Plated vs Stainless for Anchor Hardware and when?

Hey Folks,

Recently getting into route development and had a question that I've seen discussed here before - predominantly a while ago and to no consensus, so I figured I'd make a dedicated thread to trying to get an answer on it.

When is it acceptable to use plated hardware for an anchor vs stainless? I'm not referring to the bolt/hanger - let's assume those are always stainless (sorry coastal areas). Obviously plated is acceptable to use sometimes since mussy's and the like are pushed so heavily by ASCA and other groups.

What would you use in each of these situations?

• New route in a reasonably popular dry area (expected 200+ climbers per year on the route)
• New route in a reasonably popular humid area (expected 200+ climbers per year on the route)
• New route in a secluded dry area (expected <20 climbers per year on the route)
• New route in a secluded humid area (expected <20 climbers per year on the route)
• New route in a moderate dry area (expected ~50-100 climbers per year on the route)
• New route in a moderate humid area (expected ~50-100 climbers per year on the route)

I'm predominantly using vertical offset set ups unless it's going to be a popular area in which case I'll use lower-offs and am having trouble deciding when to use plated vs stainless for the links or if I should mix and match (e.g. stainless directly to the hangers and plated off the stainless quicklinks). While I definitely support always using high quality gear, if a situation doesn't necessitate stainless I'd prefer to use plated to save money and be able to upgrade other existing anchors.

I'd say if you are in a moderate to high traffic area or humid zone, you should spring for the stainless links. Low traffic dry areas, you are probably fine with PS links.

There is no consencus. Unless you follow the UIAA/EU standards.

Dylan Pike wrote:

I'd say if you are in a moderate to high traffic area or humid zone, you should spring for the stainless links. Low traffic dry areas, you are probably fine with PS links.

If the area is super high-traffic (and not in a super corrosive environment), the replaceable parts will need to be replaced due to wear, not corrosion. So I would argue that in high-traffic areas, go with non-stainless replaceable components. 

Bobby Hutton wrote:

Another consideration is what the non stainless hardware will do to the rock. I have seen quite a few anchors on the local granite where all the lichen and color has been stripped away as the plated steel chains degrade, leaving large white streaks. I have also seen photos if the same phenomenon on limestone. They also can leave rusty streaks. 

Is there a way to know what it will do the rock? I've seen plated stuff on granite that hasn't seemed to affect it and plated stuff on granite that streaks badly.

Another consideration is what the non stainless hardware will do to the rock. I have seen quite a few anchors on the local granite where all the lichen and color has been stripped away as the plated steel chains degrade, leaving large white streaks. I have also seen photos if the same phenomenon on limestone. They also can leave rusty streaks.

Both of the anchors below are at Sugarloaf near Tahoe. One is facing the highway and the discoloration is visible from at least half a mile. 

Edited to add. Removed double post and add photos.

Tal, this seems a case of hindsight is 20/20, you will only know it is a problem if it has been a problem. Check similar areas to see if there is evidence of similar damage. 

Easy....use stainless. Unless you are near the ocean, then you titanium. 

I have always used plated hardware for decades (Colorado, Wyoming, Arizona) and recently in one area (West Cochise Stronghold) was told plated was "Junk" and everything needs to be stainless. So I have bought a bolt remover set up, and purchased stainless hardware to comply with local standards.

Zinc is used on roofs to kill lichen and moss. Is the plating washing down the rock and killing Alice Algae and Freddy Fungus?

As there are abundant examples of considerable variation in the longevity of anchor hardware across climbing areas, I think taking an evidence based approach is probably better than relying on blanket recommendations. Unless you are developing a completely virgin area, folks have likely been experimenting with various hardware types within your specific climate and rock type for a while. A good place to start might be to talk with folks who have replaced old hardware, or go out and do some of this work yourself and assess how various materials are performing through time. Once you understand this you can make an informed decision about what materials to use in your local environment that are both safe and aesthetic.   

For example, I'm up north in a cold and dry environment with crags that see some use but are not particularly popular. My goal is to install hardware that will be good for the rest of my life (> 50 years). The oldest hardware I have pulled were some funky plated steel bolts with SS hangers placed 35 years ago. Each would have held a fall, but were getting toward the end of their life span. Based on this and the condition of other bolts, I assume that PS bolts are good at these crags for at least 30 years, if not much longer. All the external hardware I've swapped has had some surface rust, but no corrosion that would compromise the integrity of the anchor. I've been able to open links with a long wrench and penetrant. Some of the links/ chain from popular routes were quite worn so I think that having replicable lowering components is more important than the material of the anchor. Since there is direct evidence that the PS chain, rings, or links will last for a significant period of time and are likely to be worn out before they rust away, I use PS for these components and SS for my bolts and hangers since these don't seem to be lasting quite as long as I'd like. I would consider going all SS if the previous anchor showed abnormal amounts of corrosion or I was putting in an anchor in a damp/ humid microclimate or a ledge that would hold snow. 

I feel this approach is an effective balance of cost and longevity for the areas near me, but I would hesitate to extrapolate this to areas with different climates and rock types. I am being a little cheap, but the PS chain holds paint better and I can afford to do more work with the money I save on PS components.

Bobby Hutton wrote:

Another consideration is what the non stainless hardware will do to the rock. I have seen quite a few anchors on the local granite where all the lichen and color has been stripped away as the plated steel chains degrade, leaving large white streaks. I have also seen photos if the same phenomenon on limestone. They also can leave rusty streaks.

Both of the anchors below are at Sugarloaf near Tahoe. One is facing the highway and the discoloration is visible from at least half a mile. 

Edited to add. Removed double post and add photos.

Tal, this seems a case of hindsight is 20/20, you will only know it is a problem if it has been a problem. Check similar areas to see if there is evidence of similar damage. 

Thanks for that, Bobby. 

A real eye opener as I was in the cheapskate plated camp for most stuff outside the rock until seeing these images thinking it would be replaced as needed.

These streaks are unacceptable.

Costs just went up, gotta step up the game.

Hey Ser Titt, what's decent SS chain go for by the foot?

Good info posted already.

Tal, looks like you're a fellow SE climber -- feel free to hit me up sometime. I'm in the Denver metro area and would be glad to help you get off on the right foot.

nbrown wrote:

Good info posted already.

Tal, looks like you're a fellow SE climber -- feel free to hit me up sometime. I'm in the Denver metro area and would be glad to help you get off on the right foot.

Will definitely reach out - was actually at inferno while you were cleaning/bolting Marooned a few weeks ago. Appreciate the offer. If you ever see a car with a "Clemson Alumni" sticker on it near sheeprock, that's likely me

E-rigging.com has great prices on SS Qls and chain in 5/16th, use climb tech mussys on the bottom or a SS Rap ring for the wear point. Make it so the wear point is the only thing that ever has to be replaced. Otherwise do the best you can afford. 

Barry M wrote:

Easy....use stainless. Unless you are near the ocean, then use titanium.   (corrected "you" to "use")

Yes.  This is the Access Fund's guidance for all anchor bolts and intermediate bolts across the U.S.  I believe the ASCA also recommends this (Greg?).

Of course, for Musseys and other hardware that will wear out long before they corrode, galvanized is okay.

For bolts & hangers, all stainless unless seaside where you need titanium. Even zinc-plated bolts that are only a few years old can have super ugly white streaks down the rock below them where the lichen was killed or the rock was bleached - saw bad examples of that last summer on new-ish routes in Ten Sleep (up at a remote and wild crag - City of Gold - such a shame). 

For newly replaced bolts, it's stainless bolt & hanger, stainless link, and either a stainless ring or a Climbtech anchor hook.

For anchor hardware, it depends on the location. ASCA uses plated links at very dry areas like Shelf, Indian Creek, etc. We don't have a source for stainless chain and we don't supply chain in general (heavy, bulky, pain to cut, pain to ship), so for areas where plated chains are often used (such as Indian Creek) it just doesn't make sense to use stainless links for everything - usually new bolt with a stainless link, then plated chain etc. The ASCA does not have a ton of money, so we don't supply stainless links to everywhere. If we had the resources we would only supply stainless (except titanium for seaside of course), but even then, many of the hooks that we're installing lately go straight on the old hardware (often plated hangers & bolts, chains, etc), so it would be odd to have older hardware going to a stainless link then to an anchor hook.

The Climbtech anchor hooks are a special case - they are both hardened and anodized, and the wire gate is stainless. They have not been around long enough to see rusting that I am aware of, anyone from the southeast want to chime in and report on any rusting starting to happen?

David Bruneau wrote:

If the area is super high-traffic (and not in a super corrosive environment), the replaceable parts will need to be replaced due to wear, not corrosion. So I would argue that in high-traffic areas, go with non-stainless replaceable components. 

I should have elaborated. I was thinking along the lines of Bobby's comments about the visual impacts of rusting carbon steel or streaking caused by the zinc killing lichen. On steep terrain, this probably isnt an issue though.

Greg Barnes wrote:

The Climbtech anchor hooks are a special case - they are both hardened and anodized, and the wire gate is stainless. They have not been around long enough to see rusting that I am aware of, anyone from the southeast want to chime in and report on any rusting starting to happen?

They do rust, this one was up for a couple of years (one of the first climb tech ones put up anywhere) , the rusting is minimal and obviously doesn't affect the integrity at all. They rust at a slower rate than a plated quicklink for sure. We also have other ones that been up for a similar amount of time that don't show corrosion at all except for the spot the rope runs, so it is condition dependent even within the Red River Gorge.