A lot has been written about the tragic accident of our friend Nick Kaz, he will NEVER be forgotten.

I don’t wish to go over the incident but want to encourage people to research the correct bolts to place before firing up the drill (or hammer for that matter). There is plenty of information available and a wealth of climbers who have a good understanding of what works well and what doesn’t.

I would encourage anyone considering bolting in a new area to seek the input from locals before hitting the rock face. In addition here are some resources you should read AT THE VERY LEAST before bolting for the first time:

Safer Cliffs Australia Bolt Guide – a good guide to what bolts are suitable in different locations

Guide to bolting in Soft rock by Mike Law – has a good deal of info about bolting methods and draws from a variety of Sources

Bolt Products Testing information – has huge amounts of test data on different bolt designs and strengths

American Safe Climbing Info – has a lot of info about different styles of bolts

My Bolt Strength Thesis – pretty dry reading but has some good information about the different contributing factors to bolts strength in literature review

NONE of these resources will give you the full picture on bolting. Every bolt placed is in a unique piece of rock and location and has factors which will effect its location, type of bolt and installation method. There is NO substitute for experience so please get as much information as you can before bolting.

You have probably seen it already but below is a video created by simon carter that is a tragic reminder of what happens when the wrong sort of bolt is used. Take care out there.