Bitten by the rock climbing bug means that you’re in dire need of learning about building the rock climbing anchors. After all, they’re going to save you and help you reach your destination.
The truth is, despite looking for the right way to build climbing anchors, you have got little time to read those heavy books on rock climbing anchors by climbing experts — costly and time-consuming.
So, you are searching for a quick guide that helps you build anchors and understand their types and varieties in creation.
In this guide, we discuss all the necessary terms and methods about rocking climbing anchor building to let you safely attain your target on risky but captivating climbing walls. Let’s begin.
BE AWARE: Don’t skip any section of this article. Since it’s about the technical information, jumping to the next part without finishing the previous can confuse and affect your learning.
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Table of Contents
What is Rock Climbing Anchors?
When combined, the individual anchor points form a system with an endpoint that bears all force applied to it. We know this point as Masterpoint.
You have to use a rope to combine these anchor points. These anchor points are constructed or naturally found on the rock.
Hence, forming an anchor system is to get support from the wall, rock, or tree to allow you to swing along the wall, with no fear of falling blindly — it’s a lifesaver.
To put it simply:
“Anchor is a single reliable protection point that will bear the sudden dynamic load when a climber falls.”
Standards to Assess Reliability of Anchor Systems: SERENE-A
Your safety entirely depends on the sturdiness of your anchor system. But how can you determine it?
Here are some essential points that you have to take care of assessing the reliability of your anchor system.
Though climbers have come up with many sets of rules and used terms for them yet, among these, we commonly know two mnemonic techniques: ERNEST and SERENE.
SERENE-A stands for
- Solid (or strong)
- Equalized
- Redundant
- Efficient
- No Extension
ERNEST Stands for
- Equalized
- Redundant
- No Extension
- Solid (or strong)
- Timely
With no care for the placement of these terms, we can simply discuss what these terms represent.
Solid: All the anchor system forming components like an anchor, rope carabiner must be strong. So, make sure they are efficient, rust-free, with no locks.
Equalized: Your anchor must divide the load equally on each point. If left un-equalized, any of the three anchor points will bear XX load.
Redundant: While building an anchor, you remember it should be expandable: in case a component fails or breaks, it should not affect the entire anchor system for failure. For this purpose, use 2-3 strong anchor points. Likewise, the slings and carabiners should have redundancy in designs.
Efficient: How much time can you spend to construct an anchor or wall? You have got little. So, you must do it in minimum time. Look for already available anchor points and master your techniques and method of creating others.
No extension: Aim at constructing anchors that have no flexibility to cause sudden load if any component breaks or falls
Angles: It’s essential to form the sling angles less or equal to 60 degrees. If they form over 60 degrees, it can cause extra pull and tension on all anchor points, which is undesirable.
Is it possible that your anchor system can meet all these standards? No, but you can try to reach the maximum. These are the only standards that can help you get the safest support on the wall for you.
Types of Climbing Anchors
The climbing anchors are of many types. Here we’ll list two primary types.
Equalized Anchor
As the name suggests, the equalized anchors comprise over one anchor point joined through cordelette to share the load equally. This anchor is famous for its safety because of redundancy.
The equalized anchor is further divided into two types:
- Self-equalizing anchors can be moved or pulled in any direction while the load distribution will remain
- equal. Such anchors are helpful in rappelling.
- Pre-Equalized or Static anchors focus on load distribution on each anchor point, remaining only in a fixed position. A figure 8 knot is tied to stabilize the direction after determining it, which is usually downwards. To increase the length of the master point, you can also use a figure-9 knot.
You can build these anchors by following several techniques that we’ll be discussing soon.
How to Build Rock Climbing Anchors: Steps and Techniques
Having known about the rock climbing anchors, the time is best to learn how to create them. So, here is the part that you have been waiting for.
We have divided this section into two key steps. The first step will focus on ANCHOR POINTS types. And the other step will be about various techniques to form SELF EQUALIZING anchors, and PRE_ EQUALIZED anchors.
STEP 1: Understanding the Anchor Point Types.
As a climber, you can find many anchor points when in need of support. Luckily, some can be trees, rocks, boulders, and some can be artificially placed fields and chords. There have always been debates about a man placed anchors that who place anchors on climbing walls. We’ll advise you not to waste your time wondering about them because some volunteers have placed them. Your job is only to make effective use after checking them. Let’s continue to talk about the anchor points types:
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Natural Anchors
These anchor points can be trees or rocks. They save you gear, but you can’t expect that you’ll find any. So, keep your essential equipment with you. In the same way, if you find any natural anchor point, make sure that they are sturdier enough to bear your load.
For relying on trees, not all trees can make good choices. Only an alive tree with good roots, grown on a cliff, and over 12 inches diameter can make great choices. Still, you need to check it by punching through your foot. Keep in mind, to use a tree as an anchor point, use the main stem by looping the cord around it and locking it via a carabiner.
Rock features are more reliable than trees. Yet, you need to identify what type of rock feature can serve your purpose. For instance, the horns and chockstones (a stone that is anchored in a vertical hole) can be trustworthy. In contrast, brittle rocks can be harmful. You can run a cord around the rock and secure the ends using a carabiner (you can also use girth-hitch).
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Fixed Anchors
These can be any gears fixed by some man on the wall that can tolerate the burden and sudden load. We don’t know who places them, but they are left there forever. So, you can take advantage of their presence if they’re studier enough. You can simply hook the quickdraws for runners.
What type of fixed anchors can you usually find?
Bolt and pitons can be two primary types of fixed anchors.
Finding fixed anchors doesn’t mean that you can use them. You need to check them first for corrosion and cracks. Similarly, you should not use them if you can move them, for they’re no longer appropriately fixed. Some bolts can also be outdated, like 14-inch bolts and hangers with sheet-metal style. Then what can be in? The bolts are 3/8 to 12-inch in diameter.
Removable Anchors like cams and anchors can be helpful if you don’t find fixed anchors or natural anchors.
Step 2: Join the Anchor Point
The next step is to connect the two-three anchor points through the cord so that these connecting points may form a master point where you may clip yourself.
The conventional anchor creates 2-3 anchor points with a downward pull and one anchor point with an upward pull.
To form an anchor, you’ll create either a Static (Pre-Equalized) or Self- Equalized anchor. You can use these techniques to build an anchor.
The Cordelette Anchor
Using a cordelette of 18-20 foot length is a common method of combining 2-3 anchor points so that you may get 1 master point. This technique allows you to get both static and self-equalizing anchors.
- For this purpose, take a 7-8 millimeter Perlon accessory cord which is 20-18 feet long.
- Make a single giant loop out of this cord by combining both ends of this cord through a double fisherman’s knot.
- You have to equalize the loop parts after fixing them in the anchor points. You can equalize the anchor through an additional rope of smaller length which is also called cordelette. This equalization can be self-equalizing or static (secured through a figure-8 knot), as mentioned in the tutorial.) You use a long strip of extra rope known as a cordelette.
- You can also use an overhand knot to secure your static anchor.
- Finally, ensure that all anchor points are equalized and use the carabiner.
The Sliding X
This technique helps combine two anchor points. It aids in the pull direction.
To build a Sliding X, follow the process:
- Take a7mm sling and form a loop out of it by joining both ends with the help of a double fisher knot.
- Run the loop through the anchor points (suppose them to be quick-draws.)
- Join both midsections by bringing them downward. Hold them in hand. Now form one loop separately in the middle by twisting one midsection of one half and attaching the carabiner to the loop and the leftover midsection of the other half. Make sure the double fisherman’s knot is running through the anchor points.
The Sliding X technique is helpful for lower points. Though it’s easy to join two anchor points, the drawback is that your anchor will have no extension to secure you if one section breaks. You can avoid this by forming an overhand loop. It can be possible if you take a larger sling.
The Equalette
The Equallet is the self-equalizing anchor, which is a combination of cordelette and Sling X. This anchor helps you on multi-pitch trad climbs.
You can form an Equalette anchor by following two steps:
Step 1: Get a 20 feet long 7-8 mm rope. And form a double fisherman’s knot to join both ends so that you get a loop out of this rope. You can also form it through a shorter rope if your anchor points are not at a distance.
- Next to the double fisher knot, form a clove hitch and lock it into the middle anchor point.
- Make another clove hitch and lock it in the next anchor point. The rope should have some slack between two anchor points.
- Take the longer section of cord and handle from the middle. Make two overhand knots on this longer section at some distance.
- Fix the loose end into the third anchor point.
- Now you have to make a Sling X between those two overhand knots. Follow the process as mentioned above to make this Sling X anchor.
- Lock your carabiner in the Sling X.
Resultantly, you’ll get a self-equalizing anchor.
FAQS about Rock Climbing Anchors
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Why is a high Masterpoint necessary?
The high master point is essential to allow you to belay safely. The master point is placed between your chest and a little above your head. To later the elevation of the master point, you can replace the figure 8 knot with the figure 9 knot if you have built a cordelette anchor.
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Why are angles of anchors crucial?
The horizontal distance between anchor points determines the angle that rope will form when you build an anchor. It affects the amount of force that each anchor point will have to bear. The higher the angle is, the more force will be applied. For instance:
- A two-piece anchor with a 60-degree angle, each anchor point gets 58% of the force. While with a 90 degree, angle the force on each anchor point increases by 71%. Similarly, 120 degrees angle will double the force as compared with 60-degree angle by making it XX times.
So, it’s advisable to keep the angle below 60 degrees.
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What are the anchors called in rock climbing?
The anchors are called natural or artificial in rock climbing. Trees and boulders or rock fall under natural anchors, while bolts fixed by someone during their past expedition are known as fixed anchors.
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Do rock climbers leave their anchors?
Yes, rock climbers leave their anchors if they have fixed them in the rock.
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How do climbers put anchors in?
As the climbers ascend, they deploy carabiners to clip the rope to the anchor point using the rock climbing anchor-forming techniques.
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How secure are rock climbing anchors?
The rock climbing anchors are excellently secure if you have used strong anchor points and robust accessories partnered with the right techniques. After all, you’ve not got any choice other than them. So, without worrying about security, try to do your best to make them the safest.
Final Thought
Rock climbing anchors are life savers. You can use them to complete your challenge successfully, not by reading a guide, but by practicing them. You’ve read this article 1 time, read it 10 times again and practice the skill of anchor building by 1000 times. GOOD LUCK!
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