Bolting Starter Kit -- Feedback for a Gumby Bolter

Howdy y'all,

I got a wild hair the other week and, after crossing my 1000th pitch mark, decided it might be time to take a look at what goes into bolting a new route. I'd always flirted with the idea that it'd be really fun to learn to bolt eventually, but I always disregarded as a bad idea for someone with my experience level. I thought it could also be a good way to give back a bit to the community. So, I went down the bolting rabbit hole.

I've read the Bolting Bible by HowNot2 cover to cover (and some specific sections a few times), watched a couple hours of videos on YouTube, spent a couple hours at a climbing shop going over various bolt types, techniques, ethics in my area, etc., and have done another 4-5 hours of reading online and around the MP forums on it. It sounds like I've got someone in my area that's willing to take me out and show me how to go about bolting. I'm also gonna pick up some big rocks to do a couple of practice bolts on before I commit to bolting a new route. Ideally I'd like to go out with a local org to do some rebolting first, but we'll see how that works out. The crag that I'm looking to bolt will eventually be buried by a mining company that owns the land but currently allows climbers to climb on it. So if, god forbid, I dramatically fuck up my first route (or it sucks in general) it'll eventually be buried anyway and won't stand as a testament to the arrogance of a turbo gumby bolter with a drill.

The rock at this crag is volcanic, and I think would definitely be best served by using glue-ins. I was intimidated at first by glue-ins, but the more I've read the more comfortable I'm feeling with it. I think I'm going to use wave bolts for the first couple of routes.

This brings me to a couple of questions that have been hard-ish to find solid answers to.

1. What does a full starter kit look like? Here is kinda what I'm thinking currently -- what am I missing?:

• Caulk Gun - $25
• Spare Mixing Tips/Nozzles (10x) - $16
• Knife - Free
• Drill (Bauer 20v Rotary Drill -- well reviewed by other bolters on MP and a great budget option from Harbor Freight) - $80
• Drill Charger - $35
• 8 Ah Battery - $100
• Drill bits + Spares (3x) - $30
• Safety Glasses - $5
• Pipe Cleaner - $5
• Balloon Air Pump - $5
• Rubber Hose (for Air Pump) - $3
• Pipe Cleaner - $5
• Paper Towels - Free
• Wave Bolt Adapter (Smart if using wave bolts) - $40? (optional?)
• Garbage Bag - $1
• Glue Gun Bag (Plastic Sack or 2 Liter Bottle) - $1
• Rubber Mallet - $3
• Hammer - $35 (do I need a climbing specific one -- I'm a bit confused about this? I understand the metal transfer from the hammer to the bolt is a no no, but I don't understand why a climbing specific one is better besides having a carabiner attachment. Those are like $70-$100)

So ALL-IN for just the tools and general materials I'd need to bolt my first 2-3 routes, I'm thinking it'll be close to about $400. That's not crazy bad -- I know I'm cheaping out a bit on the drill, but I'm comfortable with it for getting started. Seems like I could do a 2nd battery, but I think the 8ah battery will definitely get me through 1 route a day.

  2. How the hell do y'all minimize costs? Specifically:

• Drill Bits? Where are ya buying these for cheapest? I didn't realize that you chew through bits too. Sounds like you can get roughly 8-20 holes depending on rock hardness? I've read that the quality of the bit really doesn't play as big of a factor and generally isn't worth the large mark-up. Has this been your experience?
• Bolts? Is there a way to get wave bolts for any cheaper than about $7 from the official site? Do people buy bulk orders and get them at a special rate?

Holy shit -- bolting is expensive. I've got a new found appreciation for long term developers. How do y'all fund it? Is it always just out of your own pocket?

3. Is there something else I should do or any other big facts you feel I should be aware of before I go and bolt my first route? I'm open to any feedback or suggestions regarding this and would love to hear any pro tips or things you feel you learned over the years while bolting.

Thanks!

You may want to post this into the “Fixed Hardware: Bolts & Anchors” forum instead, you’re likely to get better answers there.

Ahhhh ha -- locking this thread and posting there! I swear I looked for the proper place to put it before I posted and still somehow missed it, lol.