Anchors

Here's a fast and simple method to build an anchor using the rope, typically on two good bolts. (Alex says it's his favorite, so that's what I'm calling it. =^)

Traditional anchor building teaches trying to “equalize” the load. However, with solid bolts or ice screws, it may be faster and more convenient to build what’s called a series anchor, where all the load goes to one component and the other is a backup.

Most bolt hangers are vertical, and it's fine to clip those. However, when you have a horizontal anchor hanger, such as this one from Fixe, it's good practice to clip the welded ring, and not the horizontal hanger. 

A common tactic in building fast alpine anchors with minimal gear is to directly clip one cam to another, without using slings between them. However, there's a right way and a less than ideal way to do it - don't clip the thumb loop. How bad is this? We broke some cams to find out!

Looking for a convenient and sturdy place to practice climbing anchors in town? Look no further than the nearest chain link fence.

While vertically oriented chain anchors are still uncommon in many areas, they offer a few advantages over side-by-side matched horizontal anchors. Learn some of the benefits of vertical anchors, and check out several possible ways to rig them for top rope, multi pitch, and rappel.

If you have a 240 cm length sling, it can be annoyingly long to use on a two bolt anchor, especially rigged as a quad. Here is a clever way to rig it so your master point is high, and it's very easy to untie after loading: tie it with a bowline on a bight.

Does it makes any difference which way carabiner gates face when you're building an anchor on two bolts? The short answer is no, it doesn't. Clip them in any direction that is convenient. The concept of “opposite and opposed” applies to carabiners on the master point, not when they’re clipped to bolts.

When and where is the best use of locking carabiners on an anchor? On the gear or bolts? On the masterpoint? Is it a multi pitch anchor, or a toprope? Can I use lockers on “half” of the anchor? It's a contentious and important discussion, so let's take a look.

The “backside clove hitch” offers several options for efficient transitions from climbing to descending. Here's one way to use this tool: the second is lowered with an ATC on the anchor and the rope through the anchor hardware. This sets up the rope perfectly for the leader to rappel.

Say you’re lowering your partner from a top rope anchor, with the rope running through one carabiner. As your partner descends, what's the load on the anchor? Is it your partner’s bodyweight, 2x their bodyweight, or something else?

Arriving at an bolt anchor with a small stance? A good first step can be to clip a quickdraw. Then, either clip or clove hitch yourself to the draw. This partially secures you while you build the rest of the anchor, and you can use the top carabiner of the draw as part of the anchor. Works for both multi pitch and top rope.

Anchors with a “closed” metal chain or ring at the bottom require MANY steps when transitioning to a lower or rappel. For single pitch routes, “open” anchor hardware like a hook or carabiner lets the last person to simply clip and lower off; more efficient and lower risk. See some examples, and learn why a major American climbing organization favors the open anchor.

Are you setting up a top rope where the anchor points are far away from the edge of the cliff? Using a second rope, called a rigging rope, to set this up is an excellent choice. Here are a couple of different ways to set it up, and lots of reasons why this is better than using old-school tubular webbing.

If you’re ever in the mildly desperate situation of having to rappel in moderate terrain that one person can hopefully downclimb, and there's no anchors on top, it might be time to pull the “meat anchor” out of your bag of #CraftyRopeTricks.

When rappelling, often the rope is going over a ledge. This added friction can make your rope pull more difficult, but it also reduces the force on the anchor, which can be a good thing. The greater the angle, up to about 90°, the less force is put on the anchor.

The so-called “American Death Triangle” admittedly is a catchy name, is not best practice for anchor rigging . . . and is not as bad as it’s reputation. Learn about why it's stronger than you might think, and the pros and cons of related rigging methods.

If your ambition sometimes exceeds your ability, a sudden storm is rolling in, or you discover your rope is too short to reach the anchor, it's probably time to think about bailing off of that sport route. There are a few considerations for gear, and one crafty rope trick you can use to reduce your risk.

The quad anchor is a popular choice, but usually requires a 180 cm doubled sling or bulky cordelette. What if you don't have that gear with you? Here's an alternative: Simply use a pair of 120 cm slings.

Alpine terrain can offer single point anchors like a rock horn or tree. Provided it’s unquestionably strong, here’s an elegant way to use these single point anchors. Pass the rope around the tree or rock horn, and tie an overhand knot (BHK) in both rope strands. This secures you, and gives a convenient double loop to belay your partner.

Rigging two opposed stoppers is a good trick to make a single multi directional placement. This is typically rigged with a clove hitch, which to be honest usually doesn't work too well. Here's an improvement: wrap the sling TWICE around the top carabiner, and then tension it. The double wrap holds the tension, letting you more easily tie it off.

The quad anchor, typically tied with a 180 cm Dyneema sling, is an increasingly popular choice for bolted anchors or ice climbing. Here's a variation, the offset quad. This gives you two clipping points at two different levels, which can be helpful in certain situations.

For top rope climbing on rock and especially ice, having a directional placement off to one side of the anchor has many benefits. Learn them here from guest author, ACMG Guide Sean Isaac.

The German Mountain and Ski Guides Association (VDBS) published a short PDF file of recommended anchor building practices. Many of them are strikingly different than those used in many parts of the world. Let’s learn some new anchor setups!

Are you top rope climbing with someone who doesn't know how to clean and lower from an anchor? Here's a simple way to rig a top rope to make cleaning and lowering safe and simple for the last person.

Certain configurations of anchor hardware can put a mean twist in your rope. Learn how to spot these culprits, how to re-rig an anchor with additional hardware to minimize the problem, and a way to quickly remove twists from your rope.

Need to tighten or maybe loosen a quick link you find at an anchor? If you have another quick link with you, you might be able to use it as an improvised “wrench”. Not as good as pliers, but probably better than just your fingers.

The quad anchor rig offers fast set up, great strength, good load distribution and complete redundancy, all in a light, compact package. Learn all about it here.

Find yourself at a chain anchor with a single huge ring or two equal lengths of chain? Lucky you, your anchor building may have gotten a lot easier. You can probably clip the bottom chain links with a large HMS carabiner and simply use that as your master point.

Redundancy is one of the tenets of anchor building, for good reason. It's a great rule for most climbers in most situations. But, it’s actually more of a situational and subjective guideline than a black and white rule. Learn some of the factors that may influence this choice, and see some examples of non-redundant anchors in action.

If you get to an anchor with chains and are low on carabiners, this crafty rope trick lets you build an anchor with just one runner and a single carabiner. (Note, this is not standard practice.)

Here's a slick way to use a quad anchor to set up two adjacent top ropes on same set of bolts.

Here's an unconventional approach to anchor building - tie a girth hitch at the master point. This has a few advantages over the standard overhand knot.

You top out on a pitch, and see a perfect tree anchor 10 feet back from the edge. Here's how to quickly rig a stout anchor that will position you in the perfect spot with a ready-made masterpoint to belay or haul.

Especially on alpine routes, you can count on occasionally finding a rappel station with just a single marginal connection for the rope. There's a few ways to back it up. Here's one that doesn’t involve leaving a precious carabiner behind.

There are many variations on anchor building with a cordelette. How about carrying it with no knots at all? Here's how to build a fast, secure anchor with an “open” cordelette.

Do you need to fix a rope and have a stout tree available? Lucky you - this is probably the simplest and strongest anchor you could ever build. Just watch the sap on those pine trees . . .

Passing a long cordelette loop around a stout tree and tying off with an overhand knot is an excellent way to make an anchor. However, if you want to use the shelf, you want to think carefully about where it actually is. It may not be where you think.

Making an anchor with only the rope and a few carabiners can be a very useful skill. Here’s a Crafty Rope Trick (CRT) that does this with just a few carabiners and knots you already know.

Extending a rappel anchor master point over a ledge can make for an easier rope pull, but a tougher start to the rappel. Rigging a “courtesy anchor” can make things easier and safer for just about everyone. (Sorry there, last person . . . )

The “backside clove hitch”? Is that something you might find in a San Francisco leather bar? Nope, it's a new approach to transitioning from climbing to rappelling. It has a host of subtle benefits, and it's a Crafty Rope Trick well worth adding to your toolbox.

Trying to build a three piece rock anchor with just one double runner? The “V clove” anchor is a Crafty Rope Trick (CRT) that will let you do this. Slick!

Need to build a quick 2 piece anchor and all you have left is a shoulder length sling? The SWAMP anchor is your new best friend! Learn it here.

Move over, old school cordelette-tied-in-one-huge-loop. Carrying a cordelette that’s “open”, or untied, can be more versatile. If you tie a small loop in each end, also known as “bunny ears”, you can reach placements that are farther apart, carry a shorter amount of cord, and rig an alpine block and tackle.

Using a cordelette is standard practice for many climbers when building multi-piece gear anchors. But, there’s a few more tricks than the standard set up that can make your life easier. Learn a few here.

Setting up a top rope anchor from above can place you dangerously close to the cliff edge. Here’s a simple and fast way to safeguard yourself whenever you’re working close to a drop off.

Cordelettes - If you want to use one, the first choice is diameter and length. There are some standards, but which one you pick might depend on what kind of climbing you’re mostly doing. (If you climb a lot on snow and rock, you might want to get one for each.)

A majority of sport climbers are fine with using two standard quickdraws for their anchor. Most of the time, that's probably cool, but for instructional settings or your own peace of mind, you can go one step further and use lockers on everything.

Need to make an absolutely bombproof anchor around a tree, for a rappel or maybe to pull your car out of a ditch? Try this.

When you put a sling around a boulder for an anchor, the angles can get wide very easily, magnifying the load.