Bolt failure at The Mine

[drewolden2007]

Hello everyone,
I was climbing on Your Mother's Cat route at the Mine yesterday (Puffadder route extension) and unfortunately the 3rd bolt snapped. All good, but I just wanted to give you a heads up in case anyone else is keen to try the route. Having had a look at the other bolts, I'd suggest checking them too before attempting another ascent.
Thanks so much,
Drew
PS. If anyone is heading up to rebolt, I'd love to take a look at the process and help out if I can.

[Againstthegrains]

May I ask what kind of bolt it was? and where/how did it fail?

[Forket]

Oldschool hanger and bolt. Just under the hanger.

May I ask what kind of bolt it was? and where/how did it fail?

[Againstthegrains]

Ah, thanks. I guess that makes sense, as if you overtighten the bolt against the anchor, it induces stress fractures, followed by corrosion inside the fractures and then eventually, pop, it goes. Just glad nobody was hurt.

[Forket]

I just guessed as the bolt is from the 90s and that is where those generation of bolts snap these days. Rusted right through, no microfractures, just rusted through. I had one go on me on the 26, Too pumped to come, a few lines to the right. Didnt even fall on it. After inspection I found that it only had 1mm steel left before I weighed it.

E

[drewolden2007]

Water streak running over it too. Broke quite deep in the hole. It wasn't to tight, the hanger squeaked a bit before.
(What where you doing on that choss 26- I guess thee same goes for me )

[Forket]

Daim, squeeky bolts

Hehe, I attempt to climb everything someone invested bolts into. More often than not you discover unrated gems:)

E

[drewolden2007]

Clever thinking

[davidpaul17]

A bolt snapped on me yesterday at the mine. The route was Too pumped to come, and one of the bolts on the head wall snapped under body weight.

I feel like all the mechanical bolts at the mine (and even the hole) need to be removed or replaced. They are time bombs waiting to explode.

[NatureBoi]

Hi,
If there is no letter on the head of the bolt, then they are the locally procured bolts (Not Hilti or Fischer) that suffer from SCC (Stress Corrosion Cracking). Said letter is used by Hilti and Fischer to determine the length of the bolt/s
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stress_corrosion_cracking

To my knowledge, no Hilti or Fischer bolt has failed to date.

***Note: Even if the bolt shows no visible sign of rust, that does not mean the bolt will be safe.

The Anchor Replacement Fund=ARF (A MCSA sponsored initiative) has done 95% of the routes in the Cape Peninsula.

ARF has left the least popular (and harder) routes to be redone last. Poor quality routes will not be re-bolted.

DM me a list of routes to be re-bolted.

Cheers,
Cormac

[Forket]

The Anchor Replacement Fund=ARF (A MCSA sponsored initiative) has done 95% of the routes in the Cape Peninsula.

ARF has left the least popular (and harder) routes to be redone last. Poor quality routes will not be re-bolted.

I'll sponsor the replacement bolts for any route deemed "poor quality" and or "harder", that the MCSA ARF representatives refuse to rebolt. I have access to a drill and expansion bolts.

Contact me if you are interested in rebolting these lines.

Ebert Nel