Info compiled by Jeffrey Camilleri:
A note of Caution: Its highly recommended to avoid climbing on the routes below at the moment:
Pls understand that retrobolting is a slow process and only a handful of climbers do it …
Funds are non-existent or limited at times and free time does not come easy for many…
Fawwara Cave (Suspected 304Expansion Bolts) :Stained 6c & Threaded. Back up/don’t use any expansion bolted lower offs
Wied Hallelin : Plunder multipitch (Non marine expansion bolts opened by Mountain Guides from UK)
PLEASE NOTE JAMES HERRERA HAS STARTED WORK ON RETROBOLTING PLUNDER AND HALF THE BOLTS HAVE BEEN REMOVED. WE ARE AWAITING A STOCK OF NEW BOLTS TO BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE WORK (Note by Simon Alden)
Migra Ferha : Rodger Rodger Multipitch (non marine expansion bolts opened mountain guides from UK)
Fomm ir-Rih: Physique (missing bolts in Lower Half) & Powaqqatsi (Non marine expansion bolts opened mountain guides from UK)
Mgarr Ix-Xini : Ape Index (missing bolts in Lower Half)
Watch out for Single Point lower offs and vandalized lower offs in:
Fomm Ir-Rih, Ghajn Abdul, Mgarr Ix-Xini, San Blas Areas
Do report here any suspect bolt/Lower off you encounter while climbing.
Do inspect carefully every expansion bolt on routes close to the sea.
Pls do remember:
Bolts are not permanent. With years any bolt inferior to 316 steel or better, in proximity to the sea is subjected to SCC (Stress Corrosion Cracking) especially on limestone. significant corrosion can happen within just a couple of years. This is also true in areas where the water transfer through the rock is high (i.e. anywhere with tufas e.g. Mellieha Cave & Lapsi, Fawwara Cave, Wave) It is vital that routes are inspected before attempted on lead. Retrobolting is currently done by a few climbers who sacrifice their free time to improve routes they probably already climbed before. We beg for bolts, put aside our own projects, drain our own petrol and ruin our ropes with resin just to make the routes out there safer. Donating to the Bolt Fund is greatly appreciated…
Firstly sorry about the upper case letters – seems like I’m shouting but this page won’t let me use lower case.
It’s True, bolts are not permanent but we offer the very longest lasting titanium glue in bolts.
we recently commissioned a failure analysis laboratory to examine a 316 stainless steel glue in bolt that failed in Croatia and it was found to have failed due to SCC.
grade 2 titanium is in fact immune to chloride stress corrosion cracking and thus offers the longest service life of any anchor bolt on the market.
Feel free to visit us at http://www.facebook.com/titanclimbing or http://www.titanclimbing.com for more information.
Climb on!
Martin