Best sport climbing anchors reddit. Reddit attracts a lot of know it alls.
Best sport climbing anchors reddit I've come across a fair amount of anchors that need to be replaced. Two are authored by Craig Luebben: Rock Climbing, and Climbing Anchors. Procedures will change depending on the situation, so if all you have learned is step-1 to step-n, you'll find yourself in a position where step-3 doesn't apply and you'll get stuck. And even then, having to make the decision of whether to use a sport draw or a trad draw is an extra decision that doesn't need to be made while on lead. Best is to have 100% full time monitoring but that’s not possible. Otherwise I would pick up a belay device with an autolocking guide mode (atc guide, reverso, pivot, megajul, etc. Now me and a couple friends are getting into multipitch climbs and I want to know the best ways to build an anchor, belay, switch off, etc. Now, there are certain scenarios where one may want 1 or more lockers in the top rope anchor, for example of there is a reasonable chance that the biner(s) may get pushed up against the rock, but such scenarios aren't that common in most climbing areas. Your personal sling/anchor should be solid if you know how old it is etcetera. So, I decided not to set it up. You can use a quick draw attached to your personal anchor to do this. And yes we are scared of falling. Over time, this wears the anchors thin. I personally use nylon webbing for my personal anchor. I recall a fixed threaded anchor above "Moraviana" or "Off-width Jul 10, 2023 · A personal anchor system (PAS), sometimes called a lanyard or tether, is a piece of climbing equipment that directly connects the climber to a climbing anchor system. It bans "installations", which are in effect anything that remains after you leave the wilderness area, including anchors used in sport and trad climbing. Two extendable draws are my preferred setup (in case the anchor bolts are set wide or are placed vertically or offset). This is the best way to clean sport anchors since you never come off belay. . If you do decide to go adventure and give it a try make sure you understand how to create an appropriate anchor (you'll need gear for this) and understand how your rope solo device of choice works. Eric Horst 9 of out 10 climbers make the same mistakes. 6kN on one piece (this doubling is due to the piece holding the climbers force on one side and the belayers Oct 29, 2023 · For sport climbing make sure the bolts are good. I'd imagine its more, possibly up to an order-of-magnitude of difference. There were 4 more friends waiting to climb top rope and none of them were capable of removing the anchor. Mountain guides manual (advanced climbing skills) Advanced Rock Climbing, expert skills and techniques Accidents in north american climbing (any year) Rock climbing anchors - a comprehensive guide Training for the new alpinism (fitness, diet, etc) Training for climbing. 8kN on the entire anchor now we have a theoretical 3. I try for 3 pieces but will work with 2 if I determine they are really good. It could be better. More importantly though, when building a top rope anchor you have the luxury of building something that is as safe as possible. There is a reason the gunks has no sport climbs and the decision to add a bolted anchor to the tops of routes has to be made through the fixed anchor committee of the gunks climbers coalition. Make the couple buck for a pair of links your contribution to the maintenance of a favorite climbing area. Do you set a top rope anchor when climbing with few people? I always do but in one route I felt like it was a challenging lead climbing and didn't want to climb again to remove the anchor. If you are going to do a lot of trad climbing, or big wall-climbing (both of which are my primary type of climbing), you will need to learn to rappel quickly and safely. So currently I use a pre built quad with a 120cm sling for sport climbing. Predominantly limestone sport climbing areas, like in Europe, don't have the same problem. Each racked on 1 single small non-locker, when used as an anchor on gear/bolts/pitons one end will be clove hitched on the most reliable bit of pro and things will balance out If the route's more climbing then alpine, then a Petzl Connect Adjust (otherwise, I'll use one of the slings as a rap extender), since it makes A0 much more enjoyable. Reddit attracts a lot of know it alls. I have a big background in backpacking and long hikes. Nov 16, 2012 · Update 5/7/2019: Climbing is a sport, yes, but it’s also a deadly serious sport in which catastrophic errors have life-and-death consequences. In the meantime, I partnered up with a few random climbers—one of whom my friends and I would later nickname “Disney Land” due to his intense disdain for stick clips. 1. Worst case is that they never get replaced and become dangerous (like a lot of anchors in SW desert climbing). Edit: To add, for sport / top rope purposes, I would actually recommend a quad anchor tied from a cordalette over this anchor you've made. I'd say 10 is the right number for most pitches, unless you're supplementing with sport draws. I hear a lot of people use quads for single pitch sport, and I do think it is a bit overkill. 2 quickdraws are fine as a very short term anchor, like if you are rapping a multipitch or flying up an easy sport climb and swapping leads. D. It’s a good enough anchor. That's really what worries me the most about climbing around here. That's actually a very good point about increasing friction. 0001% by equalizing, why not do it? I like to post this video whenever this kind of question comes up, because it's very good and informative. Using the rope for the anchor is great for swinging leads, but for block leading, I prefer some other type of anchor. I’m not sure of the routes names. I don't develop, but i do quite a bit of climbing at various crags. Even if you're increasing your odds of survival by 0. As for a TR anchor, I'd worry with the use of non locking carabiners. These are all single pitch top rope routes. Whichever slings have a smooth transition at the bar tack are best. trad routes in my area. when i learned, my partner set up a mock anchor and we practiced multiple times a week, with me verbalizing EVERY step. For example, you can anchor and clean with nothing but quickdraws and optionally a single locker. Length: I would go with 240cm sling or cord. Sep 1, 2023 · All 10 slings that we tested for this review side-by-side for comparison, arranged from thinnest on top to thickest on the bottom. Just make sure they're rated for outdoor use and strong enough. I’ve been climbing for a few years, and have been lucky enough to travel and learn all over the western half of the country at some amazing destinations. While it is the least secure, it likely won’t allow the rope to come out especially if you do not climb above the anchor when cleaning but still does not have the added See full list on rei. It provides easy clipping at the top and I usually choose this for when all climbers will be leading the climb. I always advocate learning principles rather than procedures in climbing. And therefore more into the Most sport routes have both anchor bolts close together and horizontal, or have chains so both anchor points are the same height so two quickdraw's are fine. I'm a sport climber and haven't done a ton of setting up top-ropes outside, but basically you want to make sure your anchor point(s) are bomber, that your climbing rope isn't running across a sharp edge, and that your carabiner gates aren't rubbing against a rock that could work them open. 53 votes, 30 comments. They might be useful in some scenarios, but those vary depending on what you climb and what you do. Just make sure you’re checking the anchor every time you come up to it, or at regular intervals. If leading in blocks, I most often use a regular cordelette, sometimes anchor with the rope. This is going by the numbers of ticks on MP on popular sport vs. Both situations which occur as a result are bad. Sometimes with a regular cordelette or slings. Ahh the classic two quickdraw anchor. Many companies have knocked off Petzl’s design, and more will likely do so in the future. Or at least have it much more slowly. The rockies really define "adventure climbing". I usually go with a pre-tied quad on 7mm cord for belay stations with two bomber bolts. Durability: can't answer this one too well, but they will last long enough that you will spend way way more on gas and shoes before either wears out. Going into my college where they had a climbing wall thinking I was hot shit and absolutely flabbergasted at how hard it was compared to "natural" climbing. As far as sport climbing goes, you will need to bring draws. Imagine a frictionless pulley at your MP. 7 face climbing with the top out being (a fucking hike) 30 feet of literal class 3 walking. I learned to build anchors in Joshua Tree, set up my first top rope in Red Rock, learned to lead on sport in Tucson, and really got to push myself in Boulder, Moab, Smith Rock, etc. In fact, I've never seen anyone lower off rings outdoors in NC (with the exception of some Californians I met at Rumbling Bald, and they were toproping off the rings). Lots of climbs share a common anchor that really shouldn’t. Don't be fooled though. Steff Davis has a good blog post which outlines how to do it. com Now lets look at the common scenario of clipping a part of your anchor to "reduce the fall factor" you have now doubled the amount of force on that singular piece; previously we had 1. Sport/trad climbing above a single draw is okay because you aren't leaving it there for long, but a top rope anchor in a gym sits there and gets loaded and unloaded hundreds of times. Nov 24, 2020 · The quick draw anchor is the least secure of all the anchors. ) and start practicing top belay on single pitch sport routes (you lead, build anchor, bring up follower, and then both rap off). 3M subscribers in the climbing community. Tying in with the rope is also a good habit (not applicable here I realize). I only set quickdraws on the anchor if I'm going to lower and someone else is going to lead. It's perfectly fine to have a top rope anchor with no lockers at all. If you're gonna be climbing the route for a while on TR then use a quad. The difference in set up time between a quad and 2quickdraws is negligible, and the quad is a better TR anchor. Sorry in advance, but I don't have any videos to link at short notice. With a grimly increasing frequency, there have been accidents—some fatal—at sport crags due to miscommunication between a climber up at the anchors and their belayer down on the ground. But you can't always trust a bolt, so clip two if you can when going in direct. Based on the reading I've done, it's recommended that if you use a PAS for belaying a follower, you want to tie in with something else (a sling, a quickdraw, whatever) to the 2nd bolt for redundancy. The area is known for low angle slab climbing. For a more long term anchor you want locking biners and multiple points for tieing people in, hanging gear/rope, and general versatility. Climbing outside is actually easier in my opinion. Jan 13, 2022 · 1) To construct a girth-hitch masterpoint, clip or thread cord or a sling through each anchor component and pull down on the rigging material to tension it, as you would when rigging a cordelette anchor. Unless you submit something called a Minimum Requirements Analysis If you’re just single pitch sport climbing, you don’t need the anchors, lockers, or even a PAS. The third, by Andy Tyson, is on Self Rescue. 21 votes, 32 comments. Guess you haven't seen me (climbing for 7 years, trad, sport, boulder, aid) or everyone I climb with. If your anchor is low or far away from the edge it is still possible to use the GriGri but I find it more comfortable to belay from my harness with an ATC or with a munter hitch on the anchor when the anchor is set back from the edge of the cliff. Better to have an anchor that's a little big than not have enough material. If you hike out to South Bubble, from the left side, you can access the ledge about the slabs and there are some bolted anchors there. Two quickdraws with non-locking biners is a very common anchor set-up for that kind of thing. Cleaning: no difference. For bolting trad routes for safety reasons, that should be at the discretion of the first ascent party where there is no greater climbers association. It might be 90 feet of 5. If you're sport climbing, in most cases there'll be two bolts, or chains or something - you can (usually) clip a quickdraw to each, and then Dude, you are wicked wrong. On others you will need some slings, but you shouldn't need to set anchors from trees. I climbed exclusively outdoors for years when I was young. Mar 24, 2025 · During my first trip to the sport climbing mecca of Ten Sleep Canyon, Wyoming, in the summer of 2015, I spent about a week climbing solo before my friends arrived. The home of Climbing on reddit. Old school routes, bolts, anchors and practices. (Photo: Derek DeBruin) I’ve been climbing for a few years, and have been lucky enough to travel and learn all over the western half of the country at some amazing destinations. There is some sport climbing at Great Head and, IIRC, Canada Cliffs. The only time it doesn’t work is if there isn’t enough space to feed a bight of rope through the hardware. It's more dangerous so you still need to be careful. 4M subscribers in the climbing community. If swapping leads, I most often anchor with the rope. The benefit of these books over the Falcon books (including John Longs Anchor book) is the straight forward writing and the exercises at the end of each chapter. Best case, if the person who installed the anchors is still around maintaining them, then they have to spend their own money to replace them. I'd suggest that trad accidents are more often reported than sport accidents: Trad climbers tend to be more experienced. Definitely the way to go!! For EVERY route you climb, consider the climbing/fall zone below the anchor, and adjust the limiting knots closer to the center point to cover only that much movement and reduce extension. Also, good questions on your part. A PAS is a critical climbing tool because it allows you to safely transfer your body weight off the climbing rope and onto a climbing anchor or belay station. The US has a lot of sandstone sport climbing areas, and sandy ropes apparently saw through fixed gear pretty quickly when lowering. Usually there are no bolted anchors where I climb. The climbing is good for the grade, but its freak thunderstorms (big ones), snow storms, ridiculous temperature fluctuations, rock fall, sparse pro, or bad pro altogether, and super long approaches for many semi-alpine routes. do it! Equipment: rope (research lengths and where you intend to use it), quickdraws (10-20 depending on your routes), anchor materials (many times 2 quickdraws), harness/shoes/basics, balls, common sense, respect, etc. For cleaning sport routes there's no disadvantage to a PAS but tying and untying knots is a part of climbing and getting used to it is worth while. Like most climbing techniques, it requires practice, building good habits, and keeping up with the current best practices. (I always keep a couple galvanized quick links with a strength rating somewhere over 2000lbs in my sport climbing gear, just in case). Most of the routes have 6-10 bolts to the anchors. Simple and effective, this anchor should be a staple in every climbers toolbox. Anyone know of a good online source for these items? SS quicklinks, weld rings, cold-shut hooks, etc. But, there's also sampling bias. In that case, the load on each side of the rope would be 1x the climbers weight and the load at the belay a If your anchor is low or far away from the edge it is still possible to use the GriGri but I find it more comfortable to belay from my harness with an ATC or with a munter hitch on the anchor when the anchor is set back from the edge of the cliff. The Two Quickdraw Anchor. As I had it explained to me recently, this isn't just perverse local weirdness. For sport anchors, I normally use two locking carabiners. The legs of a sling clipped to anchor points above, with the masterpoint locking carabiner. In most cases, when people are talking about tying in with the rope as opposed to a PAS, it's when tying into an anchor for multipitch climbing. I'd suggest just getting 2 mini traxions are really the best way to go for a newcomer. Mar 13, 2019 · The climbing personal anchor category has become a lot more crowded since 2019, when we first published this post and proclaimed the Petzl Connect Adjust the undisputed best PAS for rock climbers. I'd like to start carrying hardware with me in my gear bag so that I'm always ready to replace stuff if needed. The practical is that sport anchors tend to be bolted, so I carry two slings with locking carabiners on both ends when I climb sport and clip both bolts, lock my carabiners, thread my rope through and lock the carabiners on the rope. MacLeod Depends on the type of top rope anchor. This is sport climbing 101 and it's one of many efficient and safe ways to clean. If you're setting up a sport climb for top roping where the bolts and anchors are on the vertical face and you can visually inspect the anchor at any time, then it's fine to use non-locking carabiners. The reason is a combination of practical and habitual. There are always exceptions though so if you are climbing in a new area you should probably know the basics of building an anchor and carry a sling etc if you don't know what the anchor is Posted by u/sledfo - 3 votes and 18 comments Many gyms have "gym to crag" clinics. The federal government is bound by the Wilderness Act, which protects many federal lands from development or defacement. From the top: Mammut Contact, Petzl Pur'Anneau, BD Dynex, Sterling Dyneema, Camp USA 11mm, Trango Low Bulk, Metolius Open Loop, BlueWater Titan, Sterling Nylon, and BD Nylon. Also, at the top of South Bubble you can sling blocks above many routes. I’m looking into getting into more alpine climbing so I was wondering what’s best for me moving on. Sep 10, 2021 · This anchor looks like it’s right out of a sci-fi movie! There’s probably a simpler and more efficient way to build an anchor with two bolts! Three climbing anchors you should know. The anchors usually have chains, so a few long draws are enough for some of the routes. Part of the benefit of sport climbing is that, after the first bolt, you have redundancy from every bolt you've clipped. Hey lots of the comments are harsh. sovpqdqtuzyqohlchupaoebmwnylnkxciwlhuhqsheu