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Crag & Route Beta

Area	Location	Sub Location	Crag	Links
VIC Arapiles	Pilot Error Cliffs	(General)	Pilor Error Wall	[ Arapiles Guide \| Arapiles Images ]

Topic Date User

Pilot Error Bolt 24-Nov-2015 At 10:18:46 AM simey

Message

Going back to the original post...

On 12/11/2015 potex wrote:
>I was on Pilot Error at Arapiles last week and the bolt out on the roof
>is definitely dodgy and in need of replacing. As many would know its a
>fixed hanger in the roof with the shaft of the bolt pointing to the ground
>in the same direction as the force of the pull. It has worked its way
>out maybe 8-10mm and the hanger is jingling loose.

I'm not so sure that the bolt has worked its way out slightly, I just think it was poorly placed to begin with. I always recall the bolt sticking out a bit and the hanger spinning. My main concern was that it wasn't directly up into the roof but at an angle into a shallow flake of rock.

>If the bolt fails then someone is looking at a ground fall for sure.
>I was thinking of replacing the bolt so have a few questions first.

Great that you have the inclination to do this. And it sounds like you have some practical skills. To be totally honest, I wouldn't be fussed if you left the original bolt and simply placed a much better bolt in better rock nearby. Whilst I am usually a fan of removing bolts and re-using the hole where you can, I don't think the original placement was the best choice. I also don't think the type of bolt used up there will actually come out easily (I'm pretty sure it is not a sleeve/nut type), therefore you could make more of a mess trying to remove it.

Given that Pilot Error is a novelty route without a great legacy of tradition and boldness worth preserving, then I don't see much wrong with having two bolts protecting a crux move given the ground is in close proximity.

>What is the preferred hardware to replace it with these days?

I'm not an expert on this. In a lot of cases expansion bolts work great at Arapiles but make sure you use a roof hanger, not a conventional hanger. I suspect a glue-in bolt would be the best, but I've never placed glue-ins.

>Is it best to pull the bolt, fill the hole with epoxy mixed with rock
>dust and then place a new glued in bolt?

This is a good solution if you remove the bolt and don't plan to re-use the hole.

>cheers
>-Ben

Will look forward to seeing your handiwork should you do the job. Hope it goes smoothly. There is nothing more frustrating than stuffing up a bolt placement, particularly when it is Arapiles rock and on a popular route.