The Broken Bolts List

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Messages 21 - 40 of total 46 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
Melissa

Gym climber
berkeley, ca
Apr 14, 2008 - 12:45pm PT
There is an empty hole on the last pitch of the Mouth where a bolt is indicated on the topo. Hard to say whether it pulled out, fell out, or was knocked out.
klk

Trad climber
cali
Apr 14, 2008 - 12:45pm PT
I also snapped a 3/8 5 piece while tightening it down. Anchor bolt at Juniper Flats, late 1980s.

Bolts at JTree-- some of that rock is so marginal. It can be patina on the very top and then rotten grain underneath like drilling into a malted milk ball. If I still climbed there, I'd think about glue-ins for some of that stuff.
Paul Martzen

Trad climber
Fresno
Apr 14, 2008 - 02:17pm PT
I had climbed the first pitch of "Balls", a route at Tollhouse near Fresno. This was before all the old bolts there were replaced with 3/8". The belay anchor was two 1/4 rawl split shaft, with homemade hangers. There was a rappel sling through the hangers and the holes on the hangers were too small to clip without removing the sling. In the process of untying the sling the right bolt came out in my hand. The bolt was broken at the beginning of the split, like they usually do. I thought it interesting that it held a rappel, but yet came out in my hand.

Paul
Rhodo-Router

Gym climber
Otto, NC
Apr 14, 2008 - 06:11pm PT
ZMacs: for toilet paper, use 6. For humans, one will suffice.

CMac has a story about breaking one under body weight on the Girdle. Maybe a belay bolt on the AO?
Fat Dad

Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
Apr 14, 2008 - 06:20pm PT
I read somewhere that Dimtri Barton took a whipper on an El Cap base route when he leaned out on a bolt (taking a rest?...) and it popped out in his hand.
Loomis

climber
Lat/Lon: 35.64 -117.66
Apr 14, 2008 - 07:11pm PT
Remember when this was the shít?
$20.00 to the first person to guess who took the photo.
Applies to the first 10 guesses, for the sake of preventing thread drift.

Hint: A well known person in Yosemite during the early 80's
tradmanclimbs

Ice climber
Pomfert VT
Apr 14, 2008 - 09:52pm PT
All I have is hearsay but here goes. My friend Alex Spencer fell on the 2nd bolt of a climb in Pennetente CO mid nintys and it came out of the rock. He decked but it was a nice sandy landing and he was OK. Quite suer that he told me it was a 3/8th bolt. RC.com they were talking about a bolt breaking @ the new River Gorge WV last year. Annother friend told me that his partner bulled an old 1/4" rap station out of Fafnir in the mid nintys breaking both legs cannon Clif NH.
Sluggo

Big Wall climber
zanadu
Apr 14, 2008 - 10:11pm PT
Loomis - JB?
gunsmoke

Trad climber
Clackamas, Oregon
Apr 14, 2008 - 11:49pm PT
Lake Perris, Mad Dog, 5.10c/d slab.
The route had four bolts: 2 bolt hanging belay anchor (about 75' off the deck) and two bolts to protect slab climbing spaced about 15' apart. All 4 were 1/4" SMC hangers. After leading it, my second cheats at the upper bolt, grabbing the 'biner to slightly steady himself before unclipping. The hanger comes apart in his hand.

Then there was the Aquarian Wall Leeper hanger that blew as I stepped onto the anchor by headlamp. Lots of fun to end a jug with an unexpected free-fall in the dark wondering if the rest of anchor would kick-in.
Loomis

climber
Lat/Lon: 35.64 -117.66
Apr 14, 2008 - 11:58pm PT
Sluggo: The bolt (without hanger) is from JB, but knott™ the pic.

Wild Bill

climber
Ca
Apr 15, 2008 - 12:01am PT
A bolt popped out of the middle of Robins' bolt ladder on the regular northwest face of Half Dome. My partner Dan screamed and jerked the rope - I knew something was up but couldn't see him.

I wonder if he kept the hanger, never did find out but don't recall anything clanging down the route.

It was that bolt's time, but I wonder just how much use and abuse that thing took before it blew? It was in July 1990, and that bolt, if original, was put in in 1957. So it gave 33 good years.

bhilden

Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
Apr 15, 2008 - 12:02am PT
Charles Cole took the photo.

Bruce
Loomis

climber
Lat/Lon: 35.64 -117.66
Apr 15, 2008 - 12:25am PT
bhilden: Nope, knott Chuck Cole.

On topic: The head of a 3/8th button head "popped" after I clipped it
on the route The Heretic, at Church Dome.
Finished the route anyway, but did knott like the idea of falling.
Greg Barnes

climber
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 15, 2008 - 01:05am PT
Loomis - Yabo?
Loomis

climber
Lat/Lon: 35.64 -117.66
Apr 15, 2008 - 01:40am PT
Greg Barnes: Nope, but he was for sure around the day this photo was taken at the lodge parking lot.


Was at Courtright (mid 90's) with Brian Jonas and others, he lead
Phone sex is safe sex on Trapper dome.
He got to the anchor and set up a toprope for us.
As he was being lowered down, one of the two 5/16th button heads at the anchor "snapped"

We were all nervous for a while, wondering if the other bolt
would do the same, sending poor Brian to an early death.
We lowered him quicklyto the ground and had nothing to do with that route the rest of the day.
I went back later and replaced the anchor with 5 piece bolts.
bhilden

Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
Apr 15, 2008 - 01:56am PT
Loomis,

OK. One more guess and it is probably way to obvious to be correct. What about Deuce4 (John M.). That's clearly an attempt to make a useable bolt out a 5/16 machine bolt.

Bruce
Greg Barnes

climber
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 15, 2008 - 02:02am PT
Not a machine bolt, that's a 1/4" taper bolt.
Loomis

climber
Lat/Lon: 35.64 -117.66
Apr 15, 2008 - 02:14am PT
bhilden: Definitely knott Deucy, he may have been up on a wall this day.

The bolt is a 1/4 inch Taper bolt™ Bachar introduced them to the Valley at this time
and used them on the routes on the "foot stool" at the base of El Cap.
The promise and the Believer, and other areas too.
I used them without problems, but replaced all the ones I had placed as soon
as I bought my first Bosch.

Hint: Guys were not the only people in the Valley.

6 guesses left, then I spill the beans...


scuffy b

climber
up the coast from Woodson
Apr 15, 2008 - 11:58am PT
Shari McVoy photo?
Loomis

climber
Lat/Lon: 35.64 -117.66
Apr 15, 2008 - 12:02pm PT
scuffy b: No, knott™ her.... 5 left.

Another route I recall having Bad bolts, The Dulldrills, on The Magician at The Needles.
Went there to do it shortly after the route had been established.
One of the bolts (1/4 inch shorty) was sticking half way out the hole, made fore a
dicey ascent.
Am sure the route has been replaced since then.
Messages 21 - 40 of total 46 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
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