fischer heavy-duty anchors secure Mägdeberg climbing garden
Securing the extremes
Drilling and anchoring on high, sometimes steep mountain walls is one of the extreme tasks of the youth climbers of the German Alpine Association (JDAV) in Constance. In June, the athletes renovated the climbing garden on the Mägdeberg, which rises to an altitude of 654.2 m in the middle of the southern German volcanic and ruined landscape of Hegau and offers a view all the way into Switzerland. fischer’s heavy-duty attachments made of chemicals anchor the safety hooks in the rock walls.
Nine cone-shaped volcanic relics protrude strangely from Hegau, which lies between the Black Forest, Lake Constance and the Swabian Alb. The region is also characterised by castle ruins, preserved fortresses, original nature and prominent tourist destinations such as the Eight Pot, Germany’s largest spring, and the Rhine Falls, Europe’s largest waterfall. In the middle of Hegau, the Mägdeberg rises near Singen (southern Germany) with a climbing garden that has been climbed since the 1970s and was recently renovated by the youth of the German Alpine Association (JDAV) in Constance.
Around 1980, climbers set the first drilled hooks here, which were glued into the rock with a quick-bonding cement. However, this cement is not weather-resistant. As a result, individual hooks have now loosened after around 45 years. To restore safety for the climbers, JDAV renovated the entire area in a major action with over 300 intermediate hooks and 50 deflectors, all made of stainless steel. One challenge was the different nature of the anchoring ground. The hooks for the intermediate securing devices have a length of 80 mm. The reversing hooks, on the other hand, are 120 mm long. In the rock that is poorer at the top of the rock head, the greater anchoring depth creates more safety. The deflectors serve as chain stands with rings or even carabiners at the end of the route to deflect the rope and lower the climber back down. “When climbing, each individual hook and attachment point determines the safety of people,” emphasises Fynn Renner, Head of the Training of Youth Leaders at the Youth of the German Alpine Association (JDAV) in Constance. “We, from JDAV, therefore rely on the quality and reliability of proven fish fastening products.”
When climbing, each individual hook and attachment point determines the safety of people. We, from JDAV, therefore rely on the quality and reliability of proven fish fastening products.
In the renovation of the Mägdeberg climbing garden, the climbers used composite hooks that, together with the FIS V Plus 2-component injection mortar, form a form and material connection with the rock. “The fastening method guarantees a secure hold,” says Fynn Renner. “Because the composite system is firmly connected to the rock face.”
Particularly safe when securing under extreme conditions, such as securing climbing hooks in high and steep mountains: The FIS V Plus injection mortar from Fischer is quick and easy to apply. Important to know: Thorough cleaning of the drill hole so that the installed chemical anchors achieve their full load-bearing capacity. The JDAV climbers injected the universal mortar quickly and effortlessly from the bottom of the borehole using the accompanying Fisch extrusion device, screwed the hooks into it and spread the swelling residual mortar. When the resin and hardener were pressed out in the static mixer, the components stored in two separate chambers were mixed and activated. After its curing time, the composite system was fully load-bearing and now achieves permanently high load-bearing capacities.
The fischer SDS Plus Quattric II hammer drill proved its worth when drilling the holes in the very hard rock. "We have already used the fischer Quattric II drill to secure numerous climbing routes. In the current renovation project, the tool once again convinced us of its low wear and higher drilling performance compared to alternative solutions," emphasises Fynn Renner. The solid carbide head, solid main cutting edges and two-piece drill spiral speed up the work progress and increase the service life - decisive advantages for extreme fastening tasks. The reinforced core also ensures stability during drilling.
After the successfully completed renovation, all 50 climbing routes in the Mägdeberg climbing garden can now be climbed safely again for many years.
