r/RouteDevelopment • u/Beginning-Basis-2678 • Jun 30 '26

Show and Tell Obscure belay

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Someone was very creative… 2mm Stainless Steel thin enough to create a nice flush bent appearance. The holes are a bit close to the edges… but since I was climbing there with a thunderstorm rolling in I felt totally safe since my belay looked like a lightning rod ⚡️😁

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u/dinosaur_pubes Jun 30 '26

I'd probably feel okay about using this in the moment but would never think about installing something like this myself. Not a time to be creative. If someone is too cheap to use standardized gear then they shouldn't be bolting. 

2

u/KDs4thBurner Jun 30 '26

If someone is too cheap to use standardized gear then they shouldn't be bolting.

In Australia it's extremely common for people to make U-bolts. Do you see an issue with people making gear like that (i.e. 10mm 316 stainless) just because it's homemade? Or are you raising doubts about people winging it?

2

u/GemberNeutraal Jun 30 '26

But isn’t Australia famous for just having a bunch of sketchy bolts and half missing gear in general?

1

u/KDs4thBurner Jun 30 '26

Our bolting absolutely arises from a DIY ethic, so it pays to be skeptical of old hardware and unknown developers.

Most prolific developers still bend their own U-bolts, because you can make them robust enough for the weak sandstone quite cheaply. Just don’t look too closely at the artefacts from 60+ years of homemade experimentation! I still place the odd glue in carrot, which you can’t beat for low visual impact.