All About Anchors

OVERVIEW

The title says it all. This trip is all about designing, assessing, and building climbing-grade anchors (although these anchor principles can be applied just about anywhere else as well – rappelling, caving, hand lines, etc).

This will be a hands-on session out at the mile 6.25 crag. We will spend most of our time learning about and physically building anchors, but if people are feeling good about their anchor-building skills, we may hop on the rope and do some rappelling or climbing to see the anchors in action.

We will start by learning about hard and soft components and what makes a good anchor (SERENE-A/ERNEST). Then we’ll practice building several different types of anchors with different strengths and weaknesses. If we have time, we will also learn some good and not-so-good natural anchors. Anchors we’ll learn include:
– O&O quickdraws
– Sliding X
– Overhand
– Quad
– Equalette (if time allows)
– Girth hitch
– Basket hitch
– Tensionless hitch
– Wrap 3 pull 2
– Double-double figure 8

Before this trip, please review the following knots so we don’t have to spend a lot of time on them:
– Figure 8 (and double figure 8 (the climbing knot))
– Double fisherman’s
– Overhand
– Clove hitch

Gear to bring (all optional, but encouraged)
– Helmet (highly encouraged)
– Clothing appropriate for the weather
– Shoes to walk around the steep/leafy crag
– Personal gear for building anchors like slings, webbing, locking biners, etc.
– Personal anchor system (PAS)
– Climbing harness (if wanting to rappel or climb on your anchor)
– ATC (if wanting to rappel or climb on your anchor)

I will bring:
– Static line
– Dynamic line
– Slings
– Locking biners
– Quickdraws