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Mike Thompson
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Jul 18, 2009
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Manchester NH
· Joined Jan 2007
· Points: 460
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 :)
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John Maguire
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Jul 18, 2009
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Boulder, CO
· Joined Nov 2008
· Points: 195
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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Allen Hill
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Jul 18, 2009
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FIve Points, Colorado and Pine
· Joined Jun 2004
· Points: 1,410
it looks worse than it was
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John Hegyes
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Jul 18, 2009
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Las Vegas, NV
· Joined Feb 2002
· Points: 5,676
Here's a pic of the old anchor on Hop Route in Red Rock at about 175' up. Someone came along and chopped it so you have to climb a second pitch and do the sketchy walk-off now. That was two years ago, I don't know if the situation has improved.
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Ben Kiessel
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Jul 18, 2009
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Durango, CO
· Joined Mar 2004
· Points: 5,248
The rappel anchor on church rock in Moab. Luckily I took this down and replaced it with this bomber anchor.
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Guy H.
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Jul 18, 2009
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Fort Collins CO
· Joined Jan 2001
· Points: 8,318
I think this one must make the the list.
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Greg Hand
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Jul 18, 2009
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Golden, CO
· Joined Jan 2003
· Points: 2,623
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
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Mike Thompson
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Jul 19, 2009
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Manchester NH
· Joined Jan 2007
· Points: 460
Greg Hand wrote: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 haha sorry greg :) i was reading the other forum and it inspired me and i had to put something up haha :) but thanks for the background :)
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Shawn Mitchell
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Jul 19, 2009
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Broomfield
· Joined Mar 2008
· Points: 250
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.
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Evan1984
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Jul 19, 2009
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Unknown Hometown
· Joined Aug 2007
· Points: 30
^^^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?
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Joe Santambrogio
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Jul 19, 2009
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Unknown Hometown
· Joined Oct 2004
· Points: 60
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?
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Shawn Mitchell
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Jul 19, 2009
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Broomfield
· Joined Mar 2008
· Points: 250
Mike McHugh wrote: Not the best competition to win. Where do I collect my Piolet de Merde? Merde...is that piton of death or piton of sh*t? Or do the French enjoy a wry ironic cognate?
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Braxton Norwood
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Jul 19, 2009
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Billings Montana
· Joined Mar 2003
· Points: 1,370
Luke's pic of the PBR anchor wins, hands down & bottoms up!
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Shawn Mitchell
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Jul 19, 2009
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Broomfield
· Joined Mar 2008
· Points: 250
no...morte! Sh*t wins. Joe called it.
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AnthonyM
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Jul 19, 2009
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Unknown Hometown
· Joined Mar 2009
· Points: 30
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...
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Allen Hill
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Jul 19, 2009
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FIve Points, Colorado and Pine
· Joined Jun 2004
· Points: 1,410
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.
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Buff Johnson
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Jul 19, 2009
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Unknown Hometown
· Joined Dec 2005
· Points: 1,145
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,
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Rich Farnham
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Jul 19, 2009
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Nederland, CO
· Joined Aug 2002
· Points: 297
Just came across . Doesn't beat some of the others in this thread, but maybe gets an honorable mention...
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Joe Santambrogio
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Jul 19, 2009
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Unknown Hometown
· Joined Oct 2004
· Points: 60
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.
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Rich Farnham
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Jul 19, 2009
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Nederland, CO
· Joined Aug 2002
· Points: 297
Hey Joe! It's been a while--hope all's well. Joe Santambrogio wrote: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. Oh well, in that case... Maybe the ARI folks will start using this method. Rather than their typical announcement ("bolts replaced with 1/2-inch SS anchors donated by ARI") we would start to see: "manky old stoppers donated by..."
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Pete Spri
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Aug 7, 2009
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Unknown Hometown
· Joined Jun 2009
· Points: 347
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
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