UKC

Hi all - wall mods cited ACW guidelines and insurance, but just wondering why we're not allowed to use bolts provided by the CW with our own quickdraws?

Not wanting to name names/climbing walls or point any fingers, just interested to understand the real reason?

Walls trust us to use our own ropes/harness/noggin and their quickdraws when leading, so why not our quickdraws when wanting to sportclimb on their bolts?

cheers
Bluebird

In reply to Bluebird: safety chain. Insurers would like you to use as much CW equipment as possible to insure that fault is easier to place and all draws are then also maintained by the CW.

But even that differs depending on insurer, each insurer has different rules. Insurance audits are as annoying as health and safety audits in bars and restaurants one day you lose points for not keeping the ice well scoop in sanitiser the next day you lose points for doing it.

In reply to Bluebird:

Some walls do allow this e.g. Leicester. Most walls have them in situ held in place with maillons, though, and tend to remove them to signify that the route must not be led, e.g. due to a faulty bolt.

Just less risk, I guess.

Neil

In reply to Bluebird: some wall do. my local wall has in situ quickdraws on the big wall but there are also a few smaller wall were u can use you own. probably just depends on the wall and the staff.

In reply to Bluebird: My local lets you clip (some of) the routes up yourself with your own draws. Even has a line for trad gear and a belay ledge to practise multipitch. Not that anyone ever does either of the last two things.

In reply to TradRat:

If they have a belay shelf, why on earth don't people use it?!?