UKC

Hey all,

So today I encountered at the top of a bolted climb, two U bolts. Thats ok, I know what to do there.

But there was also a snapgate carabiner hanging on a chain about half a foot above the two U bolts.

IDoes the carabiner-on-a-chain serve some utility that eluded me, or is it old obsolete hardware?

In reply to needvert:

Quite possibly for clipping into whilst you thread the staples.

In reply to needvert:

Some people are happy to clip a snapgate and lower off, it's very convient. Personally I'd only be really happy to do that if I wasn't stripping the route and would so have the back-up of all the other clips and bolts.

I'm guessing one arrangement is a replacement for the other, so if I was using it, I'd be keen to known which was which.

In reply to needvert:

Maybe the bolts have been replaced and someone simply hasn't removed the original anchor.

We did use the snapgate, just the snapgate, to lower off.

Made me slightly nervous but I was the novice climber here and figured it'd take some quite bad luck for things to go wrong.

In reply to needvert:
If the snap-gate was chained to a second bolt for back-up I would be absolutely fine with it. If on its own I'd only use it if I was feeling lucky.
Would be quicker than threading and I guess it's easier to replace a snap gate than a whole bolt when the ropes wear it down. I think snap-gates are only unusual due to their thievability