Climbing Bolt Supplies twist leg glue-in anchor supply

After tooling and testing, CBS can now retail twist leg glue-in anchors without service disruptions.

Our anchors have been independently tested by an accredited laboratory and exceed EN959 and UIAA123 standards.

We passivate and laser engrave all our anchors with company initials, certification standard, strength, batch date and material grade.

Several thousand 6mm * 100mm anchors (TL6-100-12A4) are available for purchase through our website: http://www.climbingboltsupplies.com

Additional stock inbound.

Rockfax Hong Kong – the first Asia Rockfax guide

The first digital Rockfax guide in Asia, for Hong Kong, has just been released and remains free for users until 31st December. The first printed sport climbing guide to Hong Kong by Francis Haden sold out within a year and is now available in the Rockfax app format with a host of functions and resources.

Rockfax have been producing guides and digital app versions for well over 15 years and their app is regarded as one of the best on the market.

Rockfax Hong Kong is the first Asia guide to be added to the Rockfax library and is the first app guide to sport climbing throughout Hong Kong.

Press release: https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/press/hong_kong_added_to_rockfax_digital_-_free_until_31st_december-14093

Royal Geographical Society Hong Kong

Hong Kong Rock

On Monday evening, 11th October, I delivered a 45 minute talk to the Royal Geographical Society and guests at Centricity in Central, Hong Kong. The event was well attended and the talk enjoyed by all, with questions running over time.

The talk put forth the case for why Hong Kong offers the best base for sport climbing in Asia and the unique climbing history from the 1950s to present day. In particular how Hong Kong was the first location in Asia not only for traditional but also sport climbing and how other well known locations, were developed by foreign climbers who had visited Hong Kong beforehand.

The process of new route development, the risks involved and the financial outlay were presented to the audience and became a well discussed topic during the question and answer session.

I would like to thank the RGS (Julian and Rupert) for their welcome and Wendy for technical support. Centricity itself is a fantastic venue and their LED screen is a visually impressive resource for presentations!

Royal Geographical Society Hong Kong Lecture


THE  ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY – HONG KONG

presents

“Hong Kong Rock”

by

Francis Haden

Location: Centricity, 2/F, Chater House, 8 Connaught Road Central, Central

Date: Monday, 11 October 2021


Drinks Reception at 6.30pm; Talk at 7.30pm

Registration method: Pre-payment is required



Hong Kong is often overlooked as a climbing destination in favour of exotic beachside limestone in Thailand, Vietnam or well-known mainland China locations such as Getu and Yangshuo.  Drawing upon his 20 years of Asian climbing development experience, in this talk Francis Haden presents the case for why Hong Kong is the best location in which to be based as a climber.  

Francis also describes why climbing in Hong Kong is exciting and unique, and the process behind its development, particularly of first accents.  In Hong Kong he has pioneered the use of glue-in protection bolts and used donations from local climbers to replace thousands of old bolts.  He has established the majority of new climbs throughout the region with over 500 recorded first ascents.  He authored the first sport-climbing guide of Hong Kong in 2020.

Francis Haden is from the United Kingdom and is an author and climbing area developer who has established first ascents throughout the world and is particularly known in Asia for his efficient and fast bolting techniques.  Francis learnt climbing in the UK, where he climbed his first new route when aged 14, climbing traditionally protected ascents up to E7 during the 1990s, while bolting new crags in the UK and other countries such as Spain. He has established the first ascents of over 1,000 routes globally throughout Australia, China, Greece, Hong Kong, Spain, Laos, Thailand, the United Kingdom and Vietnam.

His route Eterna in Kalymnos, Greece, is currently the longest titanium anchor-equipped route in the world at 275m high, and he was the first to adopt titanium anchors in Greece.  He has been integral to the development of new Asian climbing destinations such as Chiang Mai in Thailand and Huu Long in Vietnam, and trains climbers to become developers themselves.  He is the Asia distributor for Bolt Products and Titan Climbing. He has also provided volunteer services to the British Mountaineering Council, the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation Anchor Working Group, developed area bolting policies in different countries and developed new fixed protection products.
 Members of the RGS, their guests and others are most welcome to attend this event, which is HK$150 for RGS Members and HK$200 for guests and others. 

The Royal Geographical Society – Hong Kong wishes to express its thanks to
Hongkong Land as Venue Sponsor of this talk.

The opinions expressed at this event are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect those of the Royal Geographical Society – Hong Kong.     

 This event is going to be held within our understanding of the social distancing rules of the Government then prevailing.  Social distancing regulations are to be observed at all times.

************************************ 
 Please do read, The Globe, our 2020 Annual Review by clicking here.The Royal Geographical Society – Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 2583 9700   |  Fax: (852) 2140 6000
Email: events@rgshk.org.hk  |  Web: www.rgshk.org.hkIf you do not wish to receive any more emails, please send an email to events@rgshk.org.hk.

Hong Kong Rock – 2020 Edition

After two years of work, and a considerable amount of bolting that used over 1,325 bolts, the first printed sport climbing guide to Hong Kong is now finished.

Hong Kong has an excellent range of sport routes for any visiting climber: F3 to F8c, single-pitch coastal sport routes and multi-pitch climbing up to 140m in length. The majority of routes are well-equipped with titanium or marine grade stainless steel glue-in bolts, resulting in one of the best-equipped sport climbing areas in Asia. Coupled to the fantastic climbing are superb sandy beaches, mountain hikes, trail running, culture and plenty of history all in and around the intense microcosm of the vibrant city itself. Unlike most other sport climbing areas in Asia, a car is not necessary and most crags are easily accessible with approaches that are typically 10-15 minutes.

Hong Kong has long been overlooked as a climbing destination due to the lack of a sport climbing guide. Hong Kong Rock is a comprehensive guide providing detailed travel information, accommodation, visas, food, weather, what to bring, fixed protection standards, climbing walls and recommended routes to ensure a memorable experience. 

Hong Kong Rock includes an historical section complete with profile pictures of key developers, past and present, who have shaped the course of sport climbing in Asia’s ‘Manhattan of the East’. The reader is guided to climbing locations by QR codes, illustrated maps, written descriptions and high-resolution aerial photography depicting approach trails, roads and key features. Call-out boxes for every location provide a snapshot of route quantity, best for grade range, climbing style, location orientation, sun exposure, seepage and a one-liner summarising the location.

  • Over 1,000 sport routes
  • 250 routes previously unpublished
  • 10 new climbing areas
  • QR codes to assist with finding crag locations
  • Crag summary table and map for choosing where to climb
  • High-quality, detailed topo images
  • Bolt count and pitch lengths
  • Clear, easy to read grade charts
  • How it all began – a historical on Hong Kong’s climbing developers
  • Illustrated maps
  • Photographs by local climbers

How to purchase:

1. Hong Kong Rock can be collected in person from Happy Valley HK$300 – contact me via 5427 8116 to arrange a time (Bank transfer / cash / PayMe)

OR

2. Online via the Climbing Bolt Supplies website HK$320 + HK$50 for post and packaging throughout Hong Kong

The guide can also be ordered from the link for overseas delivery

https://climbingboltsupplies.com/…/hong-kong-rock-2020…

Copyright Infringement and the impact on Developers

Online topo websites seem like a great idea; they provide a platform for information to be readily updated and obviate the need for a printed guidebook. This would all seem like progress in an age when pretty much everything has gone digital and smart phones are relied (expected) upon to provide all the answers in life.

However this is causing an ongoing issue regarding copyright infringement and online topos do very little (if anything) to support the very climbers who create the resource that topo websites are so reliant upon for business.

Numerous examples of conflict between developers and an online guide platform have occurred and is a worrying trend. Kalymnos, Ceuse, Hong Kong are just a few situations where copyright infringement or the consequences of publishing route information without developer involvement has occurred, often with public consequences.

Climbers are entirely reliant upon accurate information to er, guide, their outdoor climbing and that information can be particularly critical for traditional climbing areas but also for sport crags.

In the context of sport climbing, developers invest considerable resources both in time and money, to equip routes that others are then usually free to enjoy at their leisure. This aspect of sport climbing is too often taken for granted and poorly understood by climbers who generally give little thought as to how the bolts got there and who installed them.

When route information is made public, and only then, can anyone legally copy information deemed to be facts. These constitute bolt counts, pitch lengths, route names. However, where there is an individual interpretation i.e. route descriptions, then legally the descriptions are subject to copyright. Climbing route information is not therefore entirely free, despite that being the attitude of one well-known online topo website.

Online topo websites tend to have poor cross checking for copyright infringement being reliant upon climbers to self populate the online database. This in itself constitutes a weak link where climbers, who are typically unfamiliar with guidebook production and copyright, are unaware of these considerations but are represented in mass and can therefore easily undermine a regional developer via the quantity of information they can upload online.

Online topo websites are often based in another country to that of an affected developer which makes their relevance to a given climbing area even more tangible. There is a responsibility therefore upon such websites to prevent copyright infringement via a code of ethics which is often non-existent or difficult to implement because “we are run by volunteers” not least are processing significant amounts of data being submitted by individual climbers. They still gain an advantage of course.

A fundamental shift is required by climbers in understanding that bolts and associated hardware is not free so someone, somewhere, has had to pay for it then invested further expense and time to install it, often at varying levels of risk. Undermining developers by publishing new route information without their consent, drawing attention to areas under development all serves to only compromise climbing public safety while disrespecting the contribution developers make to support our sport.

Support your regional developers, buy local guidebooks and contribute to bolt funds. Everything that online websites typically fail to do.

Resin Resurrection – 26 Years

Times change and looking back over close to three decades of putting up new routes, trad’ and sport around the world, there’s nothing like revisiting an old route for a reflection of how bolts have influenced the sport.

With change you can either resist it or take the opportunity to influence it and so with that in mind, North Quarry was visited on a damp, cold autumnal day with the objective of pulling old ‘staple’ bolts and revitalising some old ‘bolt protected’ routes.

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North Quarry, near Bristol with the grand sweeping slab of the right wall and easy angled back wall.

Back in 1993 I bolted and climbed what subsequently became a quarry classic of sorts; Resin Resurrection, graded E5 6a or F7a and sparingly bolted with 4 bolts in around 20m plus of climbing. In current times the route would not be classed as sport given the significant run outs and the use of non certified glue-in staple bolts (Portland staples from the 90’s). Considered a ‘bolt protected’ route now, this was a spicy sport route at the time and climbed during an ethics shift from full blown trad’ towards sparingly bolted ‘sport’ routes, that led into mixed routes then mixed routes with two grades (to clip or not to clip the bolts), back to pure trad’ and what is considered modern sport bolting today.

IMG_8765

A run out Resin Resurrection.

With over a couple of decades in existence it’s clear how well a badly bolted route has fared in terms of recorded ascents. This of course raises the issue of sustainable use and the ridiculousness of insisting that badly equipped sport routes should remain in their original state rather than be acknowledged for what influenced the decisions at a particular time in the sport’s history and instead re-equip so that a piece of rock becomes a lasting contribution to the community.

A particular objective was to load test the original Portland staples to:

  • Remove them as they do not comply with EN959.
  • Obtain accurate load data from 26 year old glue-in fixings.

IMG_8768

The first staple (of four) on the route.

Testing used a Hydrajaws 2050 tensile tester linked to the fixings via a high strength steel locking carabiner.

IMG_8769

Tensile tester setup on the first staple.

And so it was time to start extracting…and the first result was shocking with the staple pulling at a paltry 3.1kN.

IMG_8774

First staple easily extracted well below the force typically generated in a leader fall.

The second staple performed much better until the ends of the legs snapped (as per the first and remaining staples).

IMG_8793

All staples pulled showing characteristic failure of the leg ends rather than failure of the 26 year old adhesive (Hilti C50).

Final results were:

  1. 3.1kn
  2. 13.0kN
  3. 10.3kN
  4. 11.0kN

The Hilti adhesive resisted the load perfectly and is reassuring that when certified anchors are involved, climbers can expect no loss of strength for decades after installation.

IMG_8766

Out with the old and in with the certified new. A Bolt Products 316 grade steel, 6mm * 80mm twist leg glue-in fixed with G&B Gebofix EPO Plus pure epoxy.

Old fixed gear was replaced on the adjacent Short, Sharp, Shock which included nails hammered into the rock and 8mm caving bolts, considered ‘bombproof’ at the time!

Hilti 22V 8Amp Battery Review

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Having had the opportunity now to put the 8A battery to the ‘test’ it is an absolute marathon monster. Drilling in limestone and with a range of hole diameters; 12mm, 14mm and 16mm, the first charge provided 14 holes (80mm deep) and by the second charge, a whopping 30 holes!

The only drawbacks, if indeed they really are at all valid ones, concern the weight and Watt Hour rating.

The battery weights 1.15kg which is a fair increase on the 0.78kg weight of the 5.2A battery. That said, the weight is n’t particularly noticeable and in any case this is not a battery you can pack in your luggage for an overseas bolting trip, which leads onto the second point regarding the Wh rating. The 8A pack has a 173Wh rating which precludes this battery from being taken on a commercial passenger aircraft as carry on ‘luggage’. Standard carrier ‘rules’ restrict batteries to 2 pieces, as carry on luggage and each battery not having a higher Wh rating than 160Wh.

The usefulness of a battery with this capacity is therefore for local domestic use, rather than overseas, where the extended long run can reduce the need to take 2 or more batteries and eliminating the chance of a dropped battery, especially when drilling over water.

Introducing Climbing Bolt Supplies Ltd

CBS-logo-black@300x-100

Pleased to announce the launch of distribution for Titan Climbing and Bolt Products throughout Asia.

Sourcing premium quality anchors in Asia is often difficult because the key manufacturing occurs in Europe and any suppliers in Asia tend not to specialise in bolts or have access to the necessary range developers need to suit to their circumstances.

Titan Climbing are well known for producing the only certified anchors made from titanium and are specialists in working with this metal for glue-in anchors. We have worked with this award winning company in the past to develop additional products and look forward to supporting their sales growth in a geographical region that experiences aggressive corrosion.

Bolt Products are equally recognised for the anchors they manufacture from stainless steel. Their unique glue-in anchor design has won awards and is the strongest anchor type in its class.

Together both companies manufacture any product solution a developer may need and have the capability to fabricate anything to order.

We operate to promote their products regionally while providing the expected technical services support to customers.

Hilti TE 2 A2-22 Performance Update

Having drilled with the new Hilti for a several days the performance is very impressive.

With a 5.2A battery I was achieving 14 holes drilled at 12mm * 90mm in hard coarse grained granite.

Hilti have just released an 8A battery..! So while a slightly heavier battery at 1.1kg, the extended run time must be significantly extended.

 

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