Abseil slings: when ants attack!

Posted by Dan Middleton, BMC Technical Officer on 05/11/2007
Visible chemical burns caused by formic acid

Bizarre but true, attack by ants was recently found to be the cause of an equipment failure in the French Alps. The BMC Technical Committee investigate...

An incident was recently reported in the French Alps, where the authorities had investigated a fatal fall which had occurred whilst abseiling. The investigators found that the abseil anchor sling had failed. The cause was found to be damage to the sling from formic acid. The most likely source of this formic acid was thought to be from ants, which were found to be present in the area during the summer.
 
How do we prevent future occurrences of such incidents? Evidence of ant activity might be a good thing to look out for, but this incident occurred in winter when this wouldn’t be visible.
 
The BMC Technical Committee decided to confirm the findings by checking the effect of formic acid on the strength of a nylon sling. We found a 50% reduction in strength after exposure to concentrated formic acid.
 
 
It was found that obvious chemical burns were present on the weakened section. These should be visible when inspecting any contaminated sling.
 
In conclusion, this incident does not require any extra precautions to be taken when using abseil slings, other than those already taken. Always treat in-situ equipment with suspicion, and inspect it carefully for any damage before use. If in any doubt, either back it up or replace it.


« Back

Post a comment Print this article

This article has been read 1880 times

TAGS

Click on the tags to explore more

RELATED ARTICLES

Have you checked your camming devices recently?
1
Have you checked your camming devices recently?

If you enjoy trad climbing and mountaineering, no doubt you'll have a selection of camming devices as part of your rack. But do you ever check them for damage or wear and tear? If not, then maybe you should, as we find out in this report from the experts at the BMC Technical Committee.
Read more »

Report a gear failure
0
Report a gear failure

Have you had a piece of mountaineering or climbing equipment fail on you unexpectedly? You can send the item to the manufacturer, or alternatively you can ask the BMC to investigate.
Read more »

Warning: bolt failure on North Wales limestone
13
Warning: bolt failure on North Wales limestone

Following the catastrophic failure of a bolt on a North Wales limestone route, the BMC is advising climbers to treat all ‘Thunderbolt’ anchors with caution. Read on for more details and advice on how to detect these bolts.
Read more »

Post a Comment

Posting as Anonymous Community Standards
3000 characters remaining
Submit
Your comment has been posted below, click here to view it
Comments are currently on | Turn off comments
0

There are currently no comments, why not add your own?

RELATED ARTICLES

Have you checked your camming devices recently?
1

If you enjoy trad climbing and mountaineering, no doubt you'll have a selection of camming devices as part of your rack. But do you ever check them for damage or wear and tear? If not, then maybe you should, as we find out in this report from the experts at the BMC Technical Committee.
Read more »

Report a gear failure
0

Have you had a piece of mountaineering or climbing equipment fail on you unexpectedly? You can send the item to the manufacturer, or alternatively you can ask the BMC to investigate.
Read more »

Warning: bolt failure on North Wales limestone
13

Following the catastrophic failure of a bolt on a North Wales limestone route, the BMC is advising climbers to treat all ‘Thunderbolt’ anchors with caution. Read on for more details and advice on how to detect these bolts.
Read more »

BMC MEMBERSHIP
Join 82,000 BMC members and support British climbing, walking and mountaineering. Membership only £16.97.
Read more »
BMC SHOP
Great range of guidebooks, DVDs, books, calendars and maps.
All with discounts for members.
Read more »
TRAVEL INSURANCE
Get covered with BMC Insurance. Our five policies take you from the beach to Everest.
Read more »