Bolt Failure Kills climber in Blue Mnts.

ynp1 · still a dumbass Joined: 16 Sep 2004 Posts: 674

This really sucks. Check it out.

http://www.onsight.com.au/news-blog/index.php

caribe · Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 4:50 pm Post subject:

caribe · Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 4:53 pm Post subject:

Wow, I am speechless. The person who put the bolts in did not know shit or did not care. This is shocking. The opinion on the blog regarding ignorance about local ethic is spot on.

What is to stop such an event from happening here? Perhaps someone comes to the Red and puts a route up; perhaps they don't know what they are doing. I guess to increase your safety, you should know about kinds of bolts. To increase our safety a bit we all need to get more technical.

Crankmas · Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 4:53 pm Post subject:

thats horrible- quite pertinent point made about outsiders disregarding local advice- I assume that was sandstone and those horizontals are not unlike the iron we encounter in the Red- my sympathy to the family and Aussie community

Wes · Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 5:05 pm Post subject:

This just sounds like the equipper didn't have the right sized bit for the bolts they were using. Total and complete user error. I know that people will jump on the soft rock / need glue ins wagon, but studs are fine when used correctly. And, if you use the right bit, even non-tightened expansion bolts are pretty solid for a downward fall, and are not all that easy to get out.

And, from my experience replacing bolts - trying to guess which ones are actually real world stronger (IE, the ones that take the most force to break) is that you have no idea 99% of the time until you actually try to break it.

Saxman · Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 7:13 pm Post subject:

It's nice that the bolts could be pulled out by hand.
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p0bray01 · Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 7:55 pm Post subject:

Wow...... thats horrible....I can see if the victims family found out who drilled the bolts they may possibly contact a lawyer and try to sue that person for manslaughter... Sad

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"The Mountains are my church and climbing is how I worship" - Tommy Caldwell

michaelarmand · Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 8:27 pm Post subject:

Saxman · Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 8:30 pm Post subject:

DriskellHR · Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 9:16 pm Post subject:

every lump of gear we buy says "climbing is dangerous use at your own risk".......no case to make. besides we accept the possible outcome of what we do, it's the nature of the beast.

still sad though R.I.P.
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Fuck on.

charlie · Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 9:46 pm Post subject:

Very sad. Accidents suck.

Introducing litigation into climbing would make us all pay though. Remember this is abandoned equipment you're trusting your life to.
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I listened to a band in a bar outside downtown, there ain't enough girls wearing high heels in this crowd.
It's alright, cause I can't feel a thing. ~Lucero

pigsteak · Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 10:17 pm Post subject:

good reminder charlie. when I drop in a bolt, I put it there for my safety alone. everyone else is using it at their own risk, with NO warranties to my abilities.

please place your own safety devices to ensure your own well being.
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Positive vibes brah...positive vibes.

kneebar · Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 10:32 pm Post subject:

Sad story for sure.

But the title is wrong, the bolt didn't fail the person that put it in did. The end result of his or her failure along with similar screw-ups will eventually lead to government regulation. Something I would really hate to see.

And from a legal point it needs to be said "its abandoned gear treat it as such". IMO the majority of climbers that clip bolts on a sport route honestly don't think of it that way. If the guy pulled a fixed nut out of the wall it would have been his fault and we would likely have never heard of it.

Saxman · Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 1:25 am Post subject:

When someone can break into your property or house and sue you and win, then anything is possible.
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The theory of evolution is just about as stupid as the theories of gravity and electromagnetism.

Josephine · Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 1:38 am Post subject:

um - is it just me or is Blue Mountains in AUSTRALIA. and if so, wouldn't the legal issues pertaining to climbing - and just to life in general - be different than the legal issues here in the USA?

i don't know what their laws are and i don't really care. that's a horrible thing to have happen.
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