Part 6: FAQs
Could other coastal climbing regions be impacted with similar corrosion issues?
Many coastal areas around the world have observed similar bolt safety issues. Pay attention to the bolts you clip and inform yourself of local conditions and rebolting projects before planning a trip. Multiple factors contribute to this type of severe and unpredictable corrosion. Some of the biggest influences are: proximity to coastal areas with salt water; limestone or dolomite, high temperatures, routes shielded from being washed by rainfall or waves, and pronounced wet and dry seasons.
Who can I contact on Kalymnos and/or in other regions should I notice any risks related to the climbing areas?
Please contact the local authorities, local bolters, and the UIAA via the following form.
What should I look out for in guidebooks? What information can help minimise the risk here?
Look for information on when a route was rebolted and what hardware was used. The optimum scenario is a route listed as being rebolted with UIAA 123 class SCC anchors. Otherwise, 316L is still more resistant than 304L to these problems. The non “L” version of these steels are much more likely to be susceptible to these kinds of corrosion so avoid those if possible, and especially standard 304 stainless. The time since the route was rebolted matters less as these problems can develop quickly in the right conditions, but generally more recently equipped routes are a better choice.
How can I support the climbing community, especially contributions to such research and development of greater understanding about rock anchors, bolts and support for rebolting programmes?
Climbers can make donations via the UIAA fundraising platform. Choose ‘Safety Research’ when making a donation. All funds are directly spent on projects run, or endorsed by the UIAA Safety Commission, and for the benefit of the global climbing community.
When will the full report from Kalymnos be available?
The full report will be published on the UIAA website, currently scheduled for the first quarter of 2027.