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Another one of those threads!

Original Post
chopsticktown Moore · · Blandon, PA · Joined Sep 2011 · Points: 10

Bomber or not?

anchor

Used something similar the other day while belaying a second. It only made me second guess myself while we were back on the ground after the rappel.

1. At the top of the pitch there were a redundant set of metal cables around a tree used as a rappel station. The cables are represented by two slings basket hitched around the tree in the right hand corner attached to two Quicklinks.

2. The left hand side of the picture is a cordelette basket hitched and tied off around the base of the tree.

3. There is one sling basket hitched from the quicklinks to a locking carabiner attached to below the knot of my master point on my cordelette.

So, bomber or not?

FrankPS · · Atascadero, CA · Joined Nov 2009 · Points: 276

The cordelette, by itself, would be an adequate anchor. The additional slings on the right side are unnecessary clutter.

Ken Noyce · · Layton, UT · Joined Aug 2010 · Points: 2,648
FrankPS wrote:The cordelette, by itself, would be an adequate anchor. The additional slings on the right side are unnecessary clutter.
+100
Em Cos · · Boulder, CO · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 5

What was the thought process here? Are you trying to back up the tree to... half the tree?

rock-fencer · · Columbia, SC · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 265

This reminds me of a time when i was super new to anchors and i backed up a BFT (big F*#$ing Tree) with a green c3...My partner still makes fun of me for that one ten years later

AJWM Maracek · · New Paltz, NY · Joined Apr 2012 · Points: 71
kennoyce wrote: +100
word.
chopsticktown Moore · · Blandon, PA · Joined Sep 2011 · Points: 10
FrankPS wrote:The cordelette, by itself, would be an adequate anchor. The additional slings on the right side are unnecessary clutter.
That was my initial thought, sometimes my mind plays tricks om me.
Buff Johnson · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2005 · Points: 1,145

Sorry, it's just not battleship-bomber.

T.C. · · Whittier, NC · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 0

Why not just use the rope ?

AnthonyM · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 30
Em Cos wrote:What was the thought process here? Are you trying to back up the tree to... half the tree?
+1

You couldn't find another tree to use as a back up???? I mean come on. What if that tree rips out or breaks. Then what???
Reginald McChufferton · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2012 · Points: 0

What's with all the clutter in your anchor? Just wrap the rope a time or two and tie it off. All that extra crap makes your anchor less safe by introducing more fail points. You need to find a mentor.

chopsticktown Moore · · Blandon, PA · Joined Sep 2011 · Points: 10

Perhaps I did forget the KISS principle.

BWIce · · Ithaca, NY · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 70

With a tree that large, your redundancy comes with a knot in the cordelette. The concern isn't that the tree will fail and that you will need to back up the tree (you have bigger concerns if that tree fails) - your concern is that your system shouldn't rely on a single strand. An elegant approach is to take a bight of your climbing rope around the tree and tie a BFK between the bight and the tails. The knot creates two independent ropes around your anchor and distributes your load evenly through the master point knot. Otherwise, do the same thing with a cordelette and call it good.

chopsticktown Moore · · Blandon, PA · Joined Sep 2011 · Points: 10

Thanks everyone for the input.

Lessons Learned:
Keep it simple stupid.
The one cordelette that I tied off would have been sufficient.

My nerves got to the best of me and I just threw in some unnecessary things.

michaeltarne · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2011 · Points: 120

K.I.S.S. is always a good thing, but more is usually better than less as well.

T.C. · · Whittier, NC · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 0

Or, climb with twin/doubles and just do a bite with overhand on each rope separately, then clip them to the quicklinks. Two ropes, always redundant, and you never need to do 1/2 length raps. Makes climbing with a group of three way fast.

Once you use two ropes for multipitch trad, you won't go back.

Medic741 · · Des Moines, IA (WTF) · Joined Apr 2012 · Points: 265

If you do use just cordalette make sure it is tied in such a way so if one strand fails (like the one around the tree) you don't have total anchor failure.

Just a thought: when I have a bft throw an overhand on a bight and girth hitch the tree

With the leg from the girth hitch tie a figure 8 follow through around tree again.

Tie master point. Bam easy, redundant anchor.

Mark E Dixon · · Possunt, nec posse videntur · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 974

I like to carry a few acorns on Grade III+ climbs, so I can plant them for anchors. Sometimes takes a while, but safety first!

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Trad Climbing
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