style ninja raps please), I reckon is less load on the anchor than lowering your buddy, and being lowered.