As THE specialist for climbing infrastructure, Bolting.eu also offers many useful products for rock cleaning. Because only a clean rock guarantees full climbing fun. And climbing fun ensures guest satisfaction. Guest satisfaction ensures a high revisit rate. That’s exactly why you should clean your climbing crags regularly!
Example of suitable wire brushes and hand brushes for cleaning rocks.When selecting our products, we simply drew on our experience. This has resulted in three different product categories.
Firstly, the rough basic cleaning. This means using tools such as saws, loppers or pruning shears. These tools are usually the best way to remove the coarsest vegetation from a climbing area.
Secondly, small tools to start cleaning the rock itself. On the one hand, tools for removing grass and soil cushions are important. And secondly, to remove smaller areas of grass and moss.
Thirdly, you usually need various brushes to clean the handles and steps themselves.
You don’t have the capacity to clean your (planned) climbing rock yourself?
Then simply send us an e-mail for a climbing area service offer.
Rock cleaning – basic work
As a rule, the development of each new sector takes place in several phases. On the one hand, the access to the base of the wall must be properly prepared. On the other hand, the rock must be cleared of the coarsest vegetation.
Consequently, this is also where our product portfolio begins. This means that in our one-stop store system for climbing infrastructure you will also find everything you need to clean climbing rocks.
Branch shears and saws for basic cleaning. This allows you to remove both smaller bushes and trees. This gives you perfect access to the base of the wall and allows you to start cleaning the routes.
Rock cleaning – in the route
In our experience, rocks can be cleaned in very different ways. In the “best case”, brushing off the handles is sufficient. However, this is extremely rare.
On the other hand, the following scenario is often encountered. On the one hand, there are large clumps of soil or grass on steps and sheds that need to be removed. On the other hand, there are also smaller tufts of grass or moss. In addition, the rock surface may be heavily overgrown with lichen.
As you can see. Cleaning a climbing rock can sometimes be quite an effort. Of course, it pays to have access to the best tools!
Various tools are required for the clean removal of vegetation. E.g. hand trowels, hand cultivators and scraper cleaners.
Lichens
Without a doubt, lichen is the most stubborn “opponent” when cleaning rocks. This is because they really stick to the rock. Consequently, they can only be removed with appropriate pressure.
On the one hand, crevice cleaners are very suitable for this. This is because they can simply try to scrape them down.
On the other hand, in our experience, coarse steel wire hand brushes with a handle are also very good. These brushes allow you to apply a lot of pressure to the wires with both arms. This makes it possible to loosen the lichen from the substrate.
Mosses
Just like the lichens earlier. Mosses are stubborn growths that are sometimes difficult to remove. Again, coarse and very hard brushes are perfect for cleaning rocks.
Earth cushion
One thing right from the start. Without hand trowels, hand cultivators and scraper cleaners, little will work here. If you have to deal with larger soil cushions, you have to be prepared for hard work.
If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to loosen an earth cushion as a whole. As a rule, however, it means working hard! This is because earth cushions can usually only be removed piece by piece. It is more than understandable that the right tools are a HUGE help.
Fused cracks
In our experience, crack cleaners are an indispensable tool for cracks. Because the sharp and long tools are perfect. For both narrow and wide cracks. Their narrow shape enables effective cleaning of cracks in all types of stone. Therefore. A must-have in your bolting gear!
Nothing works without a rock hammer
Our top rock hammer recommendation for rock cleaning, the Camp Brenta!
You will need your own rock hammer for basic rock cleaning. Those with a slightly larger and longer tip are best.
In our opinion, these three hammers are perfect for cleaning rocks. Firstly, the Stubai Rocky. Good weight, perfect tip for cleaning climbing rocks and great price.
Secondly, the Salewa Rockhammer. It has perhaps the best tip for cleaning. And thirdly, the Camp Brenta rock hammer. It’s the most expensive of the three, but worth every penny twice over!
By the way, big wall hammers are not well suited for rock cleaning! They are far too heavy and usually have a tip that is far too small!
bolting.eu Practice Tip
Have you completed the basic cleaning? Then there will usually be a lot of soil, sand and dust spread all over the rock face. We therefore recommend that you give the massif a break. The rain and wind will slowly clean the rock by itself. On the other hand, you can also help systematically. For example, with the local fire department and a spraying operation.
Furthermore, back-mounted blowers are perfect for completing the basic cleaning.
Hand brushes and wire brushes
Once the planned climbing routes are reasonably clean, the next step in the rock cleaning process follows. The fine cleaning. We always use different types of hand brushes or wire brushes for this.
Rough cleaning
Stiff wire hand brushes or multi-row hand brushes with a handle are required to remove (caked) soil residues from the rock. The hand brushes are characterized by stiff to medium stiff wires or a high density of wire bristles.
These “coarse” hand brushes are essential for cleaning climbing rocks!
The stiff hand brushes with handle are characterized by the fact that they can be pressed on with both hands / arms. Only then do you get the necessary pressure to be able to loosen soil and sand properly!
General cleaning
We often have to deal with two scenarios. On the one hand, we deal with new massifs that have basically been roughly cleaned once. And on the other hand with existing massifs, where we carry out a general cleaning in spring.
In these cases, our fine wire hand brushes are used. They are perfect for cleaning lightly soiled rocks. Firstly, sweep leaves from rock ledges. Secondly, wipe sand and soil from large holds. Thirdly, remove needles from handles on trees above. Fourthly, remove any dirt from the larger steps.
Detailed cleaning
Special brushes are required for the final steps of rock cleaning. Firstly, the “normal” wire brushes. They are ideal for getting the dirt off jug, crimps and pliers in a targeted manner.
Secondly, you need Elaston hand brushes. Because the differently stiff hand brushes are perfect for fine particles. For example, spruce needles, sand and cobwebs.
