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| Source: Mammut |
Mammut is urgently calling for the immediate discontinuation of use
and removal of permanently installed quick draws and carabiners in
climbing areas. Irrespective of the manufacturer of such equipment,
repeated wear can result in the formation of sharp edges capable of
damaging or completely severing ropes, even in relatively small falls.
Investigations by Mammut have shown that this known problem is actually
far more dramatic than previously assumed and represents a very high
risk for climbers.
In recent years, it has become increasingly common to install quick
draws on overhanging routes in climbing areas. On the one hand, this is
intended to make it easier to clip the rope and, on the other hand, to
prevent the sometimes laborious removal of the quick draws.
Depending on their position, as a result of friction from climbing
ropes when lowering climbers, these quick draws can be worn to a blunt
angle resulting in the formation of very sharp edges. The
following positions are particularly affected:
- the first belay point (where the belayer stands away from the wall when lowering)
- belay points under a roof/overhang
- off line belay point
Wear is increased by the presence of dirt or sand on the rope.
Extremely sharp edges form on carabiners which almost never bear the
load of a fall and are rarely used as a turning point. This means that
they are never “deburred” (worn to a rounded shape) and razor-sharp
edges can develop. Carabiners with a T-profile tend to be more prone to
the formation of sharp edges in comparison with round profiles.”