A wrench is crucial for the safety

Most of us have tightened a loose nut with our fingers. This did improve safety in the short run but in the long run, the safety problem is just carried on. Having put up some 2 500 bolts, I know that many of them get loose even if I tightened them hard from the beginning. You should not over-tighten them! Lately, I have started to check also the fixed ones and surprisingly most of them I can tighten them harder, avoiding them to get loose and dangerous.

I use a combination wrench that I carry on my gear loops and it feels great to improve the safety for me and others. The normal size for 10 mm bolts are 17 but for the 12 mm bolts you need size 19. You can find wrenches combining size 17 and 19 and the price is around Euro 5.

Other safety issues that should be repeated are;
1. Partner Check - Check the knot and that the screw carabiner is locked
2. Loose Rock - Wear a helmet or do not stay under the climber
3. A knot on the rope - Sometimes the rope is too short
4. Soft belay - Try to be a dynamic belayer as there is no ground fall risk
5. Check fixed carabiners - They can break or even cut your rope once worn out