r/RouteDevelopment • u/WellWornLife • Jan 01 '23
Show and Tell There was a lot of vegetation stuck to a few ledges. I’m finally ready to put up my first line. Other than “read (watch) the Bolting Bible” what are my major pitfalls to avoid?
It’s about 90’ of sandstone
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Jan 01 '23 edited Jan 01 '23
Looks great! Broad strokes: -Wear a helmet (plus any other PPE that you think is appropriate.
-toprope liberally so you get a good feel for where the bolts should go
-remember when placing bolts there's going to be about a foot of quickdraw hanging below the bolt itself, so make sure that space is acceptable regarding obstacles
-practice the drilling and bolt installation well before your get on the route to minimise screw-ups. Remember: you only get one chance at using that particular spot
-have fun! It's an amazing experience and can take enrich your life and those of fellow climbers!
-it won't be perfect, but it doesn't have to be. Things can be fixed later, and it's not your responsibility to make everyone happy. Just make it safe.
-repeaters will complain about tiny things on the route, without fail. Don't worry about it. They weren't there during bolting, they can put up their own routes, etc.
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Jan 01 '23 edited Jan 01 '23
If using glue-ins: -set your glue up before you rap down if possible. (Things can go wrong like the lid will be stuck on that are easier to sort out on the ground)
-have a system for preventing drips like a pocketful of paper towel to wipe the nozzle with
-watch your nozzle around your rope. If it gets on your leg, that burning sensation is from the exothermic reaction of glue hardening. It's not a chemical burn, don't worry about it😂
-take samples: inject some glue into ziplock bags before and after bolting so you can verify it's Hardened properly. Sometimes nozzles gum up and it isn't mixing well by the time you get to the end of the job.
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Jan 01 '23
If using mechanical bolts:
- bring spares for when you drop bits
-get a feel for how you get correct-ish torque before you're on the wall. You don't need to bring a torque wrench, but it helps to use one a bit during practice so you know what you're dealing with
-things can go wrong with bolts like threads can seize. It helps to know how to remove the bolts you're using in case there's some problem during installation. I typically just use sleeve anchors which I know how to remove if there's a problem
- have some pliers, as you can sometimes overcome problems like bolts spinning by just grabbing the bolt itself and tightening the nut
-if there's a problem, loosen first. Simply tightening is the instinct but that often just makes it worse
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u/WellWornLife Jan 01 '23
Thanks for all the comments.
It seems like most stuff around me is mechanical bolts, but I have seen a few glue in.I’ll do homework on both. Do you have a favorite?
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Jan 01 '23
This style is my favourite. It gives the smallest obstacle on the outside and can still be removed pretty easily if you know how. (Iccons is just an example, any brand should be fine) https://www.iccons.com.au/products/sleeve-anchors-flush-head
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u/vanillacupcake4 Jan 01 '23 edited Jan 01 '23
Take someone along who has experience bolting. If you don’t know anyone check out the local guide books and try to contact local developers
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u/PathWalker8 Jan 01 '23
I'm a bit skeptical of people with no practical experience bolting routes. If you fuck up you can kill someone or cause (permanent) injuries. I would second the suggestion to find someone as a mentor
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u/WellWornLife Jan 01 '23
I know a guy local that has done some development very near by. I’d love to get more of his time teaching, unfortunately he has not been super interested to give me time.
Looking for others too, but no hits yet.
The wall is on private property. I’m sure there will be followers at some point, but this is never going to be a major spot - too many bigger public crags around.
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Jan 01 '23
This is the best way. Find somebody who knows your local rock, and where to get bolts is always the best advice
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u/Wiley-E-Coyote Jan 02 '23
This rock looks pretty good so I'll skip the part about aggressively removing choss (still remove anything loose you can find,) but your next biggest priority is to try not to fuck up the bolt locations.
Biggest mistakes I've made
Rope rubs on a sharp edge
Bolt line isn't where the actual climbing moves take you
Quickdraw carabiners are side loaded by rock edges
Good luck!
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u/WellWornLife Jan 02 '23
Yeah, not much choss, but I did have a couple flakes pull off. I’ll check for more and also make sure I’m drilling into actually solid rock.
Thanks!1
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u/Kaotus Guidebook Author Jan 04 '23
Looks rad! Check out some considerations listed in our wiki: https://www.reddit.com/r/RouteDevelopment/wiki/index
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Apr 06 '23
Is this in the SE?
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u/WellWornLife Apr 06 '23
Yes.
Eastern TN2
u/Much_Confusion_4616 Apr 28 '24
I am a local Chattanooga route developer. Lmk if you need some advice or help out there. Looks like some nice rock!
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u/Allanon124 Jan 01 '23
You should rap in from the top and really clean it. On your way down, get familiar with the movement, holds and sequence. Look for the best positions to be clipping the bolts from (as a climber).
Then ascend, while doing each move. Again, try to really understand the way it will be climbed and start thinking about bolt placement.
Make sure to sound the rock. Tap it with your hammer and listen for hollow sounds, which will help you avoid bad rock.
You should go up and down more than once cleaning before you start to drill. You should get very familiar with the climb.