When the guys arrived my partner was taking care of his family, his daughter having just been admitted to hospital, I was on a rafting expedition so they had to hang out at our house until I got back and we could get down to organising the set-up.
Building a camp is fairly straightforward but we didnt want these guys to be uncomfortable so we bought a generator, a cooker, a solar panel to charge a battery for night lights and supplied a brand new Hilti drill complete with all the necessary resins and stainless steel bolts. Heck we even bought them a ladder!
Our bolting methods are based on two peices of published research, one from South Africa and one from Australia, both studies showed that threaded glue-ins, using a two part chemical adhesive gave the best results in destruction tests and we decided to improve strength by doubling the length of the shaft. Our bonding agent of choice is Hilti's HIT-RE 500, though not cheap it is considered the most heavy-duty of the bonding agents available that will withstand the harsh environment of a sea cliff.
Strangely the first difficulty we faced was getting to the top of the cliff but that was resolved today by Naz (our rigger) and Alan who made thier way through the jungle to the top of the cliff.
The next week or so will be sure to bring much to light and not only with the rock itself; the heat in this part of the world can be really harsh, climbing on a windless day would be simply impossible never mind the heavy work of drilling and bolting.
We will update this blog as often as there is news and new pictures.
For anyone out there who wants a piece of this pie we have an offer for you; we will feed you and provide the tools to climb and bolt, bring a hammock or tent and come and join the party!
email me at simon@fieldskills.com
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