What most climbers in the Southeast don’t realize is that a great number of the fixed anchors they come across in their climbing routes were installed in the early 90s as well-and are totally passé. Actually, they’re dangerous.
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Founder of the Action Fund, an organization focused on “making crags better,” Tyler Willcutt says that not only were most of the fixed anchors installed more than 20 years ago, but there’s no telling who installed the hardware in the first place, much less if they were qualified to do so. “There’s no standard; anybody can get a drill and show up and install fixed anchors,” says Willcutt. “We’ve had three bolt failures in just the past few months. People ask us all the time, ‘Why haven’t they fixed it?’ Because there is no ‘they.'”
In efforts to spread awareness, educate and create some kind of standard for what goes into a proper fixed anchor, the Action Fund is gearing up to launch a yearlong campaign in 2014 to replace old, failing bolts with new stainless steel bolts on 1,000 routes across America.
To accomplish the task, the organization is working hand in hand with coalitions that oversee the different climbing hotspots in the U.S., including the Southeast Climbers Coalition.
In the meantime remember: until the world of fixed anchors is a better place, check the hardware before trusting it with your life.
To get involved, learn more about what type of anchors are the safest as well as how to install them, visit facebook.com/actionfundclimbing.
ANCHOR AWARENESS
Keys to spotting dangerous anchors:The nut may be spinning instead of securely tightened, or it may be missing completely. If the fixed anchor is a glue-in pin and is spinning at all, it is also not safe to use.The bolt, hanger or fixed anchor as a whole is rusting. “Rust is super common in the Southeast because of high humidity and all the minerals in the sandstone,” says Willcutt.The hanger is cracked, broken or looks misshapen.