safe anchors

[robert birchell]

I am not a local but have climbed at the Red since mid 90's.
A very simple safe solution for getting off a climb.
No raps, no untieing.
You install a quick link to the chain or bolt hanger.
You install a snap hook to the quick link.
Tool reguired is one wrench.
When hook shows wear, replace it.
The quick link and snap hook that are used by
the American Safe Climbers Assoc. in the west
are available from U.S. Rigging Supply.
1-888-260-7444
Parts #
Snap hook LCF 349 Z
Quick Link LC QL 12Z

[ReachHigh]

every one of those I've seen in the red was warn through. I think it promotes top roping through hardware.

[pkananen]

I agree, the problem with those systems is that when they get worn, people always say to themselves "one more lower on this crappy gear won't hurt." I've said the same thing to myself, most recently on routes at Torrent.

[Meadows]

People do that regardless of what is there.

[pkananen]

People do that regardless of what is there.

True, but when they are encouraged to lower, it happens more quickly than when some rap.

[michaelarmand]

We can never fully protect against people making mistakes but there is a lot we can do to ensure anchor hardware is safe. Peter is totally correct, people will always do the easier thing and lower or even toprope off the anchor if you can simply clip into it. As for anchors with webbing, it is an obvious problem we need to fix. I just did a climb at pebble beach yesterday, it seemed to have new looking bolts and 2 bolts at the anchor. But to rappel there was a single piece of webbing! This is all too common, especially on more remote climbs. We ended up rapelling from a tree, but it was very tempting to get down quickly and trust the webbing!

Last night I put some cord in my pack that I will leave behind the next time I encounter this situation. But the long term solution is to add chain links to the anchor. And what to do with all the sketch anchors built out of webbing at the trad areas?

[Danny]

There are a lot of trad anchors in the red that are really sketchy. I always bounce test the shit out of any anchor before I trust it with anything. I've had anchors in the red fail the bounce test. This is a really important thing to do and I hope you all are doing it or will start to do it.

[pkananen]

We can never fully protect against people making mistakes but there is a lot we can do to ensure anchor hardware is safe. Peter is totally correct, people will always do the easier thing and lower or even toprope off the anchor if you can simply clip into it. As for anchors with webbing, it is an obvious problem we need to fix. I just did a climb at pebble beach yesterday, it seemed to have new looking bolts and 2 bolts at the anchor. But to rappel there was a single piece of webbing! This is all too common, especially on more remote climbs. We ended up rapelling from a tree, but it was very tempting to get down quickly and trust the webbing!

Last night I put some cord in my pack that I will leave behind the next time I encounter this situation. But the long term solution is to add chain links to the anchor. And what to do with all the sketch anchors built out of webbing at the trad areas?

I always keep two quicklinks and spare webbing in my pack. I recommend keeping a knife (maybe one of those kind that clips to a biner) to cut nasty old webbing and pack it out. If there are at least two loops of webbing that look good, don't have chew marks, aren't bleached, etc, I will rap from it. I do think we should be cutting off the tat and adding our own new pieces for redundancy as needed at these old trad anchors. It is unlikely that we will be able to systematically put in bolt anchors on the FS crags.

[ahab]

There are a lot of trad anchors in the red that are really sketchy. I always bounce test the shit out of any anchor before I trust it with anything. I've had anchors in the red fail the bounce test. This is a really important thing to do and I hope you all are doing it or will start to do it.

we've come accross a few as well. we always visually check them and carry replacement webbing should they need it, but your method sounds better. i have a question though, what do you back yourself up w/ for the bounce test?

[Crankmas]

michaelarmand- what route at Pebble are you referring to?