Over the last few years we have been very pleased at Rockfax to be able to make some significant contributions to various bolt and access funds. A lot of this has been to UK-based initiatives but we have also made donations to the El Chorro bolt fund and are in negotiations with several other non-UK areas.
We have just completed a deal working together with Derek Watson, Isidre Bisbal and other climbers in Mallorca, to purchase some long-lasting bolts to be used at Santanyi. This venue has suffered for years from the highly corrosive effects of the adjacent Mediterranean which has damaged many of the bolts within the space of a few years of them being placed.
Sheffield company Titan Climbing run by Martin Roberts, produce titanium bolts which are designed to last generations in even the harshest climbing environments. Martin has given Rockfax and the Mallorcan climbers an excellent deal for an order of titanium bolts for use at Santanyi.
Martin commented, “It’s great to hear about people, companies and communities coming together to solve a problem. I think that some climbers take bolts and maintenance for granted. I’d like for every climber that clips a bolt to feel that they should donate to their local crag maintenance and actually get their hand in their pocket. This change of mindset is coming but I think it’s too slow. Sure, I want us to sell more bolts! But more importantly, I just want myself, friends, family and all climbers around the world to be clipping safe gear, made of the right material for the environment and not some rusty half worn through bolt. These are the reasons I started producing Titanium bolts many years ago for me and my friends, long before I started Titan Climbing.”
On receiving the consignment of bolts, Derek Watson said, “The order of titanium glue-ins and anchor rings has arrived. Thanks so much to Rockfax for this contribution to start the rebolting of some routes in Tijuana (Cala Santanyi). We are also receiving contributions from local climbers to purchase the top quality resin which will be used with the titanium bolts to hopefully last at least 50 years. As always the most important (and scarce) resource is the time donated by experienced re-equippers to do the job properly. As a token of our appreciation for their time and effort, we are offering them material (steel expansion bolts, hangers and lower-off) to put up one new route for each route rebolted in Tijuana. Hopefully in the coming weeks we can fix a date to get started.”
We look forward to continuing this relationship over the next few years to help promote safer bolts in areas covered by Rockfax guidebooks.
