I learned this #CraftyRopeTrick from AMGA Certified Rock Guide Adam Fleming. Connect with Adam on Instagram, and his website for tips, guided climbing adventures, and video call instruction.

The standard quad anchor works great for many anchor setups where you have two reliable bolts or ice screws. Why is the quad cool?

• Good load distribution

• Minimal extension

• Fully redundant

• Quick to set up and break down; no knots to untie at each anchor

• Super strong (would you believe 40+ kN?!)

• Two independent and load distributed master points, which can be very handy

To make a quad, you have several options of materials and length. The original material, suggested by John Long in his book “Climbing Anchors”, was a cordelette. While there's nothing inherently wrong with this, it is big and bulky.

Modern sewn slings are a better choice. There are three lengths you could use for a quad: 120 cm, 180 cm, and 240 cm.

• 120 cm: too short, unless the anchors are very close to each other.

• 180 cm: the ideal for most cases, not too short and not too long.

• 240 cm: tied in a standard configuration is usually too long, putting the master point down low by your waist instead of up by your chest.

However, a 240 cm sling is a very handy piece of gear for lots of other things, and many people choose to carry that instead of a cordelette. You can sling it around a tree, you can equalize multi piece gear anchors, and if you use the clever rigging method shown here, it works great for a pair of bolts.

Rather than the standard method of tying an overhand or figure 8 on a bight to make your loops, instead tie a bowline on a bight. Advantages:

• It uses up more material, which usually gives you a higher and more ergonomic master point. In the photo above, notice there are four strands on each anchor carabiner rather than the typical two.

• A bowline on a bight is much easier to untie after loading, so at the end of the day you can easily untie your sling and give the material a rest.

This isn’t a standard climbing knot, but it's easy to tie once you get the hang of it. Here's a nice video that shows one way to do it.