MAMMUT ISSUES A STERN WARNING ABOUT PERMANENTLY INSTALLED QUICKDRAWS AND CARABINERS

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."