so i was reading a different topic on a different forum and i saw a picture of one of the worst anchors i had ever seen. so i decided to get others input :) what is the worst anchor you have ever seen? fixed or placed by your gumby leader that you were horrified to climb up to :) post away!

this is the anchor i saw :)

Rappel anchor found in Poudre Canyon Submitted By: Greg Hand on Apr 24, 2009

Got run out nearly one pitch up the second flatiron while also running into some pretty horrific rope drag. I couldn't take another step foward and was not able to downclimb. After about 45 minutes of struggling to move a thunderstorm came in. In the pouring rain I managed to get 2 or 3 stoppers in placements that would have never held any type of fall. The placements were so bad I didn't even want to weight them. My partner made the decision to climb up to me even though we both knew I wouldn't be able to catch him if he fell. I think I was belaying him with 1 hand. Eventually he climbed past me and set a better anchor (about 15 feet higher there was bomber gear) Instead of cleaning the anchor, I just shook my waist back and forth a few times and all the protection fell out.

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Actually quite good compared to the first pic.

Here's a pic of the old anchor on Hop Route in Red Rock at about 175' up.

This is the belay station at the top of Hop Route. Submitted By: John Hegyes on Nov 22, 2005

I think this one must make the the list.

Pin at the top of the second pitch; I'd say it could hold a falling cat tied to a bungee cord. Submitted By: batman spaghetti on Aug 23, 2008

Mike,

You stole my picture!!
We saw that anchor while putting in new routes in the Poudre.
We have left it there for historical (hysterical?) purpose.
Someone must have really been ready to die to have used it.

Greg

McHugh probably wins.

When I was 16 and stupidly invincible, my partner--also 16--and I bailed from about 6 pitches up something in Yosemite. There was nothing fixed on the first anchor and to save $, we left two pieces: a stopper and the knot in a tied runner. They both looked pretty good.

With another buddy we top roped the Geronimo finish in Joshua Tree off of one good hex. We thought it looked solid.

Nowadays, If I don't have at least three pieces I'm in love with, I sink three or four more.

^^^Haha, yeah, how many of us look back at some of the things we did when we were younger and dumber and pucker a little bit?

Mike McHugh wrote "Not the best competition to win. Where do I collect my Piolet de Merde?"

My french is pretty rusty, but isn't that french for pile of shit?

Luke's pic of the PBR anchor wins, hands down & bottoms up!

no...morte! Sh*t wins. Joe called it.

It's the "Ice Axe of Crap". As the sole mountaineering entry in a trad rock climbing thread, I believe that I still win it, along with the "Piton d'Inappropos".

Along the same lines....
How many of us can still recall the first time we looked up and/or down and saw a piece we had placed fall out??

Mine wasn't too bad---at least I had placed a bomber piece before looking down and seing the nut wiggle out...

the first time i lead on gear my first piece was a nut (woops) i was a few moves above it and my belayer says "ummm hey..." i looked down and the nut had slid out, down the rope, and was sitting on top of her belay device. I was only 15 feet off the ground but, Doh! Multi directional first piece!

There's a route in Escalante canyon we called "The Blow out crack." It's a classic six or seven inch off width. Hard eleven maybe even a twelve. Anyhow after working on this thing one winter afternoon Chuck Grossman stacked some hexs at our high point and rappelled off them and we left the rope fixed. The next day the rope and the anchors where all in a nice pile at the base of the rock. The only explanation was that the wind had knocked the pieces out of the crack. Thus the name.

first place goes to a top rope through only webbing and then telling everyone on national tv, no, I really am a moron.

cliff bar as a snow anchor -- beat that allen,

Just came across this picture.

Anchors on Castles Made of Sand that could use replacing. The wires are actually glued behind the washer making them a touch better. Submitted By: Jason Haas on Jul 24, 2007

IDK Rich, if you read the caption

"Anchors on Castles Made of Sand that could use replacing. The wires are actually glued behind the washer making them a touch better."

I mean they are glued, that makes them better, so i don't think it counts.

Hey Joe! It's been a while--hope all's well.

A partner and I did a less-done (read: almost never) ridge in Big Cottonwood Canyon a few days ago.

My partner got to the top of the 3rd pitch to set up a belay... the area was slanted towards the cliff with a bunch of several ton boulders on it. After checking them out, he picked the second largest one and tied the climbing rope around it because it was too big for runners.

I get up, get the gear, and get ready to take the lead... suddenly, the largest ~2ton block (the largest one) that my partner had been going to sling starts sliding... zomg, HUGE slide.

Moved his belay ASAP. Scary moment, realizing that if he had slung the other one, both of us could have been pulled down the cliff... and mostly because it was a time bomb. He had stood on it earlier, testing it out... just took 5 more mins to actually go. Definately a good wake-up call.

Natural anchors can be some of the most unpredictable :Q