Kia ora Roy Smith
Prior to us starting this Givealittle fundraising page in Oct 2022, there were no funds available to local climbers to use for re-bolting. One member of our group generously purchased 316 SS rod and bent it into 'P' bolts. These were welded by a local engineering company. A random selection of the completed bolts was taken to Aspiring for pull testing. Aspiring was unable to test these bolts to destruction as requested due to their tester having a 50kn shut-off. (as a comparison, the CT bolts we have been re-bolting with, since people started generously donating, are rated to 30kn).
I think it is worth noting that referring to them as 'Home-made' undermines the skill and experience of the engineer who did such a professional job. It would be correct to refer to them as unrated as they haven't gone through the UIAA testing process like imported ring bolts have. To my understanding, Alpine Club ring bolts used throughout the country are also made by a NZ engineering company and are not UIAA rated.
There have been climbs, primarily early on and mainly at Cathedral, that have used these Golden Bay engineered ring bolts to replace the rusty, bent, unrated and plainly manky expansion bolts that climbers were climbing on there. I would hope that anyone that has experienced the variable rock quality at Pohara would be confident that the new Golden Bay ring bolts are far from the weak point in the system.
Since the Givealittle funds have come in so generously from so many other climbers, we have been purchasing Fixe and CT bolts and anchor sets. On an ongoing basis, we are likely to use them and other brands including the Alpine Club ring bolts.
While every climber visiting a crag has the right to query how the re-bolting in an area is being done (and the responsibility to make decisions on what they are comfortable climbing in terms of both old and new bolts), it can be interesting to see how an individual chooses to query something. Personally, I would be more likely to email the re-bolting email address that is stated quite clearly on the Givealittle page and on the signs at the crags (painesfordrebolting@protonmail.com) and see how comfortable I felt with their response. Others, such as yourself, might feel that an appropriate way to raise it is to ask the same thing twice on a page set up by volunteers to fundraise for work they then complete on a voluntary basis. Each to their own I guess.
To those other climbers who have donated so willingly, thanks very much for the support. To those with queries about the re-bolting fund or the work, feel free to get in touch at the email address above. Just to be very clear, no members of Golden Bay Climbers have gained financially from this fundraiser. Unlike the more populated cragging areas in NZ, there are only a small number of locally based climbers in Golden Bay and an even smaller number able to donate their time and energy to this project on top of their day jobs. We are grateful for their efforts. All the work is unpaid and the decisions around spending of funds for bolts, glue, equipment etc are made collectively, with dual sign off processes for the bank account.
Regards
Dom Hammond (on behalf of GB Climbers)
