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acorneau
Jul 1, 2009, 12:37 AM
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Interesting news from the UIAA:
In reply to: For the first time, the UIAA has developed a series of tests for braking devices designed to give climbers and mountaineers confidence that these critical pieces of gear meet the federation’s strict safety criteria.
Full story here: http://www.theuiaa.org/...-for-braking-devices
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maldaly
Jul 1, 2009, 1:12 AM
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Yeah!
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bill413
Jul 1, 2009, 1:38 AM
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acorneau wrote: Interesting news from the UIAA: In reply to: For the first time, the UIAA has developed a series of tests for braking devices designed to give climbers and mountaineers confidence that these critical pieces of gear meet the federation’s strict safety criteria. Full story here: http://www.theuiaa.org/...-for-braking-devices
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USnavy
Jul 1, 2009, 5:51 AM
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Nice!
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roy_hinkley_jr
Jul 1, 2009, 3:05 PM
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I wonder if it will be as bogus as the ascender standard. Or the helmet side impact standard. Or the sharp edge standard. Or the cam standard.
Just because something has a UIAA stamp doesn't it mean it's great gear. Caveat Emptor.
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JimTitt
Jul 1, 2009, 6:34 PM
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roy_hinkley_jr wrote: I wonder if it will be as bogus as the ascender standard. Or the helmet side impact standard. Or the sharp edge standard. Or the cam standard. Just because something has a UIAA stamp doesn't it mean it's great gear. Caveat Emptor.
Quite so!
Some would see this as a last gasp from an organisation whose purpose has dissapeared and whose support is rapidly dwindling, others might see this as a cynical attempt to raise money with a meaningless safety label. Yet others would see this as the actions of a commitee that has sat for decades and produced no worthwhile results attempting to justify its existance. All would probably be right.
CENORM who issue the European standards are quite clear that there will never be a performance standard for belay devices as they do not fall under the remit of the PPE legislation.
The Germans and Austrians are quite clear that a repeatable testing procedure is unworkable and so a standard is worthless. (Since they are leaving the UIAA their opinion is presumably being ignored.
The British are of a similar opinion and are losing interest rapidly.
The guides association will not accept a standard but as they have already left the UIAA their opinion is also to be discounted.
The standards laboratories are of the opinion that a repeatable performance test is unworkable.
And the UIAA technical commitee don´t know how belay devices work.
On the other hand I´m sure it will help climbers and mountaineers to choose a safe, effective braking device to suit their climbing style and rope choice.
Jim
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rgold
Jul 1, 2009, 6:46 PM
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Since the UIAA is, according to Jim, fading fast, I offer up the RGIPOS (RG idiosyncratic personal opinion standard):
Take yourself and your belay gadget to the top of a full-length overhanging rappel and do a single-strand rappel. If you arrive at the bottom in control and not pumped out of your mind, your device passes. If not, lotsa luck holding a severe fall sparky.
Oh yeah---you might want a belay for this one; there have in the past been some gadgets that fail this standard big-time.
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JimTitt
Jul 1, 2009, 7:31 PM
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That sort of intelligent, simple, practical and decisive thinking won´t get you on those trips to Switzerland!
A much more scientific way (well, the way we did it) is to get a copy of the provisional standard for abseil devices. Wrap the rope twice (possibly three times for a thin one) around your foot and perform the test as described.
You are now entitled to the UIAA safety label and to sell your feet as abseil devices.
Repeat with hands and any other body parts you wish to sell.
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