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Found an old climbing saddle in my dad's garage this weekend
He used to climb in the 80s with a leather belt and a rope wrapped around his waist, no harness or anything. I pulled out that old saddle and the leather was cracked but the hardware still felt solid. My first thought was how much safer we have it now with modern gear and fall protection. Has anyone else run across old school equipment that made you stop and think about how far things have come?
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murphy.tessa19h ago
Check that hardware for stress cracks before even thinking about hanging from it.
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corap2118h ago
Think about where that hardware actually touches the rock. Most people only look at the obvious load points like the bolt or the hanger, but stress cracks can HIDE in the small area where the metal presses against the stone. I've seen a piece of gear fail right where it sat against a tiny ridge in the rock face, not at the main attachment point. Check the whole contact surface with a bright light and maybe even rub a finger across it for any bumps or dips. A friend of mine skipped that once and the hanger snapped sideways on a top rope anchor because a hairline crack was hidden underneath where it met the wall. Don't assume the visible part tells the whole story, the hidden contact zone is where I've found the worst surprises.
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claire_young7615h ago
Wait, so you're saying the hanger failed because of a crack that was invisible until you actually removed it and looked underneath? That's wild but also terrifying because most people just clip and go. How do you even check that spot without taking the whole anchor apart? Like, if it's a permanent bolt, you can't just pull the hanger off to inspect the back side of it. Do you carry a tiny inspection mirror or something, or are you just relying on feeling for bumps with your fingers? I'm not trying to be difficult, but if the contact zone is where the real danger hides, then we need a practical way to see it without dismantling the whole system. What's your go-to method for checking that hidden area on a fixed hanger?
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