Sport Climbing Basics - VDiff Climbing Sport Climbing Basics - VDiff Climbing | Page 16

Bolt Quality
Bolts are either adhesive or mechanical.
Adhesive bolts are glued into the hole with
specially formulated epoxy.
Mechanical bolts work either by expansion
or compression, though expansion bolts are
most common on sport routes. The bolt is
placed into a drilled hole and tightened. This
expands the rear part of the bolt into the
hole.
Both types of bolt are incredibly strong. A
new, well-placed bolt will not break or fall
out in a normal sport climbing situation.
However, there are no qualifications needed
to bolt a route, and there are no regulations
on what type of bolt must be used.
Photographer: Chris Fox (see more here)
Don’t trust bolts that are:
- Rusty or corroded
- Smaller than 3/8 inch (approx 10mm) in
diameter
- Loose (e.g: the hanger can spin around)
- In bad rock
- Have an obviously homemade hanger
The same goes for anchor chains or
lowering rings. It is your responsibility as a
climber to inspect every bolt and anchor
that you clip.
If you come across a badly bolted route or
a worn out anchor, it is often safer to
downclimb to the ground instead of
lowering.