How do you set up your anchors?

Rob Warden, Space Lizard wrote:Here is an anchor on Shunes buttress 11+ IV that I equipped/beefed up. I really like the stainless cable for cutting weight on walls.

Are you making the Stainless cable "Draws" yourself? Not aware of any place that sells them like that.

Something about the cable setup gives me pause. I know there's at least one documented case where an anchor with cable failed. Just not a fan of a setup where it's difficult if not impossible to inspect the status of the cable. I know chain is heavier but damn if it's not dead simple to evaluate.

MattM Both climb tech and Fixe have 16kn-22kn stainless cable draws for equipping steep climbs. These have been repurposed into anchor gear. I like them for their low bulk and weight. They will last and last under these loads. You also and cannot thread and top rope or rap off, through the eyelet which is a gripe I have with chain. Everything should terminate to a ring or link to easy replacement.

I also use high test chain but when it comes to leaving the ground these are a quater of the weight of chain for the equivalent length.

Do you have any concerns past a gut feeling? I will change my setups if there is a legitimate concern.

FYI cable is 316, as is the link and ring.

I hope those cables are camoed, not rusted. How does cable compared to chain in cost?

It's paint. Its also stainless like I said. I get them from the ASCA. However for personal projects it may be the most economic option for stainless I think they are 5-8 bucks each, two links and a ring and your done.

I modified the way I am doing anchors now and I drastically reduced the amount of material involved. I decided to try the Euro style of using vertical anchors and honestly I dont see why we use the standard V anchor here. The vertical style is superior IMO as it saves a lot of material.

The only change I make to the final product is I add two rings in the middle instead of one in the photo.

Less cluster, less cost, more reliability through fewer parts.

20 kN wrote:I modified the way I am doing anchors now and I drastically reduced the amount of material involved. I decided to try the Euro style of using vertical anchors and honestly I dont see why we use the standard V anchor here. The vertical style is superior IMO as it saves a lot of material. The only change I make to the final product is I add two rings in the middle instead of one in the photo. Less cluster, less cost, more reliability through fewer parts.

I agree, the Euro style is superior.

Just FWIW, in the Verdon I saw a lot of anchors where they used chain where you used the long quick-link, and then a single large, thick quick-link through the chain and bottom bolt. The locals all carried a similar quick-link on the back of their harnesses in case they came across a worn link.

I saw a few links with obvious wear, but none as bad as I've seen over here!

THREAD DRIFT: just had a thought. It looks like you cleaned the rock. I wonder (no clue really) if the lichen and varnish actually form a protective coating on the rock, and that removing it causes the rock to weather more rapidly? Like Windgate, for example.

John Byrnes wrote: I wonder (no clue really) if the lichen and varnish actually form a protective coating on the rock, and that removing it causes the rock to weather more rapidly? Like Windgate, for example.

I dident clean anything off. That stuff would take a motorized steel wire brush to get off anyway. Fortunately, it doesent seem to actually grow on the routes for the most part. Mostly it hangs out at the top of the cliff at or above where the anchor is placed, and less commonly on other random parts of the cliff with few or no routes.

20 kN wrote: I dident clean anything off. That stuff would take a motorized steel wire brush to get off anyway. Fortunately, it doesent seem to actually grow on the routes for the most part. Mostly it hangs out at the top of the cliff at or above where the anchor is placed, and less commonly on other random parts of the cliff with few or no routes.

I'm not saying cleaning is a bad thing. The photo is quite obvious that someone cleaned the area where the anchor is, probably the FA, and the varnish/lichen hasn't grown back yet.

I was just wondering if, on a geologic time scale, the rock would weather/wear faster. In Indian Creek for example, I think the answer is "yes" on a much shorter time-scale, but I'm wondering about Limestone, etc. Just a thought...

Personally I´d have just said it was just drill dust but what do I know?:-)