Failure Modes - what's the chance of that?
- Thread starter khakipuce
- Start date
cap n chris
Well-known member
1 year old (bought from new) caving ladder; near-instant fail on loading. No warning, no obvious sign of failure cause. Side cable failure, mid-way down ladder.
Another ladder had several rungs bend caused by a 90kg caver.
IIRC ladders are only designed to (relatively) low tolerances on the assumption they are always used in conjunction with PPE/lifeline, and can fail at surprisingly low shock loads, the equivalent of a 100kg caver creating a 5cm jolt.
Another ladder had several rungs bend caused by a 90kg caver.
IIRC ladders are only designed to (relatively) low tolerances on the assumption they are always used in conjunction with PPE/lifeline, and can fail at surprisingly low shock loads, the equivalent of a 100kg caver creating a 5cm jolt.
cap n chris
Well-known member
Slim, by comparison to many others, though.
paul
Moderator
I've had several bolts (spits) fail on me in France - not using a ladder but using SRT. The most recent being in the Pyrenees last September.
On a trip in a Mendip cave in July I was climbing down using a ladder (and lifelned as I always insist) when I fell about a 25cm onto a ledge about 3 meters down with the ladder passing me. The ladder haden't failed but the spreader had.
I've also had ladders, or the belays they were attached to, fail a few times in the past (in about 35 years of caving).
Ladders (and belays) can and do fail - not that often, but I still always insist on a lifeline.
Before they were made compulsory I always wore a car seatbelt - I wasn't involved in a collision very often, but on the very few occasions I was, I was EXTREMELY glad that I did. Same with laders and lifelines. Failures may occur infrequently, but they can an do happen.
Oh and if you think Eco hangers are always bomb-proof, if you're ever in a trip in Knotlow Cavern in the Peak, when you get to the bottom of the second pitch, have a look at the Eco hanger still firmly attached to the rock it was placed in. Shame the rock fell to the bottom of the pitch.
On a trip in a Mendip cave in July I was climbing down using a ladder (and lifelned as I always insist) when I fell about a 25cm onto a ledge about 3 meters down with the ladder passing me. The ladder haden't failed but the spreader had.
I've also had ladders, or the belays they were attached to, fail a few times in the past (in about 35 years of caving).
Ladders (and belays) can and do fail - not that often, but I still always insist on a lifeline.
Before they were made compulsory I always wore a car seatbelt - I wasn't involved in a collision very often, but on the very few occasions I was, I was EXTREMELY glad that I did. Same with laders and lifelines. Failures may occur infrequently, but they can an do happen.
Oh and if you think Eco hangers are always bomb-proof, if you're ever in a trip in Knotlow Cavern in the Peak, when you get to the bottom of the second pitch, have a look at the Eco hanger still firmly attached to the rock it was placed in. Shame the rock fell to the bottom of the pitch.
khakipuce said:
Ladder fail due to age/wear between C link and first rung. Quite eventful to watch from below, and there's every chance the person who was on it at the time will be along to comment on the experience in due course.
Bolt fail at surface/entrance pitch-head due to Spit being pulled out from dry, brittle rock exposed to sunlight. It was only half a Y hang, no real drama!
